Quietly resting over 900 feet above the nearest village of Henryd on the South side of Tal-y-Fan, St. Celynnin’s Church has a serenity and ancient beauty that captures the pilgrim heart and is celebrated in our monthly services from April to October. This special place, that commands such vistas, has a ‘higher ground’ perspective, and it’s given its name to our Ministry Area of Bro Celynnin.
St. Celynnin’s Church itself is Grade 1 listed and dates back to the 12th century. You can see St. Celynnin’s Well with its reputed healing waters.
Mae Eglwys Sant Celynnin yn restredig Gardd 1 ac yn dyddio’n ôl i’r 12fed ganrif. Cewch weld Ffynnon Celynnin, a honnir bod ei dŵr yn gallu iachau pobl.
Location
- LL32 8LJ
- OS Grid Reference SH751737
Remembrance Sunday
Poppies were placed on the font for Remembrance Sunday 10th November, to honour the millions of people who lost their lives, or were wounded in battle, so that we can enjoy freedom today.
Services
We had our last Celtic Service on the eighteenth Sunday after Trinity, in the afternoon of Sunday 20th October. It was a Communion Service and our focus was on Chapel, a place where we can pray with others. Chapel is one of the Seven Sacred Spaces Saith Gofod Sanctaidd of Christian community life, the values of which come from monastic communities.
In 2020, we will celebrate the risen Christ together at the Dawn Easter Communion Service on Sunday 12th April (6am). Celtic Prayer and Praise will then continue in this ancient place, high on the hill above Henryd, every third Sunday (3pm), throughout Summer and Autumn.
Open Doors
The Church welcomed visitors on 7th September during the annual Open Doors Drysau Agored. There was an Exhibition on ‘Llangelynnin Old and New’, as well as a guided tour of the Church.
Opening Hours
The Church is open every day for visitors to enjoy its splendour from dawn ’til dusk. However, it will be closed on Saturday 21st December. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Mae’r eglwys ar agor i ymwelwyr gael mwynhau ei gogoniant o doriad gwawr tan wyllnos. Fodd bynnag bydd ar gau ar ddydd Sadwrn 21ain Rhagfyr. Mae’n ddrwg gennym am unrhyw rwystr.
North Wales Pilgrims
It was a wet Thursday on 9th April, and some members of the North Wales Pilgrims’ Way Group visited our ancient Church. They trekked up the hill from Rowen, and were delighted to hear the toll of the bell, as they trudged their way up in wet weather gear! Once they were safely inside St. Celynnin’s Church, they held prayers, and enjoyed the refreshments that were provided by the people from the Bro Gwydir Ministry Area. They then carried on walking to Abergwyngregyn, and some of them carried on to Bardsey Island Ynys Enlli.
Dawn Communion Easter Sunday Service
Early in the morning on Sunday 21st April, we gathered in Llangelynnin Old Church for the Dawn Communion Easter Sunday Service. With the beauty of sunrise, we celebrated the risen Christ, and bright light shone through the East window.
Sunrise illuminates path to Llangelynnin Old Church
Christ is Risen. Alleluia!
Bright light shining through East window
Over the Winter
Our Winter season of Celtic Prayer and Praise was in the beautiful and ancient Church of St. Benedict’s, in Gyffin. The candle-lit and contemplative Services were at 6pm on the third Sunday of the month, and the last one was in the evening of St. Patrick’s Day, on 17th March, where we were able to reflect on this great Celtic Saint with something a lot stronger than Guinness!
Would you like to visit Llangelynnin Old Church as a group?
It was a beautiful, Autumn day on the 12th September 2018. A group led by the Reverend Paul Flavell from St. Michael’s Church in Abergele, were welcomed to Llangelynnin Old Church by John and Meira Shakespear. John is the Church warden, and Meira plays the organ at some of the other Churches in the Conwy Valley.
In June 2018, a group from our sister Church, visited us. The group was led by the Reverend Lindsay Ford from St. Celynnin’s Church in Llwyngwril in Meirionnydd.
If you would like to bring a group on pilgrimage, then click here.
Services and Events
Click here for other Services and Events that happened in 2019.
Click here for other Services and Events that happened in 2018.
History
The Church of St. Celynnin dates back to the 12th century and is next to the famous Holy Well of the same name, which is in the corner of the Churchyard. The well is much older, and the water is renowned for its healing powers. Although it is very remote from where the majority of people live today, down in the Conwy Valley, St. Celynnin used to preach here in the 6th century, because there was a community living in the hills then. Traces of that community can still be seen today, such as the standing stones, hut circles, hill forts, hill tracks and a Roman route. The footings of an ancient inn are also visible, just outside the walls!
Click here for more historical information.
Contacts
Vicar: Reverend David Parry
davidparry@esgobaethbangor.net 07403 635510 and (01492) 593402
Local Warden: John Shakespear (01492) 650905
