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The ancient church of St Mary’s, in the centre of Conwy, is to be lit up for the first time at Gwledd Conwy Feast

 

Digital projection artist, Andy McKeown, whose large-scale productions have been enjoyed across the globe, is bringing his talents to Conwy at the end of the month as part of the town’s annual celebration of food, music and art: Gwledd Conwy Feast.  As well as lighting the trees of one of the festival’s new venues, Bodlondeb Park, he is transforming the interior of Conwy’s ancient church, St Mary’s, into a breathtaking, immersive kaleidoscope of patterned light, generated from images from its beautiful stained glass windows.  The piece, which will run from 6.00pm until 9.00pm on Saturday 28^th October, will be accompanied by a programme of live music under the direction of Chris Roberts, Conwy’s Classical Music Festival Director.

Andy McKeown is anticipating the response to this ‘first’, “It’s always a pleasure to be in Conwy.  To be creating a new light work with the stained glass in this most beautiful and historic church is a very special delight. People will experience the stained glass of St Mary and All Saints in a completely new way.”

Jane Hughes, Event Director of Gwledd Conwy Feast agrees, “We are delighted to be able to use beautiful St Mary’s church as one of our festival venues this year.  The projections created by Andy McKeown will be an exciting addition to our programme and also a wonderful project to showcase the stunning stained glass windows in the church.”

Says Vicar Rev David Parry, “It is really exciting to be engaged in such an imaginative partnership-based project.  St Mary’s is a site of significant heritage importance, older than Conwy castle itself and is at the heart of the town.  It is also at the heart of the community, and as so we are keen to join Gwledd Conwy Feast to celebrate this treasured place, right in the centre of the creative programme and allowing everyone in the community to enjoy what we have here in a wholly new way.”

In the run-up to the evening, events at St Mary’s get underway on the Saturday at 1.00pm – 1.45pm with a lunchtime concert, followed by free children’s workshops (2.00pm – 4.00pm), where you’re invited to make your own window designs and your creation will be transformed instantly into a large-scale patterned projection!  Don’t forget to bring your camera!

The Sunday begins with a special Bro Celynnin Communion Service at 11.00am, then a lunchtime concert again and the chance to take part in the workshops from 2.00pm.  There is no charge for entry to the church, and free tea and coffee will be served through both afternoons.

 

There can hardly be a church in the land that doesn’t sing ‘We plough the fields and scatter’ at Harvest time – and we have certainly sung it with gusto across the churches of Bro Celynnin over the last few weeks!  In the words of the last verse, we’ve thanked God for his goodness – but also brought with us food much needed by our local foodbank, with humble, thankful hearts.  There were so many bags ‘gathered in’, that we could barely fit them in the van today!  Thanks to everyone who gave so generously.  We pray for all working at the foodbank and the guests who use their services.

We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good;
The seedtime and the harvest, our life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer for all thy love imparts,
And, what thou most desirest, our humble, thankful hearts.
All good gifts around us are sent from heaven above;
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord, for all his love.

 

 

In our five churches, we have kicked off our Harvest season, when we thank God for all he has given us and we pray for our world in need.  We started in September with a beautiful service, high on the hills, in Llangelynnin and now look forward to services in all four other churches over the next two weekends, with two harvest suppers and collections for Conwy Foodbank  Today, as we prepared for Harvest in St Benedict’s we hosted a fabulous fun day with free children’s activities.  Thanks to all who came and those who put on such a brilliant event!

The first week of August gives Christians in the Conwy area a great chance to reach out to the local community with the love of God.  On the field next to Ysgol Porth y Felin there will free family fun days 1.00pm – 4.00pm Wednesday 2nd – Friday 4th August and 11.30am – 4.00pm with Barbecue on Saturday 5th August.  More reflective evening activities including drama, music and talks will happen on the same site 7.00pm – 9.00pm Wednesday 2nd – Friday 4th August called ‘Free to Live’.  Click here for all the details.

What a feast of a day .. brilliant sunshine, a packed vicarage garden humming with the happy sound of guests enjoying hog roast and surely the biggest array of salads and cakes in Christendom .. and all before Martin celebrating communion for the first time, here in Bro Celynnin.  Thank you to all who came in such numbers, for your generosity and warmth as Martin and Vicky became members of our growing family.  A very special and happy day!

We warmly congratulate Rev’d Martin Pritchard on his ordination as Priest at Bangor Cathedral on Saturday.  It was a great day of celebration and now we have so much more to look forward to together as we welcome him and his wife Vicky into the Bro Celynnin Ministry family.  Please join us on Sunday with lots to eat in the Vicarage Garden, Conwy before Martin presides at Communion for the first time at 6.30pm.  Details here.

3.00pm Sunday 21st May Llangelynnin Old Church

Next weekend Bro Celynnin will be a year old – a tiny period of time compared to the ancient history of worship on this site where Saint Celynnin baptised new believers in the Holy Well (and where our Ministry Area Leader David slept overnight before his induction).  This special place, Llangelynnin, was the first service in the early morning of that big day a year ago.  Since then we have experienced an extraordinary growth of people coming from near and far, all at very different stages of a journey of faith, to experience reflective services – some very much as a personal pilgrimage as the walk across the hills to get here is a path well worth treading.  Fittingly, the first service of 2017 was very simple – the culmination of a walk by the Pilgrimage Group followed by a very beautiful ‘Break of Day’ Communion service at Dawn on Easter morning.  It’s therefore with great anticipation that we look forward to the first of our monthly Sunday afternoon services in a place where we experience that sense of ‘thin place’ between earth and heaven.  Please consider making the trip.  All is prepared.

After Easter, we’re offering a great opportunity for anyone who wants to think about the big questions of life and how they relate to the Christian faith in a really open and friendly environment … get in touch if you want more details, and mark your enquiry ALPHA