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FRIENDS OF ST DAVID LEWIS In the absence of Sr Celsus, John Gray chaired the meeting, which was held in the Crying Room of Our Lady of the Angels Church. The meeting was opened at 2:00 pm with a prayer and the Hymn in Honour of St David Lewis. Present at the meeting were: Brenda Werrett, Sr Francis Xavier, Joan Lawrence, Evelyn Williams, Beth Smith, John Smith, Angela Dean, Brian Foster, Chris O’Brien and John Gray. Apologies for absence were received from Sr Celsus, Jean Beavan, Elizabeth Wood, Marie Bowkett, John Kane and Muriel Bevan. John Gray read the minutes of the previous meeting and, on behalf of the group, offered condolences to Beth and John Smith on their recent bereavements. A trip to Usk was to have taken place today but, due to the small number able to attend, it has been postponed and will now take place on Thursday 8th July. The proposed coach trip to Westminster Cathedral on 17th July has been cancelled due to lack of interest. Two “Tea in The Garden” afternoons were held to raise funds for the erection of a plaque to mark the old gravestone of St David Lewis. On 27th May, Jean Beavan and friends hosted a tea party at Jean’s home in Abergavenny. £152.00 was raised. A further £200.00 was raised when Chris O’Brien and Angela Ashley-Smith hosted a tea party on 29th May. With the two tea parties and various donations, the total amount raised to date is £529.00. John showed the group a draft copy of the inscription for the plaque, which is subject to approval of Fr Richard Reardon, parish priest at Usk. John Smith suggested that the gravestone would be better preserved and safer if it was moved into the church and not left open to weather conditions and vandalism. Members of the group agreed with this and John Gray said he would bring it up with Fr Reardon. John Gray said he had sent a copy of his booklet to the Holy Father. He has received a letter of thanks on behalf of His Holiness. At approximately 3:00 pm the closing prayer was
said and the meeting adjourned. The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. FRIENDS OF ST DAVID LEWIS A meeting of the Friends of Saint David Lewis was held on 20th May in the Lady Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels Church, Wesley Street. Those present were – Sister Celsus, Sister Francis Xavier, Evelyn Williams, Angela Dean, Veronica Williams, Joan Lawrence, Frian Foster, Lucille Kembrey, Mary Cook, Brenda Werrett, Colleen Brocklehurst and John Gray. Apologies for Absence were received from Jean Beavan, Muriel Bevan, Brenda Werrett, Elizabeth Wood and Mike Brocklehurst. Sister Celsus lead the prayers and a hymn in honour of St David Lewis was sung. Sister Celsus asked the members to pray for Muriel who is ill and also to remember Beth Smith in their prayers. Two of Beth’s brothers have died while she has been in Canada. Colleen Brocklehurst, who is Acting Secretary in Beth’s absence, read the Minutes of the previous meeting. Matters Arising from the Minutes – Sister Celsus said very few people had put their names on the list for the Pilgrimage to Westminster Cathedral. It was agreed that the list should be left in the Church Porch until the middle of June. John Gray stated that Usk Church is a Grade 2 Listed building and, as such, it would not be possible to affix a Plaque to the Church itself. It would need to be mounted on a plinth at an additional cost of approximately £100. The total cost of the work would therefore be in the region of £500. Evelyn Williams had approached our MP, Mr Paul Murphy, regarding a possible donation. It looks highly likely that a donation will be forthcoming but John will send a letter to back-up our request. If the work could be finished by August the plaque could perhaps be unveiled on the occasion of the Annual Pilgrimage if Father Reardon, the Parish Priest, is agreeable. With regards to raising the necessary funds, Jean Beavan is holding her Garden Party in Abergavenny on 26th May and Chris and her sister, Angela, will have theirs on 29th May. John showed the members a crystal that he proposed to auction on that day. Chris will be approached to see if she needs help with cake making. Sister Celsus proposed a mini pilgrimage to Usk to take place on Thursday, 24th June when we could follow the route of St David Lewis’ martyrdom. Those members who have cars would act as chauffeurs so that we would not need to hire a minibus. This would replace our June meeting. The meeting closed with a final prayer at 3pm. The Minutes were taken by: Mrs Colleen Brocklehurst. FRIENDS OF SAINT DAVID LEWIS MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 22nd APRIL 2010 A meeting of the Friends of Saint David Lewis was held on 22nd April in the Crying Room of Our Lady of the Angels Church, Wesley Street. Those present were – Sister Celsus, John Gray, Brenda Werrett, Evelyn Williams, Elizabeth Wood, Jean Beavan, Chris O’Brien, Pat Price, John Kane, Colleen Brocklehurst, Joan Lawrence and Marie Bowkett. Apologies for Absence were received from Brian Foster, Mike Brocklehurst, Muriel Bevan and Lucy Pembrey. Sister Celsus lead the opening prayers and a hymn in honour of Saint David Lewis was sung. Colleen Brocklehurst, who is Acting Secretary while Beth and John Smith are away in Canada, read the Minutes of the previous meeting. John Gray drew attention to his book ‘All for the Glory of God’ and suggested that it should be read with prayerful reflection. Sister Celsus suggested that we could read part of the book and discuss it at our next meeting. Sister also drew our attention to an article on Saint David Lewis that had appeared in ‘The Catholic Companion’. Some discussion took place as to ways in which we could make the name of Saint David Lewis better known. Jean Beavan suggested that the name could be used as a sort of ‘umbrella’ under which we could carry out various activities i.e. fundraising events. It was also suggested that we could contact the School with regard to having a picture of Saint David Lewis on display and maybe someone could talk to the children about our Saint. It was felt that this would eventually feed back to the parents. The proposed pilgrimage to Westminster Cathedral was again discussed. Sister mentioned that a mosaic of Saint David, our Patron Saint, is to be unveiled on this special occasion. Sister had been in touch with the gentleman who is organising the coaches for travel to London and was told that there will be coaches making the journey there and back in the day. It would appear that our Archbishop is to be approached regarding a request for him to make an appeal to the Parishes to support this day. John Gray had spoken to the artist Ned Heywood regarding the possibility of his making a plaque to be erected in the grounds of the Usk Church of Saints David Lewis and Saint Francis Xavier which would serve as a focus for Saint David Lewis’ gravestone which rests there. Father Reardon, the Parish Priest, will give his permission for the plaque to be placed at his Church but would need to be kept informed of proceedings. The plaque would cost approximately £400 and take about six weeks to make. Some discussion took place as to how this money would be raised and Jean Beavan, Marie Bowkett and Elizabeth Wood agreed to set the ball rolling with a Tea Party in Jean’s garden. The Meeting closed with a final prayer and all enjoyed tea and cake. The next meeting will be on Thursday, 20th May at 2.00 p.m. The Minutes were taken by: Mrs Colleen Brocklehurst. FRIENDS OF SAINT DAVID LEWIS MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 18TH MARCH 2010. A meeting of the Friends of Saint David Lewis was held on 18th March 2010 in the Crying Room of Our Lady of the Angels Church, Wesley Street. Present at the Meeting were; Joan Laurence, Sister Francis Xavier, Pat Jones Chris O’Brien, Brian Foster, Carole Morgan, John Gray, John Kane, Evelyn Williams, Muriel Bevan, Colleen Brocklehurst, Lucille Kembrey, Angela Ashley-Smith, Pat Price, Sister Celsus. Mary Cook. Apologies were received from Jean Bevan, Marie Bowkett and ElizabethWood. They were unable to attend because Jean had an accident in the garden which left her with painful ribs but, fortunately no broken bones. Sister Celsus said that she would send her a message from the group with their love and best wishes for a speedy recovery. The Meeting opened with prayer to the Holy Spirit and Saint David Lewis and a special prayer for the success of our Holy Father’s visit in September. The Hymn in honour of Saint David Lewis was then sung. Sister Celsus recalled that our first Meeting which was due to take place on Thursday 16th February to celebrate our Second Anniversary of the Friends of Saint David Lewis had to be cancelled because of very bad weather condition. The four members who were brave enough to attend, John Gray, Evelyn Williams, Joan Laurence and Sister Celsus celebrated with a chat and a nice cup of tea and cake. Having read and discussed the minutes of the Meeting held on 15th October 2009, Sister Celsus reminded the group that an account of the Day in Honour of the 330th Anniversary of our Four Local Martyrs was included in the February Issue of the Catholic People which summed up the events of that happy occasion. John Gray spoke of the launching of his booklet ‘All For The Glory of God’ which took place on that day. He encouraged the group to read, study, reflect and pray on it, as he had written it with the intention of helping people to gain a deeper insight into the character and the spirit of David Lewis which motivated his life of self-sacrifice, love for the poor and the Holy Mass. John spoke of the many hours he had spent in collecting the material for the Booklet to ensure that every detail was correct. Hopefully, everyone interested in Saint David Lewis will obtain a copy. Plans for this Year to celebrate
the 40th Anniversary of the Canonization of 1. The Pilgrimage in honour of the Welsh Martyrs to Westminster Cathedral 17th July as advertised in the Catholic People was discussed It was decided that this should be advertised in the Parish Newsletter and people encouraged to-sign their names on the sheet provided in the porch if they wished to participate. 2. The suggestion of erecting a plaque by the original gravestone in the grounds of St. Francis Xavier and St. David Lewis Church, Usk was considered and will be followed up provided Fr. Richard Reardon gives permission. That a request will be made to Fr. Richard for Mass to be celebrated on the day of the Pilgrimage for St. David Lewis as in previous year was agreed on by the group. Once again the subject of a Banner was discussed. Sister Celsus showed samples of Irish hand- painted designs which might prove suitable. She agreed to make further enquiries. The Meeting closed with a final prayer and tea with a special cake to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary. Next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis was scheduled for Thursday 22nd April. The minutes were taken by: Sister Celsus. FRIENDS OF SAINT DAVID LEWIS MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 15th OCTOBER 2009 A meeting of Friends of St David Lewis was held on 15th October 2009 in the Crying Room of Our Lady of the Angels Church, Wesley Street. The Crying Room will be the venue for future meetings of Friends of Saint David Lewis. At approximately 2 o’clock, Sister Celsus opened the meeting with a prayer. Present for the meeting were: Chris O’Brien, Marie Bowkett, Jean Beavan, Carole Morgan, Pat Price, Colleen Brocklehurst, Michael Brocklehurst, Brenda Werrett, Joan Lawrence, Mary Cook, Veronica Williams, Muriel Bevan, Brian Foster, Richard Morgan, Pat Jones, John Smith, Beth Smith, John Gray and Sister Celsus. Apologies were received from: Elizabeth Wood and Sister Francis Xavier. The group’s visit to St Mary’s Priory Church, Abergavenny, was discussed and all agreed that it had been an interesting and very pleasant day. The guide was very informative, with the exception of his reference to the real name of St David Lewis. He claimed that the Saint’s real name was Baker and he had taken the name, David Lewis, as an alias. Sr Celsus and John Smith put him right on that and it is to be hoped that he will remember it when giving future tours of the Church! Jean Beavan said there is a video available of the restoration of the Church and, if the group wishes, she could probably borrow it. On behalf of all, Sister Celsus thanked Jean and her friends for the lavish afternoon tea which they hosted in Jean’s beautiful garden. Sr Celsus reported on the Pilgrimage to Usk. Happily, Holy Mass was celebrated, the first time for several years. Fr Richard Reardon had obtained permission of the owners of Porth-Y-Carne House for the pilgrims to pray at the actual site of the Martyr’s execution, which is in the grounds of Porth-Y-Carne House. The pilgrims then processed to the grave of St David Lewis where a short service was held. This was followed by refreshments in the Parish Hall. John Gray gave a very interesting account of the pilgrimage he led to the site of St Michael’s Chapel at the top of the Skirrid Mountain. On the 29th September, John, Pat Jones, Richard Morgan, Bernadette Davies and Michael Brocklehurst completed the difficult climb in honour of the feast of St Michael and in memory of St David Lewis, who, it is said, celebrated Holy Mass there. John thanked those who had sponsored the intrepid pilgrims. Plans were finalised for the Day in honour of the 330th anniversary of the execution of our four local martyrs. The date decided on was Saturday 14th November and the venue would again be Llantarnam Abbey. John Gray said his new booklet on St David Lewis would also be launched on that day. Refreshments were served then the meeting closed with a short prayer. The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. FRIENDS OF ST DAVID LEWIS MINUTES OF MEETING HELD 23rd JULY 2009 A meeting of Friends of St David Lewis was held at the Canon O’Donnell Pastoral Centre on 23rd July 2009. At approximately 2:00 p m, Sr Celsus opened the meeting with a prayer then all joined in the singing of the hymn in honour of St David Lewis. Those in attendance were John Kane, Angela Ashley-Smith, Sr Francis Xavier, Jean Beavan, Joan Lawrence, Brenda Werrett, Lucy Kembrey, Muriel Bevan, Marie Bowkett, Pat Price, Brian Foster, Sr Celsus, John Gray, John Smith and Beth Smith. Apologies for absence were received from Veronica Williams, Colleen Brocklehurst, Mike Brocklehurst, Chris O’Brien, Elizabeth Wood and Carole Morgan. Beth Smith read the Minutes of the previous meeting which was held on 18th June. Jean Beavan asked if Marie Bowkett’s name could be added to apologies for absence for that meeting as she had forgotten to convey Marie’s apologies on that day. This was duly noted. The matter of a Banner was again discussed. Sr Celsus said that St David Lewis Church in Bettws had two banners. She will try to get a contact number from Fr Jimmy Thomas and see if anything comes from that. Sister also said that she will try to obtain a catalogue from a person in Cork who paints emblems on banners. John Smith thanked everyone for their support of the Harvington Hall trip. He said that 46 out of 49 seats had been taken. Because of this, all costs had been met and those who had paid any money but were unable to go would receive refunds. John said that in itself made the trip a success. A visit to St Mary’s Priory Church and the Tithe Barn, Abergavenny, was arranged for Thursday, 13th August. Approximately 20 people expressed an interest in going. It was agreed that members with cars would provide transportation for the group, which will leave from Our Lady’s car park at 1:15 pm. The group feels strongly about the cleaning and preservation of the old marker from the grave of St David Lewis, which is at present, at the side of the church in Usk, unattended and exposed to the elements. It was suggested that the Parish Priest, Fr Richard Reardon, be contacted and our concerns passed on to him, with an offer of help in cleaning the stone. Sr Celsus asked John Smith if he would contact Fr Reardon and John agreed. Sr Celsus informed the meeting that a coach has been booked for 30th August for the Annual Pilgrimage to Usk in honour of St David Lewis. Cost per person is £5. Sister has spoken to Fr Reardon and confirmed that, instead of Benediction, Mass will be celebrated on the day. Sister was pleased to report that three young priests, two American and one English, had called unexpectedly at the Abbey and asked permission to celebrate Mass in honour of St David Lewis. In this year for priests, they wished to say Mass where the Saint had frequently celebrated Holy Mass. Sister pointed out that this illustrates the important part the web site plays in spreading the word about St David Lewis worldwide. Sister reported that five members of our group had gone to Cardiff on Sunday, 19th July to attend the celebrations commemorating the martyrdom of Ss John Lloyd and Philip Evans. After the Latin Mass in St Peter’s Church, the congregation went in procession, reciting the Rosary, to the site of their execution. A short service was held there. The meeting was reminded that the Day in Honour of our four local Martyrs will be held at Llantarnam Abbey on Saturday, 14th November 2009, from 10 am – 4 pm. Fr John Edwards S J and Madge Cusack O’Keeffe will attend. Further details will be made available at a future meeting. After a short prayer, the ladies served tea and cakes and the meeting closed at 4:00 pm. The next meeting of Friends of St David Lewis will be on 13th August, when we visit Abergavenny. The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. Friends of Saint David Lewis The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 18th
June 2009 Present: Sr. Celsus, John Gray, Brian Foster, Sr. Francis Xavier, Mike Brocklehurst, Colleen Brocklehurst, Chris O’Brien, Carole Morgan, Muriel Bevan, Veronica Williams, Angela Ashley-Smith and Joan Lawrence. Apologies for absence: were received from John and Beth Smith, Jean Bevan, John Kane, Pat Jones, Pat Price and Judith Simmonds. On 18th April 2009. At 2:00 pm, Sr. Celsus opened the meeting with prayer and then the usual Hymn in honour of St. David Lewis was sung. Colleen Brocklehurst read the minutes of the previous meeting. Matters Arising from the Minutes: Chris O’Brien reported that the Craft Group would not be able to undertake the work of making a Banner as they are all beginners. Some discussion took place as to what should be incorporated into the Banner and Veronica Williams kindly went to fetch the Mother’s Union Banner for us to see. Sr. Celsus confirmed that the day at the Abbey in honour of our four local Saints will take place on the 14th November and that Madge Cusack O’Keefe, M.A. and Father John Edwards S.J. would attend. The coach will leave for Harvington Hall at 10.15 following Mass at 9.30 in Our Lady’s Church. A packed lunch will be necessary as our numbers will be too large for the limited catering facilities. John Gray reported that on the 14th May he and Sr. Celsus had gone to the Wheelwright’s Shop at Llantarnam. This building and the cottage would have been there in the days of St. David Lewis. Sr. Celsus passed around an up-to-date picture of the Shrine. Some discussion took place with regards to the cleaning of the original gravestone of St. David Lewis. Colleen Brocklehurst read some information that she had obtained from the internet the gist of which was, if in doubt leave well alone. The information would be passed to John Smith for his opinion. Jean Bevan had phoned Sister to suggest that we make a visit to the Tythe Barn and St. Mary’s Priory at Abergavenny and that we would be welcome at her home afterwards for a cup of tea. Thursday, 13th August was suggested as a possible date. John Gray read out some information regarding St Mary’s Priory which had been put together by Beth Smith. St. David Lewis pilgrimage at Usk. Inquiries had been made as to whether it would be possible to have Mass on that day instead of Benediction. Usk have a new Parish Priest so we await his decision. The next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis was
scheduled for The minutes were taken by: Mrs Colleen Brocklehurst. Friends of Saint David Lewis The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 23rd
April 2009 The Feast of Saint George Present: John Kane, Angela Ashley-Smith, Evelyn Williams, Judith Simmonds, Colleen Brocklehurst, Mike Brocklehurst, Veronica Williams, Muriel Bevan, Brian Foster, Pat Price, Sr. Celsus, John Gray, John Smith and Beth Smith. Apologies for absence: were received from Carole Morgan, Pat Jones, and Tom Forward who was in hospital. On the Feast of Saint George, 23rd April 2009. At 2:00 pm, Sr. Celsus opened the meeting with prayer and then the usual Hymn in honour of St. David Lewis was sung. Beth Smith read the minutes of the previous meeting. With reference to a Group Banner, Mike said that he was unable to help in this matter as his cousin had now retired. Angela said that her sister, Chris O’Brien, belonged to a craft group. The craft group had just finished a project and they might be willing and able to help with a banner. She would speak to Chris about it and report back at the next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis. Sr. Celsus reported that she has booked Llantarnam Abbey for a day in remembrance of the 330th anniversary of the deaths of Saints Philip Evans, John Lloyd, John Kemble and David Lewis. The date is 14th November and Fr. John Edwards S.J. has agreed to come. Madge Cusack O’Keeffe, M.A. will again be invited to speak. John Smith gave an update on the Harvington Hall Trip. He stressed that deposits must be received by 7th June. Since he and Beth will be away for all of the month of May, Sr. Celsus and John Gray agreed to accept deposits. Beth said she would put a notice in the Sunday Bulletin to this effect. John said he had made inquiries regarding the dates of this year’s Open Days at Llanvhiangel Court, John Arnold’s home. The dates are from 8th – 18th August so he said that if the group wished to visit, it could be discussed at a later meeting. John Gray said that the prayer cards and bookmarks he gave out on Palm Sunday had been very well received. He made approximately 450 and distributed them at Our Lady’s, St. David’s and Llantarnam Abbey. In response to a suggestion that he should charge for the numerous prayer cards he distributes, John replied that he would gladly accept donations towards the web site but he will not sell prayer cards or leaflets. Sr. Celsus spoke about how St. David Lewis was treated after his arrest. In her most interesting talk, she told of his very human approach to his martyrdom. It was brought home to the group that this Welsh gentleman, going to an un-gentlemanly death, had won the love of Catholics and the respect of Protestants. The crudely constructed gallows was proof in itself of the people’s love for him. As Beth Smith will be away, Colleen Brocklehurst agreed to take the minutes at the next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis. This meeting will take place on 18th June 2009. The meeting closed with a prayer and then, through the generosity of Sr. Celsus and Muriel Bevan, tea and cakes were served in honour of St. George. The next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis was
scheduled for The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. Friends of Saint David Lewis The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 19th
March 2009 The Feast of Saint Joseph Present: John Kane, Mary Cook, Pat Price, Carole Morgan, Chris O’Brian, Jean Beavan, Tom Forward, Marie Bowkett, Brian Foster, Pat Jones, Joan Lawrence, Muriel Bevan, Betty Brennan, John Smith, John Gray, Sister Celsus SSJ, and Beth Smith. Apologies for absence: were received from Veronica Williams. On the Feast of Saint Joseph, 19th March 2009, at 2:00 pm, Sr. Celsus opened the meeting with prayer, and the hymn in honour of St. David Lewis was sung. Beth Smith read the minutes of the previous meeting, and Carole Morgan pointed out that the meeting had been held on 12th February, not 12th March as stated in the minutes. This was duly noted. John Smith gave an update on the forthcoming trip to Harvington Hall. The trip is now oversubscribed and a deposit of £10.00 per person must be received by 7th June. Several members paid their deposits there and then. John pointed out a slight link with Harvington Hall and our Patron, St. David Lewis, through St. John Wall. St. John Wall, a fellow student and friend of St. David Lewis, frequently said Mass at Harvington Hall and mementoes of the Saint can be seen there today. John Gray showed the group a leaflet that he is preparing for Easter. John said the leaflets would be distributed at Mass on Palm Sunday. A banner for the group was suggested and that, perhaps, Mike and Colleen Brocklehurst might have some idea as to the cost of such banner. Many people would like a return to a Mass at Usk on the feast of St. David Lewis. Sr. Celsus said that she would approach the Dean, Fr. John Meredith, with this request. All agreed with Sr. Celsus that, in honour of the 330th Anniversary of the executions of Sts. Philip Evans, John Lloyd, John Kemble and David Lewis the four martyrs should be honoured at the special day to be held at Llantarnam Abbey in November. Sr. Celsus gave a very interesting talk on what happened to Fr. David Lewis between his arrest at Llantarnam on 17th November 1678 and his execution at Usk on 27th August 1679. Sr. Celsus drew attention to the fact that Jesus had been betrayed by his friends and St. David Lewis had been betrayed by those whom he considered friends, particularly John Arnold. To celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, the meeting closed with tea and special cakes, provided by Sr. Celsus. The next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis was
scheduled for The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. Friends of Saint David Lewis The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 12th
February 2009 Present: Joan Lawrence, Veronica Williams, Carole Morgan, Muriel Bevan, Pat Jones, Sister Celsus SSJ, Michael Brocklehurst, Colleen Brocklehurst, John Kane, John Smith, Beth Smith, Tom Forward, Jean Beavan, and John Gray. Apologies for absence: were received from Marie Bowkett and Elizabeth Wood. Sr. Celsus opened the meeting with prayer and the hymn in honour of St. David Lewis was sung. Sr. Celsus welcomed all to this First Anniversary meeting and reviewed the events of the past year. Recalling the aims of Friends of St. David Lewis, set out at the first meeting on 13th February 2008, it was agreed that the group was working diligently towards those aims and had even achieved a little success. Sister reminded us that 2009 is the 330th Anniversary of our Patron’s martyrdom and all agreed that something special should be done to mark this anniversary. Beth Smith gave a talk on John Arnold, the notorious Priest Hunter. In the brief discussion that followed, Jean Beavan said that she understood from Madge Cusack O’Keeffe, M.A. that John Arnold was a Catholic. Beth replied that she had not come across that in her research but thought that if Madge said it, it was most likely correct. Beth added that she would see what else she could find about Arnold’s religion. John Smith gave a brief talk on Priest Holes. This was accompanied by photographs, which he had taken of the priest holes at Harvington Hall. A lively discussion ensued and John suggested a summer trip to Harvington Hall. This suggestion was well received and it was agreed to open it up to the parish, as more people would mean lower coach costs! Refreshments, kindly provided by Muriel Bevan, were
served and then John Gray gave an explanatory talk on how to use the Web
Site and what could be found on it. The next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis was scheduled for Thursday 19th March 2009. The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. Friends of Saint David Lewis The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 16th
October 2008 Present at the meeting were: Sister Celsus SSJ, Sister Francis Xavier SSJ, Tom Forward, John Smith, Beth Smith, John Gray, Veronica Williams, Pat Jones, Pat Price, Angela Ashley-Smith, Chris O’Brien. Apologies for absence: were received from Carole Morgan. The meeting opened at 2 pm with a prayer and the singing of the Hymn in Honour of Saint David Lewis. Sister Celsus told the group that in 1970, Sister Canisius SSJ of Llantarnam Abbey wrote the hymn for the canonisation of Saint David Lewis. She said that a member of our group had expressed a wish to meet Sister Canisius and that it might possibly be arranged when we meet at the Abbey on 16th November. Referring to our 17th July outing to Abergavenny, Sister Celsus thanked the members who had provided transport for the 18 people who went. An account of our visit to Abergavenny appeared in the October edition of the ‘Catholic People’. It was happily noted that, Saint David Lewis has received some wider publicity, i.e. Paul Murphy’s Reflection in the ‘Catholic People’, October 2008, and Monseigneur John Dale’s article in the A P F magazine, ‘Mission Today’. Sister Celsus informed us that, during a recent retreat at the Abbey, the Carmelite Retreat Master had read out the article from ‘Mission Today’. John Gray said that Mgr Dale had asked permission to use material from our Website and John estimated that 70% of the article was taken from the site. Sister Celsus pointed out that our group was also helping to make our Saint better known abroad through friends in Africa, Philippines and Newfoundland. However, it was very firmly decided NOT to remove references to ‘Wales’ and ‘local Saint’ from the prayer cards! John Gray gave a talk on how the Metal Ring, preserved in honour of Saint David Lewis by Mr & Mrs John O’Neill at the site of the old post office, was used by the blacksmith to put a rim on a wheel. He illustrated his talk with old and current photographs. The forthcoming Day in Honour of the 330th Anniversary of the Arrest of Saint David Lewis and the tentative summary of events was discussed. In honour of the anniversary, it was agreed that a small shrub be planted in the Remembrance Garden at John O’Neill’s house. Chris O’Brien kindly offered to donate the shrub. The next meeting of Friends of Saint David Lewis will be on 16th November at Llantarnam Abbey, 10 am – 4 pm. The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. Friends of Saint David Lewis The minutes of the meeting held on Thursday 19th
June 2008 Present: Sister Celsus SSJ, Sister Francis Xavier SSJ, Sister Ann Gabrielle SSJ, Jean Bevan, Muriel Bevan, Ann Brennan, Marie Bowkett, T. Forward, John Gray, John King, Susan Miller, Derick Miller, Carole Morgan, Pat Parsons, Pat Price, Beth Smith, John Smith, C Tuck, Veronica Williams, Elizabeth Wood. After the hymn in honour of Saint David Lewis, Sister Celsus led the group in prayer. Sister Celsus welcomed the group and thanked everyone for attending. Carole Morgan read the minutes of the previous meeting. Omitted from these minutes was the invitation from the Saint David Lewis Prayer Group, Abergavenny to visit places of interest in Abergavenny known to Saint David Lewis, visit the parish Church to view the medieval vestments and to have tea in Jean’s garden. It was suggested to visit Abergavenny on Thursday 17th July 2008. Jean Bevan would liaise with Sister Celsus to confirm date. Sister Ann Gabriel, a Sister of St. Joseph of Annecy from Llantarnam Abbey, gave a talk on the history of the Abbey and told the group of its connection with Saint David Lewis. His Aunt, Lady Francis Morgan had resided at the Abbey. Sister Ann Gabriel issued an invitation for the group to visit the Abbey sometime. John Gray gave a brief talk about the web site and encouraged people to log on and write articles. Sr. Celsus explained our interest in the Jesuits and reminded everyone of the celebration of the anniversary of Saint David Lewis to be held on 16th November 2008 at Llantarnam Abbey. Father John Edwards S.J. will be attending the celebration. Diary Events: The visit to Abergavenny date to be confirmed. Annual pilgrimage in Honour of Saint David Lewis 30th August at Usk. After the final hymn the meeting closed at 3.15pm The minutes were taken by: Mrs Carole Morgan. Friends of St David Lewis Meeting held on Thursday, 17th April 2008 Present: Sister Celsus SSJ, Sister
Francis Xavier SSJ, Jean Bevan, Marie Bowkett, T. Forward, John Gray,
Pat Jones, Carole Morgan, Pat Price, Beth Smith, John Smith, Veronica
Williams. Pat Edwards, James, Jordan, Christiana and Gareth representing
O.L.A. school. Sr Celsus welcomed the group and thanked everyone for attending especially the representatives from the school. The children were the link between the school and the parish and wished to learn more about St David Lewis to share with others in the school. John Gray reported that the building of the web site was still ongoing and suggested that the school write an article for the site. Jean Bevan gave an informative and interesting talk on St David Lewis. Jean intends to formulate her notes into an article for the web site and also send a copy to OLA school. John Gray gave a brief explanation of the origin of the Daily Offering of St Ignatius, the founder of the Jesuits. Sr Celsus reported that Fr John Edwards SJ had accepted the invitation to attend the special celebration and would be available on 16/17 November. If possible the group will visit the site of the old post office to pray at the plaque. The final hymn was based on the prayer of St Ignatius. The meeting closed at 3.30pm Date of next meeting Thursday, 19th June 2008 The minutes were taken by: Mrs Carole Morgan.
Friends of St David Lewis Meeting held on Wednesday, 12th March 2008 Present: Sister Celsus SSJ, Sister
Francis Xavier SSJ, Jean Bevan, Marie Bowkett, John Gray, David Jones,
Antonetta Jones, John Kane, Carole Morgan and Joseph Rigby. After the opening hymn in honour of St David Lewis,
Sister Celsus led the group in a prayer to the Holy Spirit and to St
David Lewis. Matters arising from
the previous meeting: New Business:
Date of next meeting Thursday, 17th April 2008 The minutes were taken by: Mrs Carole Morgan. Friends of St. David Lewis Meeting held on Wednesday 13th February 2008 The first meeting of Friends of St. David Lewis took place in the Crying Room on Wednesday 13th February 2008. The meeting began at 2:00 pm and, following the Hymn in Honour of St. David Lewis, Sr. Celsus led the group in a prayer to the Holy Spirit and a prayer to St. David Lewis. Beautiful cards, with the prayer to St. David Lewis on one side and his picture on the other, were made and donated by Mr John Gray. Present at this first meeting were Mrs Pat Price, Sr. Celsus, Mrs Beth Smith, Sr. Francis Xavier, Mr Tom Forward, Mrs Pat Jones and Mr John Gray. It was noted that this was an historic occasion as it is the first group, in this area, dedicated to St. David Lewis. The object of the group is to keep alive the memory of St. David Lewis; to promote devotion to him; to pray for his help and guidance in our lives. It was decided that a meeting should be held monthly, perhaps on a Thursday, with the venue being the Cannon ODonnell pastoral centre. Ways of bringing Friends of St. David Lewis to the attention of the wider community were discussed and it was thought that notices could be placed in our Sunday Bulletin and the parish magazine as well as Catholic newspapers, particularly our own Catholic People. We have so far been unsuccessful in determining our Patrons birth date. However, from information in the book by Fr. Gareth Jones, John Gray proposes it could be somewhere between 7th November and 31st December 1616. John will continue to try to find the exact date. It was agreed that 17th November, the date of the arrest of David Lewis, should be marked by a special celebration. Although nothing definite was decided, it was thought that something could be held at the Abbey. It was suggested that it might be possible to invite Fr. John Edwards, SJ, to speak. St. David Lewis was a Jesuit and his life; and work, were sustained by Jesuit Spirituality. Sr. Celsus gave a brief but interesting and enlightening account of the life of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, i.e. Jesuits. The Jesuit Motto; All For The Glory Of God, was wholeheartedly adopted by David Lewis. A Man of prayer as well as action, St. David Lewis closely imitated the example of St. Ignatius. John Gray gave an update on the progress of our website, which he and his son have set up. John reported that the Forum is up and running. The Main Website is still being worked on but it has a guest book for comments, etc. It also has a hit counter and already it has had nearly 500 hits. Sr. Celsus gave each person present a copy of the Saints Last Speech, which he delivered on the gallows. The meeting closed at approximately 3:30 pm. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, 12th March 2008 in the Cannon ODonnell Pastoral centre. The minutes were taken by: Mrs Beth Smith. |