Unique Welsh Mass @ St. Fagans
On Saturday, April 25th, St. Teilo’s Church, St. Fagans played host to a very unique service; for the first time ever in history, a Welsh language Mass took place in this historic church. The Mass, which was a great success, launched a series of events scheduled to take place across Wales to celebrate the 400th anniversary of St. John Roberts of Trawsfynydd’s martyrdom.
The event organiser, Sue Roberts who is Vice-Chairman of Cylch Catholig (Catholic Circle) said: “The response was incredible. We could have easily filled the church three times over. I’m so glad that the whole event was so well received and I am now looking forward to focusing on organising the 2010 celebrations. If the St. Teilo Mass is anything to go by, I am confident that next year’s events will be equally successful.”
St. John Roberts is an important Welsh historic and religious figure and is even more celebrated in France and Spain, where many commemorative celebrations will be held in 2010. Born at Rhiw Goch farm, Trawsfynydd, he was educated at Cymer Abbey, near Dolgellau, he then went on to Oxford to study Law before moving to France where he converted to Catholicism. Following his time in France, he moved to Valladolid, Spain where he trained as a Priest, he then returned to London to care for the poor but was exiled many times by the anti-catholic authorities before eventually being sentenced to death in Tyburn on December 10th, 1610. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
The St. Teilo’s Church Mass launched a series of Welsh events to commemorate the saint’s life. By celebrating St. John Roberts in this way, it is hoped that the celebrations will be as impressive in the saint’s native country as they will be on the continent.
Keith O’Brien, from the Llys Ednowain Heritage Centre in Trawsfynydd, which documents the lives of St. John Roberts and Hedd Wyn explains: “The celebrations will continue next year with a Mass in the ruins of Cymer Abbey, Dolgellau on June 6th, 2010. Following this there will be a series of performances of the ‘St. John Roberts Requiem’ by Brian Hughes, with the part of the saint played by operatic tenor Rhys Meirion with the accompaniment of choirs and orchestra. The Requiem will be performed in six cathedrals across Wales. In July 2010 there will be a pilgrimage from Rhiw Goch to Tyburn, with the highlight being a multi-faith service at Westminster Cathedral attended by the heads of all churches.”
This was the first time ever in history for a Welsh Mass to be conducted in St. Teilo’s Church, that was moved from Pontarddulais and re-built at the National History Museum in St. Fagans two years ago. The Archbishop of Cardiff; Peter Smith, the Bishop of Wrexham; Edwin Regan and the former Bishop of Menevia; Daniel Mullins, were concelebrating along with a number of Welsh priests. Also giving readings in the Mass were Welsh learners from the Catholic Schools of South Wales.
Prior to the Mass, a colourful procession was led around St. Fagans by the Archbishop, bishops and priests, all dressed in their ceremonial robes with the altar boys carrying the cross and incense. One onlooker commented: “I have never seen a Catholic procession or mass before and therefore had no idea what to expect, but with all the colourful robes, the incense, the singing and church bells, it really was a feast for the senses. Although I’m not Catholic myself, I felt privileged to have had a glimpse of this unique service that was held in such a beautiful location.”
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas and Archbishop Peter Smith Procession to St. Teilo's Church, St Fagans
Archbishop Peter Smith said of the event: “The celebration of the first ever Mass in Welsh at the recently restored St. Teilo’s church at the National History Museum at St. Fagans was an historic occasion with people coming from all parts of Wales to join in the celebration. The response was enormously encouraging but as the church itself is quite small the number of people attending had to be quite restricted. Bishop Edwin Regan, Bishop of Wrexham, was the chief concelebrant, accompanied by Bishop Daniel Mullins, Emeritus Bishop of Menevia. [the Mass...] has had the full support and encouragement of the Museum authorities who worked closely with the Cylch Catholig in arranging this historic event. The Cylch Catholig, dates back to the 1940’s, and was founded to provide opportunities of worship in their mother tongue for Welsh speaking Catholics. It is a national society under the patronage of the Catholic Bishops of Wales, and spent many months preparing for this unique celebration.”
Another exciting element of the celebration was the use of the Dowlais Chalice, which dates from the same period as St. John Roberts. In addition, a 100 year old replica of the Cymer Abbey Chalice and Paten, which was kindly on loan from the National Museum of Wales was on display on the altar. Bishop Edwin Regan said it was a “privilege to use the Dowlais Chaice and put it in its historical context. The atmosphere in the small medieval church was truly wonderful.”
St. Teilo’s Church was full to the rafters with 150 people present. Bishop Edwin Regan of Wrexham said: “I’m very pleased that people from all over Wales took part in the Mass and it was a pleasure to have contributions from Welsh learners from the Catholic Schools of South Wales. It was also a pleasure to see that so many people came to watch the procession. I am confident that the welcome will be equally enthusiastic in other parts of Wales when the celebrations continue in 2010.”
Amongst the distinguished guests was Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas who said he was “looking forward to all the performances taking place over the next year that will draw attention to an important event in Wales’ historical and religious calendar”.
Offeren Gymraeg unigryw yn Sain Ffagan
Ar ddydd Sadwrn, Ebrill 25, cynhaliwyd Offeren dra gwahanol yn Eglwys Sant Teilo, Sain Ffagan; am y tro cyntaf erioed mewn hanes, cynhaliwyd Offeren Gymraeg yn yr eglwys hanesyddol hon. Roedd yr Offeren yn llwyddiant ysgubol ac yn gychwyn gwych i gyfres o ddigwyddiadau ar draws Cymru i ddathlu pedwar can mlwyddiant merthyrdod Sant John Roberts o Drawsfynydd.
Meddai Sue Roberts, Is-gadeirydd y Cylch Catholig, a oedd yn trefnu’r Offeren: “Roedd yr ymateb i’r Offeren yn anhygoel. Gallwn yn hawdd fod wedi llenwi’r Eglwys deirgwaith drosodd. Rwyf mor falch bod y diwyddiad wedi cael ymateb mor bositif ac rwyf nawr yn edrych ymlaen at ganolbwyntio ar drefnu gwledd o ddathlu yn 2010 ac rwy’n hyderus y bydd y digwyddiadau yr un mor llwyddianus yn y lleoliadau eraill ar draws Cymru.“
Mae Sant John Roberts yn gymeriad hanesyddol, yn ogystal â chrefyddol, pwysig iawn i Gymru gyfan ac mae’n enwocach fyth yn Ffrainc a Sbaen ble bydd nifer fawr o ddigwyddiadau i’w goffáu yn cael eu cynnal flwyddyn nesaf, yn 2010. Yn enedigol o fferm Rhiw Goch, Trawsfynydd, cafodd ei addysg gynnar yn Abaty Cymer, ger Dolgellau, yna aeth ymlaen i Rydychen i astudio’r gyfraith cyn symud i fyw i Ffrainc ble cafodd ei droedigaeth a’i dderbyn i’r Eglwys Gatholig. Aeth ymlaen i Valladolid yn Sbaen ble cafodd ei hyfforddi’n offeiriad, yn dilyn hyn, dychwelodd i Lundain i weini ar y tlodion ond cafodd ei alltudio sawl gwaith gan yr awdurdodau gwrth-gatholig cyn cael ei ddedfrydu i farwolaeth yn Tyburn 10 Rhagfyr, 1610. Cafodd ei ganoneiddio yn 1970 gan Pab Pawl VI.
Roedd yr Offeren hon yn lansio cyfres o ddigwyddiadau i gofio am y sant yng Nghymru. Wrth gofio am Sant John Roberts yn y ffordd hyn, y gobaith yw y bydd Cymru yn cynnal dathliadau a fydd yr un mor wefreiddiol yng ngwlad enedigol y sant ac y byddant ar y cyfandir.
Eglura Keith O’Brien o Ganolfan Treftadaeth Llys Ednowain, Trawsfynydd, sef canolfan sy’n olrhain hanes Sant John Roberts a Hedd Wyn: “Bydd y dathliadau yn parhau’r flwyddyn nesaf gydag Offeren yn Abaty Cymer, Dolgellau ar Fehefin 6, 2010. Yn dilyn hyn, bydd cyfres o berfformiadau o ‘Requiem Sant John Roberts’ gan Brian Hughes gyda rhan y Sant yn cael ei berfformio gan yr enwog Rhys Meirion ynghyd â chyfeiliant corau a cherddorfa. Bydd y Requiem yn cael ei pherfformio mewn chwe eglwys gadeiriol ar draws Cymru. Fis Gorffennaf 2010 bydd pererindod o Riw Goch i Tyburn ac uchafbwynt fydd gwasanaeth cydenwadol yn Eglwys Gadeiriol Westminster gyda phenaethiaid yr Eglwysi’n bresennol.”
Hwn oedd y tro cyntaf erioed mewn hanes i Offeren Gymraeg cael ei chynnal yn Eglwys Sant Teilo a gafodd ei symud o Bontarddulais a’i hailgodi yn Amgueddfa Werin Cymru, Sain Ffagan ddwy flynedd yn ôl. Bu Archesgob Caerdydd; Peter Smith, Esgob Wrecsam; Edwin Regan a chyn-Esgob Mynwy; Daniel Mullins, yn cyd-ddathlu ynghyd â nifer o offeiriaid Cymru. Yn ogystal, cafwyd darlleniadau gan ddysgwyr Cymraeg o ysgolion Catholig De Cymru.
Cyn yr Offeren gwelwyd gorymdaith liwgar o amgylch Amgueddfa Werin Sain Ffagan dan arweiniad yr Archesgob, yr Esgobion, Offeiriaid a’r gweision allor ifanc, i gyd yn eu gwisgoedd seremonïol gyda’r gweision yn cario’r groes a’r arogldarth. Dywedodd un aelod o’r dorf: “Dwi erioed wedi gweld prosesiwn nag Offeren Gatholig o’r blaen felly doedd gen i ddim syniad beth i ddisgwyl, ond gyda’r holl wisgoedd lliwgar, yr arogldarth, y canu a clychau’r eglwys yn canu, roedd o wir yn wledd i’r holl synhwyrau. Er nad ydw i’n Gatholig, roeddwn yn teimlo ei fod yn braf i’r cyhoedd gael cipolwg ar ran o wasanaeth o’r fath a oedd yn cael ei gynnal mewn lleoliad mor odidog.”
Dywedodd yr Archesgob, Peter Smith “Roedd dathlu’r Offeren Gymraeg gyntaf yn Eglwys Sant Teilo, Amgueddfa Werin Cymru, Sain Ffagan yn ddigwyddiad hanesyddol gyda phobl o bob cwr o Gymru yno’n ymuno yn y dathlu. Roedd yr ymateb yn galonogol iawn ond gan fod yr eglwys yn un eithaf fach roedd yn rhaid i ni gyfyngu’r nifer o bobl a oedd yn gallu mynychu. Arweinwyd y gwasanaeth gan yr Esgob Edwin Regan, Esgob Wrecsam ynghyd a’r Esgob Daniel Mullins, Esgob Emeritws Mynwy. Bu’r Amgueddfa’n gweithio’n agos gyda’r Cylch Catholig i drefnu’r digwyddiad hanesyddol hwn a chawsant gefnogaeth ac anogaeth lawn ganddynt. Sefydlwyd y Cylch Catholig yn yr 1940au er mwyn rhoi cyfleodd i Gatholigion Cymraeg addoli yn eu mamiaith. Mae’n gymdeithas genedlaethol dan nawdd Esgobion Catholig Cymru a buont yn paratoi ar gyfer y digwyddiad unigryw hwn ers sawl mis.”
Elfen gyffrous arall o’r dathliad oedd y defnydd o Gwpan Dowlais (Dowlais Chalice), sy’n dyddio o’r un cyfnod â Sant John Roberts. Roedd hefyd ‘replica’ o Gwpan a Phaten Abaty Cymer, sydd dros 100 mlwydd oed ac ar log hael gan Amgueddfa Cymru, yn cael ei ddefnyddio yn ystod y seremoni. Dywed yr Esgob Edwin Regan ei fod wedi bod yn “fraint i ddefnyddio Cwpan Dowlais yn ei gyd-destun hanesyddol. Roedd yr awyrgylch yn yr Eglwys fach ganoloesol yn wefreiddiol.”
Roedd Eglwys Sant Teilo dan ei sang gyda 150 o bobl yn bresennol yn y gwasanaeth. Ychwanegodd yr Esgob Edwin Regan o Wrecsam “Rwyf wrth fy modd fod pobl o bob rhan o Gymru wedi mynychu’r Offeren ac roedd yn bleser cael plant sy’n dysgu Cymraeg yn ysgolion Catholig y de-ddwyrain yn cymryd rhan. Roedd yn bleser hefyd gweld cymaint o bobl yno yn gwylio’r orymdaith. Rwy’n ffyddiog y bydd y croeso yr un mor frwdfrydig i ddathliadau Sant John Roberts ym mhob cwr o Gymru pan fydd y digwyddiadau yn parhau’r flwyddyn nesaf."
Ymysg y gwesteion anrhydeddus oedd Llywydd y Cynulliad, yr Arglwydd Dafydd Elis-Thomas. Dywedodd ei fod “yn edrych ymlaen yn fawr at y digwyddiadau eraill fydd yn cael eu cynnal dros y flwyddyn nesaf a fydd yn tynnu sylw at achlysur pwysig yng nghalendr hanesyddol a chrefyddol Cymru.”