THE location of this yr’s Eisteddfod, in Pontypridd, has given Churches Together in Wales (Cytûn) what the Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Revd Mary Stallard, describes as a “improbable opportunity” to welcome visitors and host events.
The Eisteddfod, a national celebration of Welsh culture, which runs until tomorrow, has alternated venues between north and south Wales. It is greater than 100 years because it last got here to Pontypridd, and the restrictions of the Eisteddfod field, the Maes, gave the neighbouring St Catherine’s Church a distinguished part to play.
Worship and hymn-singing featured each outdoors and indoors. On Monday, St Catherine’s held the launch of the interpretation of a book on the Lord’s Prayer by the Province’s director of ministry development, Canon Trystan Owain Hughes; and, after a midweek eucharist at which Bishop Stallard presided, panellists from St Padarn’s Institute and Cardiff Baptist College were set to debate visitors’ questions in response to the invitation “What would you ask God?”
The Ministry Area Leader and Priest-in-Charge of St Catherine’s, the Revd Charlotte Rushton, praised the collaboration between the churches of Cytûn, which had produced wonderful displays within the church; worship led by each of the denominations; participation by Christian charities; and a café within the church serving free tea, coffee, and Welsh cakes.
“The Eisteddfod is a large event. It’s as significant to us because the World Cup,” she said on Tuesday. “It’s not only music: it’s every a part of Welsh culture. I’ve had all forms of conversations with visitors who talk about their grandfathers working within the mining industry here. That heritage remains to be such a powerful force.”
The Eisteddfod is conducted within the Welsh language. It is the primary language of Canon Dyfrig Lloyd, Welsh Officer for the diocese of Llandaff. He described the Church in Wales as very supportive of recent Welsh-speakers (now not called “learners”). Music was at the guts of the festival, he said, and events corresponding to hymn-singing brought a whole lot of individuals together.
His personal interest was the main target of a chat on Thursday on the history and traditions of the Penrhys Pilgrimage Way, five miles north of Pontypridd, a pilgrim route that’s now attracting renewed interest. The importance of the 21-mile route from St Davids to Penrhys, opened up in 2019-20, is regarded by some as second only to Walsingham.
“South Wales meets the Valleys here in Pontypridd,” Canon Lloyd said. “The Eisteddfod brings all of the Welsh arts together — music, poetry, and literature — which is improbable.”
The event also included a hymn-tune competition, a have a look at “old hymns and astonishing sermons”, and the launch of the second volume of a book of essays by 16 scholars: Care of our Vineyard: Essays on the contribution of the Church in Wales to our lore and history and culture.
