THE location of this year’s Eisteddfod, in Pontypridd, has given Churches Together in Wales (Cytûn) what the Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Revd Mary Stallard, describes as a “fantastic 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 more than 100 years since it last came to Pontypridd, and the limitations of the Eisteddfod field, the Maes, gave the neighbouring St Catherine’s Church a prominent part to play.
Worship and hymn-singing featured both outdoors and indoors. On Monday, St Catherine’s held the launch of the translation 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 in the church; worship led by each of the denominations; participation by Christian charities; and a café in the church serving free tea, coffee, and Welsh cakes.
“The Eisteddfod is a huge event. It’s as significant to us as the World Cup,” she said on Tuesday. “It’s not just music: it’s every part of Welsh culture. I’ve had all sorts of conversations with visitors who speak about their grandfathers working in the mining industry here. That heritage is still such a strong force.”
The Eisteddfod is conducted in the Welsh language. It is the first language of Canon Dyfrig Lloyd, Welsh Officer for the diocese of Llandaff. He described the Church in Wales as very supportive of new Welsh-speakers (no longer called “learners”). Music was at the heart of the festival, he said, and events such as hymn-singing brought hundreds of people together.
His personal interest was the focus of a talk on Thursday on the history and traditions of the Penrhys Pilgrimage Way, five miles north of Pontypridd, a pilgrim route that is 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 the Welsh arts together — music, poetry, and literature — which is fantastic.”
The event also included a hymn-tune competition, 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.