July/August 2011

Dear Friends,

The sun is still shining. We look forward to welcoming the Caerleon Arts Festival with the Community Songs of Praise on Sunday 10th July at 4 p.m. The Festival Concert will take place in Church on Tuesday 12th July at 7.30 p.m.

At the invitation of the Antiquarian Association I shall be talking about Thomas Thomas of Pontypool in Crane Street Chapel Pontypool at 7 p.m. on Wednesday 13th July for anyone who might like to hear about that remarkable nineteenth century preacher, teacher and Christian leader. Our present financial difficulties and our government's plans to resolve them, would have provoked more response from Thomas Thomas than it has, even from the Archbishop of Canterbury, though what the Archbishop wrote was measured and timely, if you read the article.

We have only to look at what is currently happening in Greece to remind ourselves of the international character of this crisis and its consequences throughout the world.

The daily disappearance of household names from our high street shops is a reminder of the consequences of this crisis for retailers. This is only a consequence of what has already happened to public sector workers in their thousands when they have faced redundancy and unemployment.

The further consequences for their families in terms of higher prices for food, petrol, public services and mortgage repayments, are only beginning to emerge. For those, like schoolteachers, who have had to face the prospect of paying a higher percentage of their income for a smaller pension at a later date than they had planned, and, in the case of women teachers, having to work a further six years for it, there is surely some cause for sympathy rather than thoughtless criticism.

Our P.C.C. party takes place on 8th July, one week before St. Swithun's Day, if you are superstitious. We hope that the good weather continues, especially for those who are on holiday. The Deanery Evensong in July will be held at the Roman Catholic Church in Bettws, St. David Lewis Church at 6 p.m. on 31st July.

The Praise and Fellowship Service will take place at 6 p.m. on Sunday 24th July. It has been good to see how many of our young musicians are involved in that service and we look forward to hearing more of them at other times also.

Our next magazine will appear in September when it's "Back to School" and we hope that it will be "Back to Church" on Sunday 25th September. But why wait until then? We shall be very happy to welcome you any Sunday when you are not on holiday. Even if you are, there is always a church around the corner! 

Your friend and Vicar

Arthur Edwards