March / Mawrth 2015 - Dewi Sant Welsh United Church
Transcription
March / Mawrth 2015 - Dewi Sant Welsh United Church
March / Mawrth 2015 Message from the minister We journey through Lent at Dewi Sant with the weekly ritual of placing items on a cross made from a Christmas tree. It is a time to consider the trials and suffering of Jesus at the hands of vindictive leaders. May we reflect on our individual journey as believers, looking deep inside to find what we can learn from our personal Lenten observance. God gives us opportunities to grow as we continue to worship together. Bendithion, Rev Anne ~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~ Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter rain, just pray to God for a better umbrella. - That is the attitude Life is not about finding the right person, but creating the right relationship. It's not how we care in the beginning, but how much we care till the very end. Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on what you make with them; a Wall or a Bridge? - Remember you are the architect of your life. Search for a good heart, but don't search for a beautiful face, because beautiful things are not always good, but good things are always beautiful. It’s not important to hold all the good cards in life, but it’s important how well you play with the cards you hold. Often when we lose all hope and think this is the end, remember God and pray, it’s just a bend, not the end.' Have faith and have a successful life. One of the basic differences between God and humans is, God gives, gives and forgives. But the human gets, gets, gets and forgets. Be thankful in life... If you think it is your alarm clock that woke you up this morning, try putting it beside a dead body and you will realize that it is the Grace of God that woke you up. If you are grateful to God, forward this to all your friends to inform them that it is JUST BY THE GRACE OF God that we are alive... Myfanwy. Turn over a rock and you find a Welsh story. Born on this day 1818 at Blaenplwyf farm near Ystrad Aeron, Ceredigion. Joseph Jenkins who, famously emigrated to Australia because of a nagging w...ife and was reputedly ‘The Jolly Swagman’ of the popular song “Waltzing \matilda”. Jenkins (1818 – 1898) was a farmer who also won prizes at Eisteddfodau for his poetry. When he was 51, Joseph left his wife and family to emigrate to Australia, where he worked as a Swagman, keeping a diary on the life in the Australian Bush. Later Joseph obtained regular employment as a cleaner of streets and drains in the town of Maldon, where he remained until he reached the age of 76 and became homesick for Wales and returned home. He achieved fame posthumously from publication of some excerpts of his Australian writings, coined the Diary of a Welsh Swagman, and in 1994 a water drinking fountain and a plaque were erected at Maldon railway station to recognize the centenary of Joseph Jenkins’ departure and his unique record of the life of a rural worker in Victoria. Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong….Under the shade of a coolibah tree And he sang as he watched his billy boil. You’ll come a-waltzing Matilda with me. Joseph Jenkins ? Dywed yn dda am dy gyfaill. Am dy elyn dywed dim. Speak good of your friend, of your enemy say nothing. Gorau adnabod, adnabod dy hun. The best knowledge is knowledge of yourself. MARK YOUR CALENDARS…..APRIL 11 A Dinner/Auction jointly sponsored by the Ontario Gymanfa Ganu Association and Dewi Sant WUC on APRIL 11 promises to be a fun evening for all. The food will feature Welsh fare (there are rumours of “faggots and peas” as part of the buffet) and the items up for auction will be sufficiently varied for everyone to get involved. The evening will include both a silent and a live auction under the skillful gavel of Sheryl Clay Newell. If you have any items that you feel might be appropriate for the auction, please contact the church or any of the committee members: Nia Davies, Trish Stevenson, Julie Wenz or Betty Cullingworth. If you have items that require pick up, please contact Betty at 416 486 0432. Think experiences as well as items when considering what you might donate. Hosting a dinner at your home, allowing your cottage/chalet to be used for a weekend, donating tickets to a sporting event or to a show/cinema, baking for a future event etc. would all be great additions to our auction programme. OR use your imagination and suggest an idea to us. We would be delighted to feature something unique. Tickets will be available as of March 15 and can be bought from any of the above named committee members of by contacting the church at 416 485 7583. We are looking forward to a super evening on the April 11. Hope to see you there…..and bring your friends along to enjoy the fun as well!! Betty Cullingworth Now for the most exciting Welsh function on our calendar The Ontario Welsh Festival..Gwyl Gymreig Ontario For many of us this festival has been a way of life for many many years. We started when our children were very young and they are all now between forty and fifty years of age. We all still try to be at the Festival every year, with grandchildren taking part in Awr y Plant. This year it is especially exciting,since the visiting choir is Cor Ruthun. What makes it extra special is the fact that their conductor and our Gymanfa conductor is no other than ROBAT ARWYN Myfanwy Now here is Hefina’s document “Who is Robat Arwyn?”some of you may ask. Only the best known, most prolific, most respected musician in Wales today! There isn’t a choir in Wales or North American Welsh choir that does not have a Robat Arwyn composition in their repertoire. In addition to his frequent broadcasts and television programmes and his adjudicating at the highest level. Arwyn is the director of Côr Ruthunthe guest choir at this year’s Ontario Welsh Festival. So mark your calendars now April 24=26 2015 Location? Marriot Gateway on the Falls hotel. Don’t leave it too late to reserve your room or you may not get the Falls View room that you covet. Rooms with a view of the Falls cost $145 and City view are $125 Don’t forget to mention that you are with the Ontario Welsh Festival in order to get the special rate. Phone numbers are 1 800 618 9059 or 905 374 1077. March 24 is the cut off date for special rates. In addition to the music feast provided by Robat Arwyn and Côr Ruthun, there will be a wealth of other events to enjoy. The Market Place will be full of temptations from Welsh CDs and tea cloths etc. to endless cups of tea. Welsh cakes and Bara Brith.There will be a Noson lawen on Friday night, in which I am sure, Myfanwy will have some fun in store for you. WE are hoping that some of our Welsh visitors will join in the fun. Please come and support our children at Awr Y Plant on Saturday morning (after you’ve been to the AGM of course!) Seminars will be offered on Saturday afternoon. At the Annual Banquet the winner of the Gold Award will be honoured.We are delighted to report that this year’s recipient is Harold Woodey. Harold has not been been with the best of health recently but we are keeping our fingers crossed that he will be well enough to attend. Then on to the much anticipated Robat Arwyn. Sunday’s Gymanfa Ganu is the main reason for the weekend of course and along with Côr Ruthun, we will sing praises to the Lord. All too soon we will be singing, “God be with you till we meet again,” and bidding farewell to our many friends until next year. Hefina Phillips. ~~~~~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~~~~~ PENTYRCH: A VERY SPECIAL PLACE ~ PART ONE About five miles, as the crow flies, to the north-northwest of the center of Cardiff, Wales’ capital, and on the western side of the valley of the River Taff (AfonTaf), near Taff’s Well (FfynnonTaf in Welsh) is an impressive flat-topped hill called Mynydd y Garth (the Garth Mountain). Its plateau-like summit is crowned with several Bronze-Age tumuli(the tallest of which is 1,009 feet above sea level);these give “The Garth” a distinctive appearance. A substantial-looking village is tucked away below the Garth summit on the sunny, southern side of the hill. This is the remarkable village of Pentyrch. I was born and grew up in Treforest (Trefforest), eleven miles to the north-west of Cardiff – and six miles north-west of Pentyrch.The distant Garth, and its strange profilewith the “tumps” ( tumuli) exercised a powerful attraction to my schoolboy friends and myself. We all wanted to walk to the Garth, stand up on each of its tumps, enjoy the views in all directions and boast about our farreaching explorations to any of our other friends who would listen.On our first “ascent”, having walked to the Garth via Tonteg and EfailIsaf and thence along country lanes, I remember being surprised, when standing on the “Big Tump” to see that there was a sizeable community situated on the southern slope of the Garth. This village was Pentyrch. The old parish of Pentyrch (before administrative changes in the 1970s and since) included not only the village of Pentyrch itself, but also the village of Gwaelodygarth, on the eastern slopes of the Garth mountain, overlooking the Taff Valley. To the south-west of Pentyrch village the parish also included a small settlement called “Castle Hamlet” (see later). Although Pentyrch itself is a largely pastoral community. The eastern slopes of the parish (around and below Gwaelodygarth) were characterized by a number of small industries for many years. In the latter part of the nineteenth and early years of the twentieth centuries several coal drifts were being worked. There was a limestone quarry and iron ore was being mined until the 1920s even though the local ironworks (first founded in the sixteenth century) finally closed in 1885. A small foundry continued to operate until the 1960s. Many of the menfolk of Pentyrch parish (often the younger sons of farmers) worked, at various times, in these small-scale industries. Some worked further afield, for example travelling by train to work in the coal-mines of the Rhondda and Taff valleys. The small community of Castle Hamlet, previously mentioned,to the south-west of Pentyrch was transformed in the 1880s when it became a station on the new “Barry Railway”, built to transport coal from the Rhondda valleys to the new docks which were being built at Barry (Y Barri). Its new name was Creigiau. In recent years I have become much more familiar with Pentyrch and its history because of my friendship with Don Llewellyn. Don is a Welsh-speaking native of Pentyrch who has always lived in the village despite the fact that he has travelled all over the world and has had a distinguished career in the mass media.He is a fount of local information and for the past few fifteen years has been chairman of Cymdeithas Hanes LleolPentyrcha’rCylch (Pentyrch and District Local History Society), which was founded in 1993 and is still going strong. Since 1998 Don, a handsome man of great energy and many talents (he is, among other accomplishments a sportsman, distinguished TV director, world traveler, award-winning horticulturalist, successful novelist and accomplished public speaker) has edited the Local History Society’s wonderful, quarterly publication called “The Garth Domain”. The “Domain” describes itself as “A Series Describing Local Places and People as They Were” and recently published its sixtieth issue. It’s full of fascinating articles by Don and a number of enthusiastic contributors about Pentyrch and the surrounding region. For example, one of the earliest issues tells the reader about William Evans, who described himself as a “Tea Dealer, General Grocer, Linen and Woolen Draper.” Evans presided in the Pentyrchvillage store from 1860-1898. This Domain article includes materials which were found by Don in the roof of the former store’s stables! They included letters, advertisements, bills of sale, receipts and licenses; all of these throw a fascinating light on village life in southeast Wales during the second part of the nineteenth century. Another issue included Don’s reminiscences of “TwmCrydd (TomosJenkins), the village cobbler/barber whom Don considers to have been the most accomplished poacher in East Glamorgan. (I was interested to learn, from Don that “Llewellyn” and “Jenkins” were two of the commonest family names in Pentyrch). Numerous other contributors have added fascinating articles to the Domain on a wide range of topics relating to Pentyrch and the surrounding area. These have included articles about village personalities, the Nantgarw Pottery, sports (especially rugby), the wartime arrival of American troops at the hospital in nearby Rhydlafar, the Mari Lwyd tradition, the annual gymkhana (Pentyrch’s Home Guard “Cavalry”, composed primarily of local farmers, was active in the village during World War Two) and many other topics too numerous to list here. Don Llewellyn himself was active in sports as a youth,captaining the Pentyrch rugby team. He also played soccer and cricket. Once, when he was in his fifties and, a successful TV director he and his crew were filming “Survival of the Fittest” at Capel Curig in North Wales. Don jumped 33 feet into the freezing waters of the River Llugwy, winning a bet and donating his winnings to a charity. Donbegan his career at the then new television company WWN (Teledu Cymru) in 1962 and soon became a film editor of both Welsh-language and English programs. After assignments at other ITV companies he was invited to join TWW (Television Wales & the West). During this period he travelled to more than forty countries, including the United States and Russia and interviewed a great many celebrities in the entertainment, sporting and political fields. Later, after accepting an attractive early retirement offer Don formed his own independent TV production firm: Ffilmiau Llewelyn/Llewellyn Films. He employed a large production crew and flew to various assignments around the world; often using a helicopter fortravel within the U.K. He interviewed people like Prince Charles, WynfordVaughan Thomas (the radio-TV personality), all the Welsh rugby greats of the past fifty years and many other sports and showbiz celebrities. Despite having “retired”, Don is still very active as a speaker at various clubs and societies. In spite of his fame he remains a Pentyrch boy at heart; he has lived in the village all his life and knows almost everybody there - even though the population now stands at 3,500. John R Jenkins ----------------------------------------John Jenkins is a former president of the St. David’s Society of Toronto and continues to support DewiSant Church. This article previously appeared in “Ninnau”. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~**~~*~~~* The Witty Mahatma When Gandhi was studying law at University College, London, a white professor, whose last name was Peters, disliked him intensely and always displayed prejudice and animosity towards him. Also, because Gandhi never lowered his head when addressing him, as he expected.. there were always "arguments" and confrontations. One day, Mr. Peters was having lunch at the dining room of the University, and Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to the professor. The professor said, "Mr. Gandhi, you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat." Gandhi looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly replied, "You do not worry professor. I'll fly away," and he went and sat at another table. Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions. Mr. Peters, unhappy and frustrated, asked him the following question. "Mr Gandhi, if you were walking down the street and found a package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?" Without hesitating, Gandhi responded, "The one with the money, of course." Mr. Peters, smiling sarcastically said, "I, in your place, would have taken wisdom, don't you think?" Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded, "Each one takes what he doesn't have." Mr. Peters, by this time was fit to be tied. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi's exam sheet the word "idiot" and gave it to Gandhi. Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk trying very hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move. A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, "Mr. Peters, you signed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade."Wit always wins over anger! M Diller isms Whatever you may look like,marry a man your own age.As your beauty fades, so will his eyesight. Housework can't kill you, but why take a chance? Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shovelling the walk before it stops snowing. The reason women don't play football is because 11 of them would never wear the same outfit in public. Best way to get rid of kitchen odours: Eat out. Part two The Thumbprint of Wales on North American Culture. Cerwyn Davies. South Wales provided most of the immigrants in the 19th century. With the Industrial Revolution came the growth of the iron industry and the development of the coal mines in South Wales, which meant that Wales had a surplus of foundrymen, metal workers and coalminers. There was plenty of work in the coalmines of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This area became the largest Welsh settlement in USA. There were so many Baptists that they had two Baptists Associations. The Welsh Presbyterians were also very strong and they had their own Presbytery. Dewi Sant was at its inception a member of this Presbytery In the heyday of religion in America there were 604 Welsh Churches, spread over the United states and Canada. By now Dewi Sant is the only one left with any appreciable Welsh language content Of the 70? Who signed the Declaration of Independence,16 were Welsh! At least Presidents of the United States, had Welsh blood in their veins. Even George Washington (the first president) who although not Welsh, did the next best thing by marrying a Welsh lady, Martha Washington! Thomas Jefferson; John Adams; James Munroe; John Quincy Adams; Abraham Lincoln; Calvin Coolidge and Richard Nixon, and who knows when the Obama period is over, and Hilary Clinton, enters and wins the election, then we will have another Welsh presence in the Oval Office? Thomas Jefferson spoke Welsh and was responsible for the Welsh quotation that is half way up the Washington Memorial Monument. “Fy ngwlad, fy nghenedl Cymru. Cymru am byth.” My country, my nation,Wales. Wales forever. Other names that stand out in the political arena are Martha Washington, wife of George and of course Hilary Clinton. Of course here in Ontario, John Graves Simcoe, first Lt. Governor of Upper Canada was married to Elizabeth Posthuma Gwillim, defiantly Welsh. Among the great military leaders was Robert E Lee, the famous confederate general. Four Ivy League Universities- Yale; Johns Hopkins; Brown; Brynmawr and Wm and Mary. In the realm of music we have the Mormon Tabernacle choir founded by John Parry, a Baptist preacher who was converted to Mormonism and emigrated with 75 people to Utah in 1847. 20% of the population of Utah is said to be of Welsh origin. Joseph Parry, The Osmond family, Andy Griffith. There is even an effort to prove that Elvis Presley was Welsh!!! There is rather farfetched by play on words between Presley and Preseli (the highest mountain in Pembrokeshire.) Famous Actors: Bob Hope; Myrna Lou; Bette Davies: Joe E Brown: Glenn Ford; Esther Williams; Ray Milland; Vincent Price; Anthony Perkins; Michael York and the latest addition Tom Cruise Literature: Sinclair Lewis; Jack London; Ogden Nash; Jefferson Davies; Harriet Beecher Stowe. Business: Howard Hughes; Bob Evans; J P Morgan; William Fargo; Jack Daniel. ( Whiskey) Other Fields: Daniel Boone; Andrew Carnegie; Henry Morton Stanley(Dr Livingstone I presume!) John l Lewis Labour Leader. Murray Humphreys, well known Chicago Mobster, and of course the well known brothers, sons of a Welsh Clergyman, Frank and Jesse James What about Today? U S A according to a fairly up to date census has one and three quarter million people of Welsh descent out of a total of 300 or so million. Canada 330 thousand out of a total of 33 or so million. Cerwyn Davies (who takes full responsibility for any incorrect, inconclusive, misleading, incomplete or too much bragging information. At least this is an attempt, however feeble, to ignite a new sense of pride in “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.” Cerwyn The Last Invasion of Britain The annals of history record the name of Hastings as the site of the last invasion of mainland Britain by Norman forces in 1066. True, this was the last successful invasion. However, little is reported about the French invasion of Fishguard, which took place in southwest Wales in 1797, nor of the brave resistance offered by Jemima Nicholas, also known as "Jemima Fawr" (Jemima the Great), who single-handedly captured twelve of the invading soldiers. In 1797, Napoleon Bonaparte was busy conquering in central Europe. In his absence the newly formed French revolutionary government, the Directory, appears to have devised a 'cunning plan' that involved the poor country folk of Britain rallying to the support of their French liberators. Obviously the Directory had recently taken delivery of some newly liberated Brandy! The French invasion force comprising some 1400 troops set sail from Camaret on February 18th, 1797. The man entrusted by the Directory to implement their 'cunning plan' was an Irish-American septuagenarian, Colonel William Tate. As Napoleon had apparently reserved the cream of the Republican army for duties elsewhere in Europe, Colonel Tate's force comprised a ragtag collection of soldiers including many newly released jailbirds. Tate's orders were to land near Bristol, England's second largest city and destroy it, then to cross over into Wales and march north onto Chester and Liverpool. From the outset however all did not proceed as detailed in the 'cunning plan'. Wind conditions made it impossible for the four French warships to land anywhere near Bristol, so Tate moved to 'cunning plan' B, and set a course for Cardigan Bay in southwest Wales. On Wednesday February 22nd, the French warships sailed into Fishguard Bay to be greeted by canon fire from the local fort. Unbeknown to the French, the cannon was being fired as an alarm to the local townsfolk. Nervously the ships withdrew and sailed on until they reached a small sandy beach near the village of Llanwnda. Men, arms and gunpowder were unloaded and by 2 am on the morning of Thursday February 23rd, the last invasion of Britain was completed. The ships returned to France with a special dispatch being sent to the Directory in Paris informing them of the successful landing. Upon landing, the French invasion force appear to have run out of enthusiasm for the 'cunning plan'. Perhaps as a result of years of prison rations, they seem to have been more interested in the rich food and wine the locals had recently removed from a grounded Portuguese ship. After a looting spree, many of the invaders were too drunk to fight and within two days, the invasion had collapsed: Tate's force surrendered to a local militia force led by Lord Cawdor on February 25th 1797. Strange that the surrender agreement drawn up by Tate's officers referred to the British coming at them "with troops of the line to the number of several thousand." No such troops were anywhere near Fishguard, however hundreds, perhaps thousands of local Welsh women dressed in their traditional scarlet tunics and tall black felt hats had come to witness any fighting between the French and the local men of the militia. Is it possible that at a distance, and after a glass or two, those women could have been mistaken for British army Redcoats? During their two days on British soil the French soldiers must have shaken in their boots at mention of name of "Jemima Fawr" (Jemima the Great). The 47-year-old Jemima Nicholas was the wife of a Fishguard cobbler. When she heard of the invasion, she marched out to Llanwnda, pitchfork in hand, and rounded up twelve Frenchmen. She ‘persuaded’ them to accompany her back into town, where she locked them inside St Mary’s Church and promptly left to look for some more! Men of Harlech meet your match! The Women Of Fishguard By Harri Webb. The Emperor Naploeon He sent his ships of war With spreading sails To conquer Wales And land on Fishguard shore But Jemima, she was waiting With her broomstick in her hand And all the other women, too, To guard their native land. For the Russians and the Prussians He did not give a damn But he took on more than he bargained for When he tried it on with Mam. Their cloaks were good red flannel Their hats were black and tall They looked just like brave soldiers And were braver than them all. The Frenchmen took one look at them And in panic they did flee, Cried oo-la-la, and then ta-ta And jumped into the sea, And said to one another As back to France they swam We’d have stayed at home if we’d only known That we’d have to take on Mam. The Emperor Napoleon He was a man of note, His hat was sideways on his head, His hand inside his coat, When he heard the news from Fishguard His sorrow was complete, Oh Josephine, What can it mean? My soldiers all are beat! I’ll make this proclamation, Though a conqueror I am You can conquer all creation But you’ll never conquer Mam! Dewi Sant Welsh United Church Easter Calendar 2015 Friday April 3rd– Good Friday 3:30 PM Service, Rev. Cerwyn Davies – Guest Preacher 5:00 PM Dinner* See ticket information Below. 7:00 PM Gymanfa ganu, Sheryl Clay conducting SUNDAY APRIL 5th – Easter Sunday 9:00 AM – Holy communion, followed by an Easter breakfast 11:00 AM – Easter Service including a children’s presentation. *DINNER TICKETS ARE $12 EACH. PLEASE CONTACT ELIZABETH STROUD AT 416-465-1814 OR MYFANWY BAJAJ AT 905-737-4399, OR [email protected] WE MUST BE NOTIFIED OF YOUR ATTENDANCE BY E-MAIL OR TELEPHONE IN ADVANCE, TO HELP US JUDGE THE NUMBERS WE CAN EXPECT. WE ARE SERVING HOME BAKED HAM WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~ Gadwyn Donations Charles Oakley, Brenda Jones, Cerwyn & Nora Davies, Steve Stephens, John Jenkins Sincere thanks. Your contributions are gratefully received. CONTACT US: Myfanwy Bajaj, Editor. Email: [email protected] Dewi SantWelsh United Church: 416-485-7583 or email: [email protected] I do hope that you have enjoyed this Gadwyn. I really need your input to carry this forward successfully. I love to read your stories and will edit them to suit you. Try any subject, your roots, your adventures, travel stories. PLEASE help as I don’t want this to be too much of a burden. Myfanwy 905 737 4299 [email protected] APRIL 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 1 Thursday 2 MAUNDY THURSDAY (no service at Dewi Sant) 7 pm TWMVC 5 Easter Sunday Friday Saturday 3 Good Friday 4 3 pm Service 2 pm Hope Church 5 pm Dinner 7 pm GYMNAFA GANU 6 7 10 am Bible Study & Discussion Group 11 am Lunch Bunch 8 7 pm TWMVC 9 10 11 6 pm Dewi Sant & OGGA Dinner & Auction 2 pm Hope Church 12 Easter 2 11 am Worship & Baptism 2 pm Hope Church 7 pm Welsh Service 13 14 10 am Bible Study & Discussion Group 15 16 17 18 19 Easter 3 20 21 10 am Bible Study & Discussion Group 22 28 10 am Bible Study & Discussion Group 29 9 am Communion Easter Breakfast 11 am Communion 2 pm Hope Church 11 am Special Music Sunday Session Meets 2 pm Hope Church 26 Easter 4 11 am Worship 2 pm Hope Church 27 7 pm TWMVC 2 pm Hope Church 23 24 25 Ontario Gymnafa Ganu 2 pm Hope Church Niagara Falls April 24 - 26 7 pm TWMVC 30