St Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church, Canton

St Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church (Welsh: Llanfair Yr Angylion) is located in Canton, Cardiff.[2] It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff.[2] It opened on 3 November 1907.[3]

St Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church
51°28′58.83″N 3°11′47.26″W
LocationCanton, Cardiff, Wales
CountryUnited Kingdom
DenominationRoman Catholic
WebsiteChurch Website
History
StatusActive
Founded1907
Consecrated30 October 1907
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade II [1]
Architect(s)Frederick Walters
StyleRomanesque
Completed1907
Administration
DeaneryCardiff
DioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Cardiff
ProvinceProvince of Cardiff
Clergy
Priest(s)Rev. Canon Peter Collins
Assistant priest(s)Fr. Nicholas Williams
Deacon(s)Maurice Scanlon
& Christian Mahoney

The Parish Priest is Rev. Canon Peter Collins, assisted by Rev. Fr. Nicholas Williams.[2]

Church History

The church was designed by architect Frederick Walters and built by W. T. Morgan. The foundation stone of the church was laid on 20 January 1907 by Bishop Hedley and later that year, on 30 October, the altar was consecrated before the church opened on 3 December.[3] The tower was added in 1916.[1] The church is built using roughly dressed Pennant sandstone and cut Bath stone ashlar dressings, in a late 12th-century French style.[1]

In January 1941, the sacristies and St Ann's Chapel in the church were destroyed by an air raid to be rebuilt 10 years later.[3]

In 1952, the church was temporarily closed to repaint and clean the church as well as to install new lighting and amplifiers. The church was repainted again in 1962.[3]

It became a listed building in 1975, as a building of quality by a noted ecclesiastical architect.[1]

Mgr. John Maguire, previous incumbent as Parish Priest, was appointed in 1991, after the church came under the care of the Archdiocese of Cardiff after many years under the Benedictine Community. Fr. Chris Delaney, O.S.B., a long-serving assistant priest returned to Buckfast Abbey in March 2011 after 44 years of faithful service in Canton. At the Chrism Mass on Wednesday 17 April 2019, Archbishop George Stack announced that Mgr. Maguire would retire from active ministry later in the year, having faithfully served numerous parishes in the Archdiocese of Cardiff since his ordination in 1967.

It was at the same time announced that Canon Peter Collins, previously the Dean of St. David's Metropolitan Cathedral, Cardiff, would succeed Mgr. Maguire as the current Parish Priest, with Fr. Nicholas Williams continuing as sole parochial vicar (assistant priest) following Fr. Andrea Bord's reassignment. These changes came into effect on the weekend of 31 August/1 September 2019. On 21st March 2020, St Mary of the Angels was forced to close its doors to public liturgies, throughout the Coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown, yet continued to celebrate Masses via its live-stream facility. During the lockdown, a parish YouTube channel was established to provide enhanced contact, updates and catechetical content to parishioners. Public Sunday Masses resumed under strict social-distancing regulations on 5 July 2020. It was announced in December 2020 that newly ordained deacon Christian Mahoney would be joining deacon Maurice Scanlon as one of the two parish deacons.

The church underwent an internal reordering in 2000.[3]

The parish has taken responsibility for the parish records of Sacred Heart, Leckwith, Cardiff.

Schools

The church is closely linked to its main Primary School, St Mary's R C Primary, Canton and Mary Immaculate Catholic High school, Wenvoe.

Higher Catholic Education in the area is provided by St David's Catholic College for ages 16 to 18, supported by the church.

In the news

The babies of Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson were baptised at St Mary of the Angels church. Ruby Henson was baptised on 28 June 2008 by Fr. Delaney OSB, who Church described as her favorite priest.[4] Their son Dexter Lloyd Henson was christened in August 2009.[5]

In Charlotte Church's Confessional Song, one line is "Poor old Father Delaney", referring to the St Mary's parish priest.

On Sunday 8 March 2020, at the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis, St Mary of the Angels was featured on BBC Wales Today, discussing the initial infection-control measures taken at the time, including withdrawal of public access to the Chalice and use of Holy Water stoups. On April 30, Wales Online published an article focusing on Hospital chaplaincy, also featuring the parish.[6]

Church Groups

References
  1. "Church of St Mary of the Angels R.C., Riverside". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  2. "St Mary of the Angels - Cardiff". Archdiocese of Cardiff. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  3. "Parish History and Photographs" (pdf). St Mary of the Angels Cardiff.
  4. "Charlotte's Ruby is christened by Mum's priest". WalesOnline. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  5. "Charlotte and Gavin christen tiny son Dexter". WalesOnline. 1 September 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  6. Clements, Laura (30 April 2020). "Chaplains reveal the awful pain and heartbreaking loss they are seeing". WalesOnline. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
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