Carol Service 2009

What an amazing Carol Service we enjoyed this year at St Catherine's!

The church looked resplendent, with candles and trees on every window, and with the main Christmas Tree dominating from its now customary place in the pulpit. Nearly 400 people crammed into the building to join with us in the annual Pontypridd Carol Service - this year joined by Cllr Rob Smith, mayor of RCT, who made it his Civic Carol Service too.

The choir sang two pieces composed by Marcus, one especially for this service - a lovely, elegaic piece about Mary's feelings on being the mother of Jesus.Julie Davies and Esther Sowerby took solo parts in the other. Our usual musicians were joined by Evan and Chris, two members of MGQ, to add a little jazz feel to a couple of the congregational carols, and everyone sang with great enjoyment.

All the readers represented different strands of Pontypridd life, from the Rugby Club to health care, from the Market Company to the High School, as well as prayers from Revd Simon Walkling of St David's Uniting Church, and of course we had the choir from Ysgol Evan James add their own songs as well - including Stori'r Preseb, fast becoming a modern Welsh classic.

Marcus rounded the evening off with a moving reminder of the love of God "for all and for always" at the heart of Christmas, and then we adjourned to the Church Hall for mince pies and sherry as guests of the mayor of RCT.

On Christmas Eve we will be back for Midnight Communion at 11.30pm, with a wonderful Family Christmas Celebration at 9.30am on Christmas Day: come and join us!

Christmas Present!

Our application to the Big Lottery Fund has been successful!

We asked for £104,066 to complete our fund for salaries for the children's worker (St Catz Kidz) and senior worker (St Caths Plus) and the Big Lottery have granted us £109,106 - because they say we made an error in our National Insurance calculations, and so we need slightly more than we thought.

How amazing! More than we asked for!

The Big Lottery Fund has been more than helpful throughout the whole process, and though the application process is not easy, they have been fair and several times asked us again to check details - right up to the last minute as they were making decisions. We found them excellent.

And of course we are really grateful - to them, to everyone who helped us in the course of the application, to all who wrote in support of us, to political voices across the spectrum, and to our God who answers prayer. This is the most wonderful Christmas present.

It means that both workers are now secured for three years - full time. And as we have only just begun the St Caths Plus project, this is especially exciting there. We shall take time to make sure we are making all the right decisions and hope to have further news on that front soon. Our aim as a church with these projects is to make people's lives better in every way we can, and we are thrilled that this grant makes the work we are doing secure for the foreseeable future.

Jane Davidson, our Assembly Member, is also delighted with this award. She says:
“I am delighted that the team at St Catherine’s has received this much needed funding, and look forward to seeing the great benefits the money will bring. I would like to offer my congratulations to all those involved, and would encourage anybody interested in the facilities on offer to pay a visit to St Catherine’s.”

Esther Sowerby, who headed up the fundraising, is pictured here with Revd Marcus Green, holding the cheque from the Big Lottery Fund. She also runs the St Caths Plus pilot project at the moment, and today, as the news is announced, is taking 30 of the members of that project on a trip to see the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff Bay.

Revd Marcus Green says: "Over the first term of St Caths Plus project, up to seventy older people have benefitted from the work Esther and her volunteers have done - and that's from a project that has been running just two days a week. As we now consider how to make it full time, alongside Trish Tazzini-Lloyd and the very successful St Catz Kidz programme, we face an enormously exciting time. Jesus tells us to love God and to love our neighbour. We believe in caring for all in our community and hope these projects go some way to making life in Ponty better for many, many folk."

Christmas Programme Revealed

The 2009 St Catherine's Christmas Programme is now published! The annual postcard, with times of all the special services over the festive period, is available from the church free of charge.

The Christingle Service, our yearly children's Christmas preparation, is at 11am on December 13th. A joyful collection of songs and carols, with a reminder of the reason for the season - and this year a visit from Monty the Duck from the Meningitis Society which is the subject of our special Advent Collection. Badges will be given to all the children by Monty, as well as oranges & sweets for all!

The Pontypridd Carol Service is at 6pm on December 20th. This has become the essential Christmas service, with candles, carols, readings by members of our community, choirs, children, tradtional organ and a little jazz as well. Unmissable - but come early, as we will be packed to the rafters. There will be an offering for the Mayor's Charities, as Rob Smith, Mayor of RCT, has nominated this his Civic Service this Christmas.

Midnight Communion and Carols at 11.30pm on Christmas Eve is another favourite. The perfect way to usher in Christmas Day, with carols and in a party mood. This year we welcome back Revd Aled Edwards OBE, our very good friend, member of the All Wales Convention and the Wales Committee for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, and most importantly Man United fan, as our preacher.

Christmas Family Celebration is at 9.30am on Christmas Day itself. This is a time for all the family - the youngest to the oldest - to come together and take an hour off from presents and cooking, and thank God for so many good things. Children are invited to bring a present with them and tell us about it, and then we focus on God's greatest gift - Jesus.

Around these, all our usual services take place as normal, but at St Catherine's we are always delighted to welcome in many guests and friends over the Christmas period. If you haven't been for a while - come and join us this Christmas, and remind yourself that Love is a gift from God that comes for everyone of us - no-one is left out.