Open-Air Mass at Cymer Abbey
This summer the hallowed ruins of Cymer Abbey nearDolgellau will host one of the largest open-air events to be held in Walesduring 2010. Three choirs, the massed voices of up to one thousand people anddistinguished guests will gather on Sunday, the 6th of June at2:30pm in a Mass to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the martyrdomof one of Wales' greatest religious figures - St John Roberts.
‘This promises to be a very movingand emotional tribute', says Archbishop Peter Smith, the Archbishop of Cardiff. ‘It's asad but undeniable truism that a genuine prophet is hardly ever honoured in hisown country but I'm hoping that this magnificent Mass will help make St JohnRoberts as famous in his native Wales as he is in countries like France andSpain'.
St John Roberts was born at Rhiw Goch farm nearTrawsfynydd and it is believed that he received hisearly education from a monk at Cymer Abbey before moving to Oxford tostudy Law. On the completion of his studies he travelled to France and it washere that he converted to Catholicism. He moved to Valladolid in Spain where hetrained as a Priest, and returned to London to care for the poor but was exiledmany times by the anti-catholic authorities before eventually being sentencedto death in Tyburn on December 10th, 1610. He was canonised by Pope Paul VI in1970.
'Cymer Abbey is such a perfect location to commemorate the martyrdomof St John Roberts', said Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas, Presiding Officer ofthe Welsh Assembly. ‘This was one of the many institutions of theOrder of the Cistercians which received so much support during the days of theWelsh princes from Llywelyn the 1st and 2nd. They helpeddevelop fishing and sheep farming in Meirionydd and their eventual downfall wasa major blow, both in spiritual and social terms. It was St John Robert'sconversion to Catholicism which led to his being created the first prior of theBenedictine college St Gregory and the order's first martyr in Britain fourcenturies ago'.
Three choirs - St Joseph's Scholafrom Pwllheli, the Wrexham Diocesan Choirand the Newcastle Emlyn Choir - will be present under the musical supervision ofGillian Williams FRCO and, in addition, the Mass will attract a distinguishedecclesiastical presence including Monsignor BrianUdaigwe - First Consellor to the Apostolic Nuncio, who will be making a special journey from the Vatican torepresent His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.
On behalf of His HolinessPope Benedict, Monsignor Brian Udaigwe, First Counsellor to the ApostolicNuncio,wishes every success to the Mass in honour of St John Roberts in Cymer Abbey on6th June, 2010. Monsignor Brian will be representing the Papal Nuncio, ArchbishopFaustino Sainz Munoz at the Mass.
‘Weare delighted that the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain will be represented atthe celebration by Monsignor Brian Udaigwe, First Consellor to the PapalNuncio', saysArchbishop Peter Smith, ‘this will be a very special ecumenical occasion in whichwe will be able to celebrate the life and sacrifice of a very remarkable man'.
‘For us inDolgellau' says thetown's Member for Parliament Elfyn Llwyd, ‘St John Roberts is more than a local hero- hewas a national and, indeed- as the tremendous interest this event has inspiredtends to suggest- an international hero too. I am looking forward to attendingthe Mass and honouring his memory.'
In recognitionof St John Roberts' period of study in Spain the Mass will welcome inhabitantsof the city of Valladolid together with representatives of the Abbeys ofBelmont and Downside of the Benedictine Congregation (St John Roberts foundedDownside Abbey in 1605). Non-ecclesiastical dignitaries will include the Mayorof Dolgellau, the Chairperson of Gwynedd Council and numerouslocal dignitaries.
It is also hoped that a 100 year old replica of the Cymer Abbey Chalice andPatten from the National Museum of Wales will be on display on the altar duringthe Mass.
Following theopen-air Mass St John Roberts will be further honoured between the 15thand 18th of July with a pilgrimage from Wales to London where- onthe 10th of December 1610 - St John Roberts was martyred at Tyburn.The highlight of this pilgrimage will be a multi-faith service at WestminsterAbbey on Saturday 17th July attended by the heads of all theChurches including The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams and The Archbishop of Westminster,Vincent Nicholls.
BothArchbishops will be addressing the event (Archbishop Rowan in Welsh andArchbishop Vincent in English) and all the Archbishops and Bishops of Wales,Catholic and Anglican, will be present. During the service, Lord Dafydd ElisThomas will unveil anewly-commissioned mosaic of St David and theMost Reverend Peter Smith will host a reception after the service.
‘By recognizing and celebrating our religious heritage', says Lord DafyddElis Thomas, ‘we recognize also the unfortunate divisions and prejudices that liewithin religions both in the past and in the present age. I am hopeful that wecan come together in prayer and hope for greater understanding betweencommunities and religious convictions- understanding which can benefit us allboth today and well into the future'.
Offeren arbennig yn Abaty Cymer fel rhan o nifer o ddigwyddiadau i goffau Sant JohnRoberts.
Yr Haf yma bydd Abaty Cymer ger Dolgellau yncynnal un o ddigwyddiadau awyr-agored mwyaf Cymru yn ystod 2010. Bydd tri chôr,mil o leisiau a llu o westeion anrhydeddus yn ymgynyll ar brynhawn Sul, Mehefiny 6ed mewn Offeren arbennig i ddathlu pedwar can mlwyddiant merthyrdod un offigyrau crefyddol mwyaf Cymru - Sant John Roberts.
‘Mae hyn yn debygol o fod yn deyrnged emosiynoliawn', meddai'r ArchesgobPeter Smith, Archesgob Caerdydd. ‘Yn anffodus mae'n wir i ddweud, rwy'n credu, nad ydyw proffwyd bobtro yn cael ei glodfori yn wlad ei hunan ond rwyf i'n wir obeithio y bydd yrOfferen yma yn sicrhau y bydd Sant John Roberts mor enwog yma yng Nghymru acmae e yn Ffrainc a Sbaen'.
Fe gafodd Sant John Roberts ei eni ynFferm Rhiw Goch ger Trawsfynydd a'r gred yw iddo gael ei addysg gynnar ganfynach yn Abaty Cymer cyn symyd i Brifysgol Rhydychen i astudio'r gyfraith. Arddiwedd ei addysg fe deithiodd i Ffrainc a chael tröedigaeth at yr EglwysGatholig. Symudodd i Valladolid yn Sbaen er mwyn astudio i fod yn offeiriad acyna teithiodd i Lundain i warchod y tlawd cyn cael ei alltudio sawl tro gan yrawdurdodau gwrth-Gatholig cyn ei ddienyddu yn Nhyburn ar y 10fed o Ragfyr,1610. Cafodd ei ganoneiddio gan y Pab Paul VI yn 1970.
'Mae Abaty Cymer ger Llanelltud yn leoliadperffaith i goffau merthyrdod Sant John Roberts', meddai'r Arglwydd Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Llywydd Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru. ‘Mae'n un o nifer o sefydliadau Urddy Sistersiaid a gafodd gymaint o gefnogaeth gan Llywelyn I ac II yn nyddiauTywysogion Cymru. Roeddent yn arloeswyr ffermio defaid a datblygu pysgofeydd ymMeirionnydd, a bu eu diddymiad yn ergyd ysbrydol a chymdeithasol. DychweliadJohn Roberts at Gatholigiaeth a'i harweiniodd i fod yn brior cyntaf Coleg SantGregori y Benedicitiaid ac yn ferthyr cyntaf yr Urdd ym Mhrydain bedair canrifyn ol'.
Bydd tri chôr- Schola St Joseff o Bwllheli, Côr EsgobaethWrecsam a ChôrCastell Newydd Emlyn- yn bresennol ar y dydd dan arolygiaeth gerddorol GillianWilliams FRCO ac, yn ogystal, bydd yr Offeren yn denu sawl aelod anrhydedduso'r gymuned eglwysig gan gynnwys Mgr Brian Udaigwe - Prif Gonselwr i'rApostolig Nuncio, a fydd yn teithio yn arbennig o'r Fatican i gynrychioli Pab Benedict XVI
Ar ran Pab Benedict XVI, mae Mgr Brian Udaigwe,Prif Gonselwr i'r Apostolig Nuncio, yn dymuno pob llwyddiant i'r Offeren ianrhydeddu Sant John Roberts yn Abaty Cymer ar y 6ed o Fehefin. Fydd Mgr Brianyn cynrychioli y Nuncio Pabaidd, Archesgob Faustino Sainz Munõz
‘We are delighted that the ApostolicNuncio to Great Britain will be represented at the celebration by Mgr BrianUdaigwe, First Consellor to the Papal Nuncio',
‘Rydym yn falch iawn y bydd yrApostolig Nuncio i Prydain Fawr yn cael ei cynrychioli yn y ddathliad gan MgrBrian Udaigwe, Prif Gonselwr i'r Nuncio Pabaidd',meddai'r Archesgob Peter Smith, ‘bydd hwn ynachlysur ecwmenaidd arbennig iawn pan fyddwn yn dathlu bywyd ac aberth SantJohn Roberts'.
‘I ni yma yn Nolgellau', meddai Aelod Seneddol y dref Elfyn Llwyd, ‘mae Sant John Roberts yn fwy nagarwr lleol- mae'n arwr cenedlaethol ac, yn wir, fel mae'r diddordeb brwd syddwedi cael ei ddangos yn yr Offeren yma o wledydd tramor yn profi- mae'n arwrrhyngwladol hefyd. Rwy'n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at yr Offeren ac i gael y cyfleo anrhydeddu ei etifeddiaeth'.
I gydnabod ycyfnod pan oedd Sant John Roberts yn astudio yn Sbaen bydd croeso yn ystod yrOfferen i rai o drigolion dinas Valladolid yn ogystal â chynrychiolwyr o AbataiBenedictaidd Belmont a Downside (Symudodd Abatyt Douai a sefydlwyd gan SantJohn Roberts yn 1605 i Downside yn Lloegr ar ôl y Chwyldro Ffrengig). Ymhlith ygwesteion anrhydeddus aneglwysig bydd Maer Dolgellau, Cadeirydd Cyngor Gwynedda nifer o rai eraill.
Gobeithir ybydd copi cywir can mlwydd oed o gwpan Cymun cywrain o Abaty Cymer (o AmgueddfaGenedlaethol Cymru) yn cael ei arddangos ar yr allor yn ystod y gwasanaeth.
Yn dilyn yrOfferen awyr agored bydd pinacl dathliadau Sant John Roberts rhwng y 15fed a'r 18fed o Orffennafgyda phererindod o Gymru i Lundain. Uchafbwynt y bererindod fydd gwasanaethfydd yn agored i bawb o bob ffydd yn Abaty San Steffan ar Ddydd Sadwrn,Gorffennaf y 17eg ym mhresenoldeb Archesgob Caergaint, Rowan Williams ac Archesgob Westminster, VincentNicholls gyda holl Archesgobion ac Esgobion Cymru, yn Gatholig ac Anglicanaidd,ar arweinwyr enwadau eraill Cymru.
Bydd ArchesgobCaergaint, Rowan Williams ynannerch yn y Gymraeg ac Archesgob Vincent yn Saesneg yn ystod ygwasanaeth. Hefyd, yn ystod ygwasanaeth, bydd Yr Arglwydd Dafydd Elis Thomas yn datgelu mosaig amryliw o Ddewi Sant abydd y ParchedicafPeter Smith yn cynnalderbyniad ar ddiwedd y gwasanaeth.
‘Wrth goffau einhetifeddiaeth grefyddol', meddai'r ArglwyddDafydd Elis Thomas, ‘fe gofiwn hefyd am yrhagfarnau a'r rhaniadau o fewn crefyddau a rhwng crefyddau, ddoe a heddiw, ganweddïo gyda'n gilydd am well dealltwriaeth rhwng gwahanol gymunedau athraddodiadau crefyddol heddiw ac i'r dyfodol'