Following the visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, a number of initiatives have already begun at the shrine, and will continue into the silver jubilee year of the re-dedication of the Shrine as the National Welsh Shrine of Our Lady.
Please re-visit this page over the coming months to see how these initiatives are progressing.
Our Jubilee Fund remains open, and we thank all who have contributed generously over the previous months.
What’s happening at the Shrine following the Papal Visit
We have been immensely privileged , as the National Welsh Shrine to Our Lady, to have played an important part in the Papal Visit, on behalf of the Catholic Church in Wales.
After Holy Mass at Westminster Cathedral on 18th September, the Holy Father blessed the statue of Our Lady of the Taper, lighting the candle in her hand.
An address was given by Bishop Regan of Wrexham, and the Holy Father then addressed the people of Wales.
You can see recordings of this event by following the links on the front page.
On its way to Westminster, the statue paused at Clifton Cathedral where a special prayer vigil was held for a congregation in excess of 750 people..
Following the return of the statue, a number of developments have taken place at the Shrine, both physically and liturgically
- The statue of Our Lady of the Taper is now in the church for a period of one year. You will find the statue on the right of the main altar as you enter the church. A candle may be burning in her hand, which will have been sponsored by individuals for a particular intention, or a blue weekly candle may be burning at her feet, also sponsored by an individual.
- Regular celebrations of the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Church have been re-introduced, and the Shrine Prayer is prayed before each Sunday Mass.
- Our church grounds continue to be developed, and further projects are underway, including improved boards for visitors undertaking faith tours.
- An outreach project will take place , to raise funds for our SVP partner parish in India.
- An emphasis will be placed on catechesis, and the Journey in Faith Group will continue to meet on a regular basis to deepen our knowledge of the Faith.
As we move into 2011, a number of these initiatives will continue, and there will be further activities , which will be posted here, relating to the forthcoming 25th Anniversary of the re-dedication of the Shrine as the Welsh National Shrine of Our Lady.
