Catechesis in Welsh

My friend Rhidian Jones, as his name suggests, is Welsh, and a Welsh speaker.* Like me he is a convert to Catholicism and now based in Oxford.

Apart from his work as an author on Canon Law - and more on the second edition of his handbook on that subject in a few days - he is anxious to encourage the use of the Welsh language in devotional life, both in the Catholic Church in Wales, and in assisting those interested in the Ordinariate there. He is keen to remind his fellow Welsh speakers of their Catholic heritage, symbolised by the restored shrine of Our Lady of the Taper at Cardigan, and to encourage the use of the rich tradition of Welsh hymnography in the Catholic tradition, stretching back to the middle ages.

Our Lady of the Taper

There is more about the history of the shrine here.

He has recently produced an English-Welsh bilingual booklet Church Teaching on the Eucharist/ Athrawiaeth yr Eglwys ar yr Ewcharist of quotations from Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church about Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for use by parishes and individuals. One Welsh parish is already using it as its Lent devotional book this year.

It costs £2.00 plus p&p, and if readers are interested I can supply Rhidian's e-mail address.


* Despite many happy holidays in Wales in my youth my knowledge of the language is virtually nil. However I am assured by another friend that my name translates in Welsh as Sion Pen Gwyn.