Whilst the annual Ecumenical Service of Vespers on the second Sunday of each September is our main activity it is somewhat weather-dependent. In 2023, the rain ceased and the sun shone in time for the service at which Bishop Cherry preached. In 2024, the rain stopped as Archbishop Mark began his sermon but alas, in 2025 the rain and the forecast meant that we had to cancel the service. Fortunately, Abbot Brendan Thomas who was due to preach has agreed to do so in 2026 when we shall hope to have our worship led by Newport Cathedral Choir and the monks of Belmont Abbey.
The second Sunday of September falls conveniently either near the Feast of Our Lady's Birthday or the Feast of the Holy Cross.
This project continues to move forwards thanks to Dr Vanessa Dodd, David Benson and Dick Coates. Meetings have taken place between Vanessa and representatives of the Wye Valley National Landscapes Team, the NRW Land Management Team and Bob Campbell to identify and apply for grant funding. The Welsh Church Fund has given a grant of £1,000.
Our finances are healthy and the Calendars have sold well and that together with other sales help with both publicising the mission of the Friends of Our Lady of Tintern and providing an income. The Tintern Wine-tasting Group gave us a generous financial contribution.
Like many groups today we rely on a small number of people to do a large amount of work and none of us are getting any younger! I am therefore most grateful to the Friends — to David and Jane Benson for their hospitality, organisation, liaising and attention to detail; to Jan for her hospitality, secretarial and sales work; to Vanessa for moving forwards the Marian Way project; to Elisabeth for keeping our finances in order; and to Dick for his much admired Calendars.
The Friends are also grateful to Pascal Bidoes, the Curator of Tintern Abbey, for his assistance and cooperation, and to Steve Evans for setting up and managing our website as we look for someone else to take this work forward.
Our Lady of Tintern, pray for us.
+ Dominic Walker OGS, Chair FOLT