Wednesday, September 30, 2009

PILGRIMAGE TO THE GRAVE OF SAINT DAVID LEWIS AT USK AUGUST 2009


























29th August was the Pilgrimage at St Francis Xavier and St David Lewis Church in Usk

A large number of religious and lay people came. It was a very joyful occasion.The Mass was followed by a walk to the site of the Hanging over the road from the church. After reading the last speech of Fr Lewis, we walked along the streets of Usk to the Priory Church where St David was buried.There we said the Lord's Prayer, a decade of the Rosary and sang the Salve Regina, which sounded wonderful unaccompanied in the still air. Afterwards people venerated the tomb and went in to the Priory to light candles and also tea and cake in the vicarage afterwards.

I think the last speech of Fr David from the scaffold was very moving, about being roud to die for being a Christian. Two protestants had clung onto his hands to make sucre he was dead and could not be given the agony of being drawn and quartered. I shall speak more of this later when I come to penal times, but this is a 'special' of the official pilgrimage day.

It was wonderful to be around his grave in the churchyard, singing the 'SALVE REGINA'. So beautiful!

2 comments:

breadgirl said...

What an excellent day it was. It was wonderful to have Holy Mass celebrated again after several years absence from the Saint's pilgrimage. Your pictures are lovely. Wasn't it also a special treat to be able to go into the garden, so close to our saint's spot of execution. St David Lewis is my favourite saint and, having been reading your blog for sometime, I was inspired by it to start a blog about St David Lewis, under the title, 'Last Welsh Martyr'. So you see, your work is doing a lot of good - don't stop! I don't know if I am doing something incorrectly or if it is just too soon for it to appear yet, but 'Last Welsh Martyr' does not come up when I search it on the internet. Anyway, I like your blog very much. Keep at it and God bless

Mary in Monmouth said...

Thanks breadgirl=appreciation is like gold!!! Thank you!