Mary in Monmouth: The Lost Templars of Monmouthshire and the Marches - Ancient Traces II Stephen de Hastings and the Hastings Family

PODCAST IMMINENT OF THE VISIT OF THE RELICS TO CARDIFF

I took recordings of the various Masses and liturgies in the Church as the relics were being received in Cardiff on Tueday and have only lightly edited them. I was doubly glad so many people, who were not able to get in and hear the service of reception and so forth will have the possibility of listening to the Masses for Priests and Vocations, Evangelisation, and personal sanctity, Angelus, Rosary , Litany and Benediction. It was extremely crowded, but I think it captures all the excitement of that day when thousands descended on Cardiff, clapped the little saint for her Christian witness and brought her candles, red roses and many other flowers, incense and beautiful music at the evening Mass.People streamed in until the Cathedral closed at Midnight, and devotions continued all evening, with people praying for conversion of sinners, confessions, praying for priests and praying that all would accept Jesus as their personal friend and Saviour. A Mediaeval style day none will forget. And Bravo to the superb organist!

DO YOU KNOW WHY BISHOPS WEAR POINTY HATS CALLED MITRES?

Truth about Relics

Relics have often been a stumbling block for people trying to understand the church. It is no different than keeping a special photo, item or clothing etc from a loved one when they have passed on. Kissing a picture or reverencing it, lighting a candle next to it or putting a poppy by it on remembrance day, just brings them alive again to you, shows them honour and respect. In the case of relics, if you can ask a living person to pray for you, then we can ask the souls who have made it to heaven to pray for us too, Having a small item which has actually touched their body or even a part of that body brings them especially close to them. The Holy Spirit has completely infused their body, So you ask this person to add their prayers to yours up above, and sometimes there are miracles as a result, although it is the prayer to Almighty God that works the miracle if there is to be one and it is his Will.

Hello! The first ten pictures

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Lost Templars of Monmouthshire and the Marches - Ancient Traces II Stephen de Hastings and the Hastings Family

The Hastings Family had many connections with the Templar Order, Stephen de Hastings of Abergavenny being one of them. this is a monument of William de Hastings here, which is in the Mediaeval monuments Chapel, formerly the Ladye Chapel of Abergavenny Priory, a Benedictine Priory (now St Mary's Parish church in Abergavenny).Stephen had been reputedly been a Grand Master, but this has been refuted by Evelyn Lord, the authority of the Templars in England. The date given is 1348, and so by this time the Templar Order

had already been suppressed, and the Hospitallers given their land.

Abergavenny Benedictine Priory,
now St Mary's Church and right next to the town's car park!

Another member of the dynasty of the de Hastings. The beautiful alabaster work has been attacked with hammers during the time of Cromwell whose soldiers knocked out all the stained glass in the church, stabled horses in there and used it as a latrine.

It was spared earlier attacks as the local nobility of Abergavnny was closely connected with the House of Tudor and these were their tombs.

Here are all the members of William's family. All the Knights have their shields beneath them and arre praying for the soul of William de Hastings. In the middle is the blessed Mary and angels.

Temple Grafton. Further afield is Temple Grafton near Stratford upon Afon.Not only was this another templar preceptory, but is reputedly the place where Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway.

The priest at Temple Grafton was a priest who was unsympathetic to the new church of Henry VIII, still secretly said Mass and married and gave the sacraments at the churrch, while conforming outwardly. He was eventually found out and relieved of his post. Joseph Pierce charts Shakespeare's life and career through this turbulent time, and his secret

Catholicism. Certainly this was the reason for marrying so far from Stratford, and the actual reason for his friendship with other former clergy and recusants, such as the Earl of Southampton.Secrrecy was of the essence.Many people had to outwardly conform at this time.