Interview with Anthony Utting at Mathern

The new Podcast has just been put up on to iTunes. It is a bit more fluent as I get used to the new equipment/ Mathern is just a short step from the Romans' model town at Caerwent. We discuss the surrounding area and who the likely culprits were. Near Tintern is Llandogo (The Holy Place of Odoceus)It occurred to me, that Odoceus may have been a monk for a while at this important monastery and may have known St Tewdrig and Meurig. The Pool of Meurig is still known today as Pwillmeric near Mathern and Mathern is the place of the Martyr King.The rss feed is at the very bottom of the blog.

It seems Madeleine McCann may have been seen in Weymouth on the South Coast of Britain. The police are leaving no stone unturned and everyone is hopeful they will be successful.

Lastly within a few days I'm doing a St David's Day broadcast.

In Monmouthshire we are privileged to have had a new grotto opened by Emeritus Bishop Daniel Mullins of Menevia.He celebrated Mass at Tredegar in the East Monmouthshire valley Church at Tredegar, an area which would have originally belonged to the monks at Bassaleg in the 13thcentury

This was done to mark the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to St Bernadette in the nineteenth century. The bishop began by finishing the newly constructed Lourdes grotto by cementing a large piece ofthe original grotto sent by the Lourdes Sanctuary authorities.

The Catholic Herold reported that at the end of Mass that throughout the coming year of the Lourdes celebrations Pope Benedict XI would impart his apostolic blessing on condition that pilgrims prayed for the Pope and the sick before the newly erected grotto at Tredegar. The Papal blessing would be hung prominently in the Church.

The Mass was concelebrated by Canon Edmund Mullins who had been director of the Welsh National Pilgrimage to Lourdes for 30 years.The Bishop, a fluent Welsh speaker, preached to the congregation, many of whom had to be content to listen while standing outside the Church porch. such were the numbers.

Confessions were heard throughout the celebrations which ended with a torchlight procession. It co-incided with the Torchlight procession at Lourdes. The Congregation sang the Lourdes Hymn with great hwyl and fervour.

The procession was led by the wheelchairs, the sick and normally housebound of Tredegar parish, who received the sacrament of the sick from Bishop Mullins.

The 150 Anniversary celebrations ended at the grotto with prayers for Pope Benedict XVI's intentions.

The Parish Priest Father Gareth Jones thanked the Bishop and the Canon Mullins for their presence and told the people to visit the grotto regularly and obtain the Apostolic Blessing, as well as praying for the sick and frail.

O rosy dawn, that proclaims the happy day of Salvation
To you O Virgin your people ask your prayers in the shades of
the night
The torrent that engulfs all who are drawn into the whirlpool
Rests calmly, as over its softened wave the ark of God is borne

While earth is parched with scorching heat, you alone are
covered with dew
And dew spread around you on earth as we look at you, the
untouched art

The serpent kifts his head and vomits up his poison and evil
But you, O Mother crush his proud inflated head as we read.
O loving Mother ,pray for your children,we beg you pray for us
Protect us in our battle with hell, you who were the means to
bear Our Saviour.

O Jesu born of the Virgin bright,all Glory to thee forever!
With Father Son and Holy Ghost All Glory be to the end of Time.

histis nuncia in noctis umbra plebs tua , Te Virgo supplex
invocat....
February 11 The Apparitions of Lourdes