Parish of Llandudno North Wales, Rector's letter

July 2014

Our parish commemoration of the outbreak of the First World War begins this month on Sunday 27th (the nearest Sunday to the centenary of the outbreak of the war on 28th July 1914) With a service at 4 p.m. at St Tudno. We have a First World War grave in the Churchyard and during the service we hope to be able to process to that grave.

Then on Sunday 3rd August (the nearest Sunday to the centenary of Britain's entry into the war) our Sung Eucharist at Holy Trinity will include special prayers and part of the service will be taken from the chapel built to commemorate the men from Llandudno who died.

What should be the tone of our commemoration of this truly terrible event in the history of our world and of our nation? Certainly not in any sense triumphalist or jingoistic! This is not the moment to celebrate a victory or to glory in nationalistic pride. Nor is it a time to ponder the causes of the war or who was chiefly to blame. Our commemoration should be one of deep sorrow that nine million (mostly young) people died, many of them in horrific circumstances, and to pray for their souls. It should be for us an opportunity to intensify our prayer for the peace of our world. At the present time war is being waged in many places in our world and violent terrorist acts proliferate, sadly often in the name of God. It is a world of deep injustice in
which football players and many in the financial industry (among many others) are paid obscene salaries or bonuses whilst many others suffer unimaginable poverty. This kind of situation can be a cause of deep anger which can lead to alienation, terrorism and violence.

So at this time of commemoration we will do real justice to our forefathers who fought in the First World War by praying and working for peace and justice in our broken world.These are the values of the Kingdom of God so powerfully expressed by Mary, the Mother of Our Lord in her 'Magnificat' when she sung of the God who 'has shown strength with his arm:and scattered the proud in their conceit, Casting down the mighty from their thrones: and lifting up the lowly. God has filled the hungry with good things: and has sent the rich away empty: (Lk I :51-53)

Fr. John

top of page

Previous letters:

January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 - no letter June 2014
January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013	January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 - no letter September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012	January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011	January 2010 February / March 2010 February / March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010 August 2010 September 2010 October 2010 November 2010 December 2010	January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 Aug 2009 Sept 2009 Oct 2009 Nov 2009 Dec 2009	January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June / July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008	January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 Debember 2007