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LETTER FROM THE RECTORY
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LLYTHYR O'R RHEITHORDY

June 2011


Rector of Llandudno
I was fascinated by the coverage of President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Ireland, and in particular his trip to the village from which some of his ancestors came. Past Presidents have made similar visits to ancestral homes in Ireland but they had names like Kennedy or Reagan, which gave them an obvious Irish connection. But here was a President of partly African ancestry also claiming to be Irish! It goes to show what a melting pot America is – and indeed it reminds us that today all over the world there are people with mixed ancestry, having their roots in a variety of very different places and cultures.

Some years ago I did quite a bit of work on my family history and learnt all kinds of interesting things about my ancestors. My roots (at least as far back as I could trace them) are certainly not as diverse as those of President Obama; most of my forebears came from the home counties of England with just one strand emanating from the Scottish lowlands. However, it was enriching to discover about the lives of those who together made me what I am. So if you have not looked into your family history I would certainly encourage you to do so – to discover your roots! 

This month we have an opportunity to reflect upon our roots as members of the church in Llandudno as we celebrate the feast of St Tudno our patron and founder. We think right back to the beginnings of the life of the church in this place – to the moment around 1400 years ago when Tudno came to the Great Orme to establish his monastic community and to preach the faith to the inhabitants of these parts. But that was only the beginning. Since Tudno’s time countless generations of faithful servants of Christ have continued to worship God and live the Christian life here. We enter into a rich and wonderful heritage. So do make every effort to be present at St Tudno’s Church as we keep our patronal festival as a parish to give thanks to God and to renew our commitment to serve Christ and the people amongst whom we live and work.

A week later we will be enabled to reflect upon our Christian roots in a deeper sense. Pentecost Sunday reminds us of the very beginnings of the Church itself. When the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon the apostles and disciples of the Lord, a bunch of men and women who had been followers of Christ were united together in a divine society, the fellowship of the Spirit, in which Christ could known and loved and in which his grace could be shared for the living of the Christian life and the proclamation of the Gospel. Into this divine life were were immersed when we were baptised. So, come on the Feast of Pentecost to thank God for the Church, the Body of Christ of which we are part.

And then a week later still we keep Trinity Sunday. As our parish church is dedicated to the mystery of the Holy Trinity this is naturally of special interest to us. But this wonderful mystery, that God is three persons in one divine life is of importance to every Christian. If we  really want to trace our roots as Christians,  ultimately we come to understand that the deepest truth about our lives is that our ultimate home is in God, who has revealed himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and who offers us no less that a share in His Divine Life.

There’s a lot to contemplate this month!

Fr. John


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