Welsh Journals

*• WHYSTH Dg^P^Y It];WZIDE No. 65. Vol. VI. AY, 1898. Price One Penny, LLANIDLOES. The Yicar desires to express his moat sincere thanks to those parishioners who so generously responded to the invitation of the churchwardens on Easter Day. The attendances at the two earlier services on Good Eriday were disappointing. It was thought that a sermon at the 10 o'clock service -would be the means of attracting a better congregation, especially from among those ^ho have not become reconciled to or care for the Three Hours' service. The sermon was preached by the Rev. E. Hughes, Rector of Llanaber who also delivered the addresses on the Seven words, The addresses were marked by great earnestness, and the saying of the Veni Creator by the priest and people alternately, was impressive and helpful to devotion, The attend¬ ance was much the same as in previous years. In the evening, after evensong the choir sang a short cantata by J. H Maunder entitled " Penitence, Pardon and Peace. It is a very tuneful piece of music, and the rendering of the choruses which was imiformly good with the exception of an occasional weakness of attack, was much appreciated. The Solos were taken by Messrs. R. M. Davies, T. Phillips, J. Davies, and 0. Owen. Especial thanks are due to the latter two for having at the last moment undertaken solos which vere to have been taken as Contralto work by Mrs. Jno. Davies, but which she was prevented from doing by a heavy cold. Miss Marshall's presence at the organ was as usual a source of much confidence to soloists and choir alike, and she deserves our warm¬ est thanks. We regret to say that the collection did not cover the cost of the music. This ought not to be. Easter Day opened gloomily with heavy rain : it was all the more gratifying therefore to find so large a congregation at early service at 8 o'clock. There were fifty present, the best recorded so far at this service The communicants throughout the day numbered 169, an improvement of 20 on the best during the past seven years. Of course this increase is largely discounted by the fact that thirty five had been confirmed only three weeks before of whom Ave were glad to note the large majority made their first communion on Easter. May all these and many of the older communicants become pcqnnte and regular attendants at the Lord's Supper. The congregations throughout the day were unusually good and the services fully up to the highest Standard of heartiness and devotion. The collections which had been set apart by the churchwardens for the Vicar amounted to £18 0s. 7d. The church was as usual prettily decorated—the font by Miss Marshall, North Windows by Misses Maysmore and Lily Davies ; South Windows by the Misses Kinsey ; Lectern by the Misses Webb; Pulpit by the Misses Paull; Altar Rails by Miss Agnes Kerr; and and the East End by \5 iss Minnie Kerr. Flowers were sent for the Vases by Mrs. Edmund Jones, Miss Gwynne Thomas, and Vir. J H Williams- Mrs. J. D. Davies, Dolenog, contributed a beautiful floral cross. At the Easter Vestry held on Thursday, April 14th, Messrs. D. Kinsey, and J. Kerr, were re-appointed Parish and Vicar's wardens and Mr. J Davies was elected as the new Parish warden, the Vicar nominat¬ ing Mr. J. M. Palmer, as colleague to Mr. .f. Kerr. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the outg-oing wardens Messrs. D. Lloyd-Kinsey, and James Grant. On Palm Sunday, the Vicar invited the congregation to re¬ main in church for the first part of the Communion service instead of going out at the end of Matins as has been the custom in this parish for some twenty years. He explained that there was a strong wish among some of the congregation that this course should be followed in future and that he would make the change it he found there was auy general wish to make the change. There is a good deal to be said on both sides : it is undoubtedly well that the whole congregation should hear the commandments and the Epistle and Gospel which strike the key note of the Sunday, while on the other hand it does not seem quite right to go out in the middle of a service where no break is marked in the Prayer Book, and if communicants must go out at all (though we do not see the necessity) there is a less jarring sense of unseemliness in their going out before the ser¬ vice than when it has actually begun. Another alternative would be to hare the Ante Communion service (which is provided for in the Prayer Book when there is no communion) on the third Sunday in the month instead of the Litany. However, the Vicar proposed to have the new plan tried on Trinity-Sunday again to let the congregation see how they like it and the best plan would be to see what a meeting of the congregation would say on the question,