Welsh Journals

OTHYSHd imiw nwajzuE * No. 100. Vol. IX. APRIL, 1901. Price One Penny. The Bishop of the Diocese preaching at Llanidloes on Sunday evening, March 17th, took for his text I. Cor. ix., and, after explaining that he always liked when possible to speak on the portion of scriptures selected for the day by the Church, enlarged sympa¬ thetically on the present poverty of the Clergy, and showed how their financial embarassmeut necessarily hampered them in theif spiritual work. His Lordship strongly urged the claims of the Augmentation and Snstentation Funds, and recommended the revival of the old custom of Easter Offerings. This custo'm has already been revived in several parishes of the Deanery of Arwystli, and we hope that the Bishop's remarks will encourage those parishes to continue and increase their good work, and lead those who have not yet revived the old custom to do so at once. The Bishcp wished it to be known that he spoke on his own initiative and not at the request or even with the knowledge of any incumbent or incumbents. We desire to Dress the claims—and the needs—o? this Magazine on the notice of its readers, and so far as we can reach them, on those also who do not at present take it. It does not profess to be a purveyor of news, but it is, we believe, valuable and increas¬ ingly so the longer it exists, as a record of Church work in this Deanery, and it is practically the only medium by which a message from the Clergy can reach all Churchpeople simultaneously Many are absent from a service at which a particular notice is given or some appeal made, but they can find it in these pages. What we ask is, that it should be read carefully by those who take it, and that they should try to enlarge its circulation, and ensure its being sub¬ scribed to at least by all Chnrch-people. There are many also who could well afford to pay Is. 6d. or 2s. per annum, and if this were done more frequently it would considerably lessen the financial difficulties which beset the promoters Punctuality on the part of contributors is another point on which a word might be said. LLANIDLOES. There will be as usual four cnlebrations of the Holy Communion on Easter Day, viz., at 8, 9,10 fin Welsh), and at mid-day. The Rector of Penstowed, is coming over to help that day, Mr. Gower Jones being only in Deacon's orders, and he will preach in the evening. We hope to see all the Confirmation candidates make their first Communion that day, and we need not remind older Church.people that the law of the Church lays down explicitly that all should communi¬ cate on Easter Day. while nothing encourages young ones more than to have their parents and friends join with them on their first approach to the Alter of Grace. No official communication has been received from the Churchwardens, but we take it for granted that as in the last few years the offertories and collections on Easter Day will be given to the Vicar, especially in view of the strong appeal made by the Bishop on the subject in his sermon on the evening of the Con¬ firmation Day. The Vicar received his half year's oheqne from Bangor the other day, which is supposed to represent the moiety of £130 of tithe. It amounted to £33!! There will be a celebration of Holy Communion on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday an Thursday, in Holy Woek (April 1—4) Matin? at 11, and Evensong and Address at 7. The services on Good Friday, April 5th, will be Litany and Ante Communion Service at 8-30, Matins at 11. The Three Hours Service 12—3, and a short service with Maunder's Cantata " Penitence, Pardon and Peace," at 7. The Three Hours Devotions will be taken this year by the Vicar, who has not spent Good Friday in his own parish for five years ; so that if he dees repeat himself, his old addresses are not very likely to be remembered. The attendance at the Three Hours is very regular, but it might be, and ought to be, much larger. There can scarcely be more than a hundred who attend, and as only some thirty come to Matins, this leaves an enormous percentage of Church-people who do not