International Day of Prayer

Webmaster • May 13, 2023

International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians Today, Sunday May 14th , the Sixth Sunday of Easter, is the day of prayer for the Christians of the East (FACE).


The International Day of Prayer for Eastern Christians is celebrated annually on the Sixth Sunday of Easter. It offers an opportunity for Eastern and Western Christians together to pray for peace in the world, especially in the Middle East. Christians from all over Europe, the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and India will join together in solidarity on May 14th to pray that Eastern Christians may be strengthened in their faith so that they can continue to give witness steadfastly to Jesus Christ. At Mass during Easter, Western and Eastern Christians hear the Acts of the Apostles which witness to the first preaching of the Gospel. These readings remind us of the origin of the Eastern Churches and the history of the first Eastern Christians, who brought the Gospel to us. Nowadays, many of these Eastern Christians are oppressed and persecuted, and struggle to survive and to pass on our faith to their children, in their own lands, where Christianity was born and first spread. Pope St. John Paul the Second said in the document ‘Orientale Lumen’ – ‘Light of the East; that “The venerable and ancient tradition of the Eastern Churches is an integral part of the heritage of Christ’s Church… the first need for Catholics is to be familiar with that tradition. Often, we Western or Roman or Latin Catholics forget that within the Universal Church there are 24 Churches, which are part of the Catholic Church led by the Bishop of Rome, and that our Church is only one, while the 23 other churches are known as Eastern Churches, because their liturgy and history are closer to that of the Easter Orthodox churches, yet they remain in communion with Rome. Hence this day is set aside so that we can know more about the Eastern Churches and their traditions. This article by Ascension Press is a useful summary of the 23 other churches and their traditions - https://media.ascensionpress.com/2019/01/21/the-other-23-catholic-churches-and-whythey-exist/ In the UK the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church are the most common, each having its own Eparch, the Eastern word for Bishop, in the UK. So, today why not find out more about our faith and pray for the wider church throughout the world. You can also support the charity that promotes the day of prayer in this country: Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE) – https://facecharity.org/. If you wish to support its projects under the patronage of the Eastern Catholic Churches,


you can: Donate online at https://facecharity.org/act-of-giving/ or text DAYOFPRAYER to 70450 to donate £10.

First Holy Communion 2026

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
The children of the parish have begun their preparation for First Holy Communion which they will make on Sunday, May 10th. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament for the first time.  The children’s names are Clara, Finn, Luca, Mafalda, Max, Oliver and Rodrigo.

Deanery Prayer for Vocations

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
As part of his remit as Vocations Director, Fr. Matt Roche-Saunders has established Deanery Prayer for Vocations with Adoration and Mass on the first Fridays of the month. In February St. David’s (Cardiff) Deanery, is the host deanery. Parishioners from throughout the Deanery are invited to an hour of adoration from 6pm-7pm followed by Mass at 7pm. This first such event in our Deanery is taking place at St. Teilo’s this Friday, February 6th . All are welcome to come along for all, or part of the time on this evening.

Clothes donations for the SVP

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
Clothes donations for the SVP –This Weekend The Parish St. Vincent De Paul (SVP) Conference undertakes a monthly collection of clothing for the SVP Charity Shop. Clean, good quality clothing, books and toys are welcome. Donations may be left outside the confessionals at the rear of St. Teilo’s next weekend, February 8th, and on the weekend of the Second Sunday of each month. Please ensure that donations are brought to the Church only on the specified Sundays, as we do not want the Church to become cluttered during the week Thank you from the parish SVP.

Fundraising for Velindre Cancer Care

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
Mel Hopkins, a parishioner at St. Teilo’s, well known to many in his roles as Reader, Eucharistic Minister, Welcomer and Baptism Catechist, is raising funds for Velindre Cancer Care by walking to the highest peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Granada region of Spain in June. Mel has a just giving page which is https://www.justgiving.com/page/mel-hopkins-1 . He will be grateful for any support, however large or small.

Lenten Day of Recollection – Belmont Abbey

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta offer an open invitation to a day of recollection at Belmont Abbey on Saturday, March 7th from 10am to 4pm. The day will be led by Rev Dom Alexander Kenyon, the Prior of Belmont. Please contact Andrew Grant for further information at andrewgrant2026@btinternet.com or 07976 982742

Worldwide Marriage Encounter

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
Worldwide Marriage Encounter offer marriage enrichment retreats. Focused on couples who want to enrich their marriage and gain a deeper understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage, the retreat offers a unique experience. It’s a chance to explore your relationship at a deeper, more intimate level, regardless of how long you have been together. The next Residential Weekend is from February 27th to March 1st at the Holiday Inn Express West, Swindon. Find out more at https://wwme.org.uk/booka-weekend/ or contact Hyacinth at hynilu@icloud.com .

RCIA – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
RCIA – Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults The Parish Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) programme takes place on Wednesday. The sessions run in the Parish Hall at St. Teilo’s on Wednesday evenings at 6pm.

Mass on Thursday

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
The Parish Mass on Thursday will be at the earlier time of 9am at St. Teilo’s. This is to enable the celebration of the Funeral of Mr. John Price.

Our Lady of Fatima Home Pilgrim Virgin Statue in our homes

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
A reminder that you can arrange for a visit from the Parish Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima to your home by completing the sign-up form available at the back of St. Teilo’s Church. The hope is that we have an unbroken chain of prayer with parishioners welcoming the statue into their home every week. We have only had one family sign up so far this year. The statue is normally picked up at the weekend Mass which you attend and returned to the Church on the Saturday at the end of the week. For more information, please contact Margaret Driscoll on 07969 919898.

Coffee and Tea after Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes

By Webmaster • January 30, 2026
We will have coffee and tea in the St. Pope John Paul II Chapel at Our Lady of Lourdes after the 10.00am Mass on Wednesday 4th February 2026 . If you are at Mass on that day, please stay behind and spend some time socialising and sharing with our fellow parishioners.