Dictionary

Words on this page

Advent

Advent means ‘coming’ and is the special four-week period leading up to Christmas. It is a time to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’s birth but also for his coming in glory at the end of time.

Diocese

‘Diocese’ refers to the geographical territory in which a bishop exercises oversight. The Church in Wales is divided into six dioceses each with its own cathedral in which is housed the cathedra (the bishop’s ‘chair’ or ‘throne’).

The Diocese of St Davids

Welcome to the Diocese of St Davids, named after Wales’ patron saint whose cathedral in Pembrokeshire is one of the jewels of the nation. The diocese also covers the counties of Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire including the western industrial valleys and the town of Llanelli.

The Bishop's Lent Course 2025

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You are invited to join a series of five Lent Study sessions every Sunday from March 9th at 7pm for 30-minute sessions followed by 15 mins Q&A:

John’s Gospel is a Gospel full of questions. Some of them are questions about who Jesus is; others are about what the church is and what or who disciples are. The first words we hear Jesus speak in the Gospel are, “What are you looking for?” The Gospel could be seen as a response to that question. In the garden by the tomb on the first Easter Day Jesus asks another slightly different question, one of the last of his earthly ministry, “Who are you looking for?” The Gospel could be seen as a response to that question also. As an author, John answers on behalf of us: we are looking for life, for how to live our best life, for how to embrace life, to experience and aspire to what it is to be truly human. Over the course of five addresses we shall be looking at five of the questions that are posed in the Gospel, and considering what the responses might mean for our discipleship in the church and in the world.

Hosts - The Right Reverend Bishop Dorrien and The Venerable John Holdsworth

John Holdsworth is a former Principal of St Michael's College Llandaff and a former archdeacon of St Davids. Prior to retirement from stipendiary ministry he was Executive Archdeacon in the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf. In retirement he writes, teaches and ministers as canon theologian at St Paul's cathedral in Nicosia. His most recent books are Hidden in Plain Sight: Unearthing and Earthing the Psalms, and Honest Sadness, a study in Lament.

Dates for Lent Study [click on the links to get to the page on Microsoft Teams]

  1. Sunday 9th March – 7pm
  2. Sunday 16th March – 7pm
  3. Sunday 23rd March – 7pm
  4. Sunday 30th March – 7pm
  5. Sunday 6th April – 7pm

2025: The Year of Children Youth & Families

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The diocesan Year of Children, Youth & Families started on Advent Sunday 2024 and runs through to Advent 2025.

Throughout the year you can expect to see a series of events which can help LMAs engage with children, youth and families across the diocese, resources and support to help you with your own children, youth and families work and regular updates via social media platforms, through Pobl Dewi, the diocesan website, and the Children, Youth and Families website and newsletter.

Find out more

Forthcoming Events

Pruning for Growth

Pruning

Pruning for Growth is a new diocesan strategy which, over the next two years, will seek to make a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of every church in the Diocese of St Davids.

The strategy was unveiled at an Extraordinary Diocesan Conference held on Saturday July 6th.

The strategy consists of three phases. The first, now complete, was a fact-finding exercise to establish an up-to-date snapshot of each church, based on an eight-point matrix that will identify churches that are flourishing, growing, declining or dying.

Phase Two is scheduled to begin after Easter and will dig deeper into the data gathered so far in an attempt to bring some context within each church.

Find out more

Video presentations

Newsfeed

News from St Davids Diocese.

See all news and events