Words of respect

Dewi Roberts, diocesan Welsh Language Officer, reports on a success story

In September, I promised to knuckle down and start organising workshops to brush up on our Welsh-language liturgy. The first workshop was held on 21 October in Llangyndeyrn church hall, and the second and third workshops in November, in Aberaeron and Begelly.

It has been a great pleasure to lead these workshops, and I saw a palpable enthusiasm among those who attended. This was an inspiration to me, and I was pleasantly surprised at the majority’s ability to pronounce the liturgy in Welsh, and they had a clear desire to perfect their Welsh. I’m confident that these workshops will gain momentum as more and more take advantage of them and gain more confidence in the language. I will be leading similar workshops during the spring and summer. Look out for the dates of the next workshops on the diocese’s Facebook page at the beginning of next year.

I want to remind everyone in the diocese that we minister in a bilingual church, with Welsh an integral part of our culture and tradition as both a Church and nation. If we are serious about our mission and pastoral ministry, then it is essential that the Welsh language plays a pivotal role.

I remember visiting my mother in an old people’s home a few years ago, when dementia had taken a grip of her mind, and she could hardly speak: but in a moment of clarity, she said to one of her carers: “Chi’n dda i fi.” (You’re good to me) The carer had no idea what my mother had said, and neither did anyone else at the home. But when the carer reported my mother’s words back to me, I was able to tell her what my mother, in her mother tongue, had tried to convey to her.

And in the context of church ministry, the inability to understand the language of our flock can affect our personal connection to our flock and our pastoral effectiveness. I am aware that it isn’t easy for learners to be fluent in Welsh, but it is a mark of respect for the language and for our parishioners, some of whom are only comfortable expressing themselves in their mother tongue, to make a concerted effort to use the language. This can make a world of difference to the pastoral effectiveness of those who have ministry responsibility in our diocese.

Announcement: Plygain service at the Cathedral – Friday 13 December, 7pm. A warm welcome to all.