Cymraeg
CY
Dictionary

Words on this page

Collect

A collect is a short prayer used in liturgy, for example towards the beginning of the Eucharist. It often reflects the themes of the particular season of the Church’s year. Its name comes from the idea that it ‘collects’ together the lessons of the service readings.

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’).

Home Pobl Dewi: June 2025 Unique collection of early Bibles on show

Unique collection of early Bibles on show

Mari James, St Davids Cathedral Library Development Officer, outlines opportunities for LMAs across the diocese to share works brought together for a special conference.

For the first time, Wales is hosting the annual conference of the Cathedral Archives, Libraries and Collections Association of UK & Ireland (CALCA). It will be on 17th, 18th and 19th June.

A major session of the conference will focus on early Bibles produced in Welsh as the key project in Wales of the 16th and 17th Reformation. When the required legislation was going through, Queen Elizabeth I declared that she wanted there to be a Bible in Welsh in every village in Wales.

Welsh New Testament

Being brought together for the conference will be original Welsh Bibles from 1567, 1588, 1620 and 1770. Elizabeth I intended to bring the Welsh churches under the common leadership of the still turbulent Reformation church. Inadvertently, she also may have saved the Welsh language.

The standardised form of the Bible in Welsh was the first widely distributed book in Welsh and established an accepted, and easily understood, written Welsh. It also led to a wide interest in people wanting to read it themselves and have copies at home. The growth of literacy in Wales followed; we all know the story of Mary Jones saving up and then walking across the mountains to Bala to buy a Bible of her own at home. This was also the roots of the SPCK.

Irish Old Testament

At the conference, we will also have the first Old Testament produced in the Irish language. This is now in the care of the Cotton Library in St Carthage Cathedral, Lismore, Co Wexford. This will feature on a session considering the history of the Cathedral Libraries of Ireland.

People from across the diocese are welcome to attend the CALCA conference. Online booking, with the full conference programme, is via the Cathedral website or by enquiry to CALCAconference@StDavidsCathedral.org.uk.

After the conference there will also be several Cathedral Library visits and tours taking place which can be booked online via the cathedral website. If any LMAs would also like to arrange their own group visits to the Cathedral Library to see this unique collection of early Bibles, telling the story of our celtic Christianity in west Wales and south east Ireland, then that can be arranged. Please contact me on Library@StDavidsCathedral.org.uk to discuss dates and arrangements.