St Cadog's - Past, Present and Future
St Cadog's in History
The patron saint of this church is now referred
to as St Cadog, but it has, at other times, been St David, the
nation’s patron saint. The twelfth century poet, Gwynfardd
Brycheiniog, wrote a poem in honour of St David which ascribed
the dedication of five or six of the leading Carmarthenshire churches
to the national saint; among them was the church in Llangadog.
In 1282, in the lands of the (King) Rhys, enormities
were apparently committed by the English soldiers “in the
church of St David called Llagadanc. They made stables, lodged
hariots and took away all the goods of the church and burnt the
(priest’s ) house and wounded the chaplain on the head with
a sword by the altar in the church and left him there half alive”.
At the time of the 1889 rebuilding, the church
was known as St Cadog's but in an Inventory by The Royal Commission
of Historical Monuments in Wales in 1917, reference is made to
the "…Church of St Davids in Llangadock". Perhaps
the church always used to have a joint dedication.
St Cadog was the son of St Woolos, King of Gwent
and his wife, Gwladys, daughter of King Brychan. Having been baptised
by the Irish missionary, St Tatheus (Athan) Cadog went on to founded
a monastery in Llancarfan in Glamorgan which enjoyed great respect
for its learning and survived until the Norman Conquest.
Cadog was present at the synod at Llandewi Brefi,
travelled widely in Wales and Brittany, and died in 577 in a place
not fully identified but thought to be Llansannor near Llancarfan.
St Cadog's Today
St Cadog’s Church, Llangadog
|
Nave and chancel
|
Chancel east window
|
Organ in south transept
|
The Parish church of St Cadog is a Grade 2* listed
building which has, in one form or another stood sentinel over
the lives of the inhabitants of Llangadog for over 1400 years.
Our faithful congregation has shown steady signs of growth over
the past few years. We are open every day for worship and to provide
a space for quiet reflection.
The rhythm of Sunday worship consists of different services from
Eucharist and choral evensong to youth praise.
The church is the centre of much musical activity being the headquarters
of a mixed voice choir and well-established symphony orchestra.
It is also the reference point for many parochial events during
the year such as parish fetes, school and college visits, animal
services, etc. It is indeed a focal point for many activities
in the area.
St Cadog's Future
Today this historic building needs your help if
it is to carry on playing a central role in the life of Llangadog.
In order to make St Cadog’s Church even more relevant to the
changing needs of our Community, we need to:
• Effect necessary repairs to the building, especially the
tower;
• Enclose part of the west end of the church to provide
a toilet, and a kitchen/ meeting room for children’s Sunday
worship and other group activities;
• Provide efficient and cost-effective heating;
• Upgrade the electrical supply to meet regulations standard;
• Install a sound system and hearing loop;
• Replace the organ with a smaller one which can be located
on a new balcony above the meeting room;
• Repair the bell frames and belfry and refurbish the bells
to peal instead of chime.
Apart from remodelling of the chancel in the
1950’s , the last time any major refurbishment took place
was when the church was almost entirely rebuilt over 110 years
ago. Then the bill was for £2,500.
To do what is necessary now to secure the future of St Cadog’s
as an important amenity for our village and its people will cost
a hundred times that of 1889!
Every year the regular worshippers here raise nearly £14,000
just to maintain the regular round of church activities and to
keep the building open every day. This money pays for the lighting,
heating, insurance, parish expenses and on-going maintenance that
has to be carried out.
Through regular fund-raising activities, the church members just
about manage to pay for these ordinary costs.
The capital sum needed for restoration and refurbishment, however,
is beyond the abilities of existing members, and so that is why
you are invited to make a donation, however small, to our appeal.
How You Can Help
