Continuous Prayer and Loving Service
- angelaandjack
- Jun 8
- 2 min read
For over 1500 years the site on which the present St. Illtud's church stands has been a place of Christian learning, shared community life, prayer and hospitality.
I only learned about St. Illtud when I started exploring the Celtic Saints of Wales earlier this year. Illtud went from being a soldier to a hermit, to the founder of the earliest centre of Christian learning in Britian in around 490 AD. It had over 1000 students at its peak, including Saints David, Samson and Gildas
The imposing 11th century church sits within a much larger tract of land which is the subject of an archeological project being undertaken on land 150 yards from the current church by Cardiff University. So far there have been some finds dating from the 7th to the 9th century making it likely that there was a religious community there shortly after Illtud.
There are for me at least three stages in a pilgrimage- there is the planning and preparation which leads to a sense of anticipation and hopeful expectation, then there is the actual arrival and experience engaging all the senses and later comes the reflection supported by photos and the absorption of the experience allowing it to nurture prayer and learning.
In Llantwit Major it began with hearing the hourly tolling of the bells leading me towards the source of the sound, the discovery of a coffee shop on Church street and the first sight of the church confirmed by the blue heritage sign.
From the moment I met the Rector Edwin carrying coffees and cakes for morning tea for his team and entered the front door the spirit of life and sense of a commitment to inclusion, peace and justice swept me into a warm embrace. This was only deepened by my participation in a wonderful Eucharistic celebration and recognition of World Environment Day. The prayers, readings and Rev'd Emma's honest and hopeful sermon capturing the passion the people of the 9 Celtic Way parishes she serves have for restoring habitat for vulnerable butterflies and other species lifted my spirits.
It was delightful to be literally embraced by some of the women parishioners and escorted to the table for homemade soup and bread followed by a great Welsh cup of tea. It seems this is a regular Friday activity for the community.
The working bee men and women were busy in the cemetery mowing the grass that had been left to grow freely with the flowers that attract bees and birds during "no mow May."
The evident care and generous hospitality reminded me of my own lovely community at St. Theodores. I am looking forward to being back.
The following photos capture something of the spirit of St. Illtud's in 2026 which I like to think reflects the welcome and hospitality Illtud would have shown his visitors in 526.
