A packed church for the Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa Plygain Fawr

At least 200 people packed into St Michael’s Church, Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa for the Plygain Fawr on Sunday 12 January.  It was standing room only, with people also standing in the porch, as the 14 turns sang informal carols, unaccompanied and in close harmony.

Here’s a taste of the congregation singing:

It is the last time the Plygain Fawr will be held at St Michael’s following the congregation’s difficult decision last year to close the building.  The amount of money needed to deal with structural issues is beyond the reach of them as a community.

During the Plygain service, the Vicar of Llanfihangel yng Ngwynfa, the Revd Hermione Morris told the congregation: “This building is a special place and has a particular place in all of our hearts and minds – and we will miss being able to come here. Yet God’s church and presence remains in this community in and through God’s people like those of us here this evening.

“The message and amazingness of Christmas is that God came to be one of us, sharing our lives fully – as one bible translation says – at Jesus’ birth, ‘God moved into the neighbourhood’.  And because of this we can have confidence that, even though this church building is closing, God is not going anywhere – He is still here and will remain in the neighbourhood, present in this community.”

The churchyard, which contains the grave of Ann Griffiths, the Welsh poet and hymn writer, will remain open and will become the responsibility of the local Mission Area, supported by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales in Cardiff.  Visitors will still be able to visit Ann’s grave.

The collection taken during the Plygain service will be ring-fenced to help cover the costs of the graveyard insurance and maintenance.