St Tudwal's Church, Barmouth Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Tudwal's Church
West side of the church
52°43′32″N 4°03′26″W / 52.725474°N 4.057217°W / 52.725474; -4.057217
OS grid reference	SH6116616189
Location	Barmouth, Gwynedd
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	WrexhamDiocese.org.uk
History
Status	Active
Founder(s)	Fr C. B. Wilcock
Dedication	Tudwal
Consecrated	August 1908
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Groundbreaking	15 August 1904
Completed	1905
Administration
Deanery	Dolgellau
Diocese	Wrexham
Province	Cardiff

St Tudwal's Church is a Roman Catholic church located in Barmouth, Gwynedd, a town in Wales. It's a special place where people gather for worship. The church was built in 1905 and can be found on King Edward Road, which leads from Barmouth to Llanaber. It belongs to the Dolgellau Deanery within the Diocese of Wrexham.

The Story of St Tudwal's Church
Churches in the Parish
Images for kids
See also

The Story of St Tudwal's Church

How Catholic Worship Began in Barmouth

Catholic services in Barmouth started in 1890. At first, a priest named Father Donovan held services in people's homes. Later, a small church was built on Park Road. This first church opened on September 11, 1891. Interestingly, on the very same day, the steeple of the nearby St John's Church fell down!

At that time, there weren't many Catholics in North Wales. The Catholic churches in this area were managed by the Diocese of Shrewsbury. Then, in 1895, they came under a new group called the Vicariate Apostolic of Wales. By 1898, this became the Diocese of Menevia. St Tudwal's was one of the few Catholic churches in North Wales during this period of change.

Building the New Church

In the early 1900s, a new priest, Father C. B. Wilcock, arrived from St Helens, Merseyside. He saw that more people were attending church and realized a bigger building was needed. He worked hard to make this new, larger church a reality.

The new church was finished in 1905. It was officially opened by Francis Mostyn, who was the first Bishop of Menevia. The first stone of the church was laid on August 15, 1904. An old message carved into this stone, translated from Latin, says it was laid in honor of the Virgin Mary and Saint Tudwal.

Celebrating Church Anniversaries

On September 1, 1939, the Catholic Herald newspaper reported that St Tudwal's Church celebrated its 31st anniversary. The priest at that time was Father Patrick Collins. He organized a special Mass to remember Father Wilcock, who founded the church.

A choir from De La Salle College in Father Wilcock's home area of St Helens, Merseyside was on holiday nearby. They came to sing at the special anniversary Mass, making it a memorable event.

Churches in the Parish

St David in Seion Church in Harlech

The area served by St Tudwal's Church, called its parish, also includes another church. This is St David in Seion Church, located in Harlech. St David's Church was originally built in 1814 as a chapel for a different Christian group called Wesleyan Methodists. It was later given to the Roman Catholic Church by 1998.

You can attend Mass at St David's Church in Harlech on Saturdays at 6:00 PM. At St Tudwal's Church in Barmouth, there is a Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM. Weekday Masses at St Tudwal's are held at 10:00 AM, and there's also a Saturday Mass at 9:00 AM.