Bishop's St David's Day message

The Bishop of St Davids calls for Wales to be a place where no one is left behind, in her St David’s Day message to the nation this year.

Bishop Joanna Penberthy will deliver her message at a special St David’s Day service on Monday, which will be live-streamed from the shrine of St David at St Davids Cathedral. The service begins at midday and will end with the Bishop’s blessing for the city of St David. It will be streamed on the St Davids Cathedral Facebook page

You can read the full message below.

Celebrations for St David’s Day will continue online with a reflection on St David by the Archbishop of Wales, John Davies, who will then lead the nation in prayer. This will be live-streamed from 1pm on Monday on the Church in Wales Facebook page.

St David’s last words were not aimed at the powerful or the rich, they were aimed at the ordinary people of his community: “Rejoice always, keep the Faith and your faith and do the little things.” Although we pray earnestly that the day for rejoicing will come, unfortunately today is not yet that day. But what we can do today is to give thanks for all those here in Wales who, throughout this pandemic, have in so many different ways, worked hard and risked their own well being to keep us safe and well and our common lives going. On your behalf, on this St Davids day, I say to each one of these: Thank you.

And let all of us, in this difficult time, as St David asks, do the little things. Let us keep the faith of kindness, truthfulness, honesty and justice. St David spent his life nurturing his community. As we gradually come out of Covid, let us work together, wanting for everyone else no more and no less than we want for ourselves. Let us make Wales the place where no one is left behind.