September 9, 2018 The Episcopal Church of Bangor in Caernarvon Founded in 1722 2099 Main Street Churchtown, Narvon, Pennsylvania 17555 The Rt. Reverend Audrey Scanlan, Bishop The Reverend Canon Mark A. Scheneman Priest in Charge Historic Bangor Episcopal Church, the mother church of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, seeks to be a community in Christ Jesus celebrating our heritage, vibrant in our worship, and engaged in ministry and mission as we approach the 300 th anniversary of our founding.
This Sunday at Bangor Church September 9, 2018 The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost 10:00 AM Holy Eucharist, (Church) 11:10 AM Fellowship Hour (Church House) 11:15 AM Vestry meeting (Common Room) In the Gospel reading appointed for this Sunday, Jesus and his disciples travel outside of the Galilee, into pagan territory. Yet in these Gentile regions, people come to him seeking healing and health. A Gentile woman pleads for her daughter and a deaf man is brought to him, begging to have his hearing restored. Even though they are Gentiles, Jesus heals them, praying in his native Aramaic language, Ephaphatha - Be opened. Please join us following the service for our fellowship hour in the Church House. The Vestry will also be meeting in the Common Room. From Fr. Mark: Our Welsh Heritage As I talk to people about the history of Bangor Church, I find that many are confused, or even surprised to learn that our church was founded by people from Wales. Some don t even know where Wales is located. Others don t understand that the native Welsh language is a Celtic language (like the Irish Gaelic) and is still spoken throughout the Welsh regions in the United Kingdom. Many are surprised to learn that there are more people with Welsh ancestry living in Pennsylvania than in any other state. Indeed, at the height of the Welsh immigration in 1700, about 1/3 of the population of William Penn s colony were Welsh. Penn had encouraged Welsh Quakers
from the Midlands of England and from Wales to the west of Great Britain to emigrate to Pennsylvania, promising them some autonomy in a region west of Philadelphia, known as the Welsh Barony. There, they could organize local government as defined by Quaker Meetings and use the Welsh language. That area is now commonly referred to as the Main Line. The place name of towns along the Main Line bear witness to the Welsh heritage, with names that include Bala Cynwyd, Gladwyne, Montgomery, St. David s, Radnor, Tredyffin, and Ulhcan. The name Cumru is Welsh for Wales. A group of Welsh who were members of the Church of England also followed their countryman to William Penn s Welsh Barony in the last years of the 1600s. They founded St. David s Church in Radnor. Then in 1722, several families from St. David s, seeking more open land, moved further west, out on the ridge over which Rt 23 now runs from Valley Forge to Lancaster City. They founded a new Anglican congregation that was soon named after the great cathedral church of northern Wales, Bangor. The official name of the Welsh Cathedral is the Cathedral Church of St. Deiniol, but commonly called Bangor Cathedral. St. Deiniol (a Welsh variation of the name, Daniel), the founder of the settlement at Bangor, organized a Celtic monastery on the site that later became Bangor Cathedral.
The Welsh word bangor means waddle. A waddle is a construction of walls consisting of upright posts driven into the ground, with horizontal sapling branches woven between the posts, and sometimes plastered with a mixture of clay and mud to form a hardened surface. The region we now refer to as Churchtown was known in the early years as Conestogue after the river. But soon, it acquired the name Bangor Churchtown. In fact, the church owned most of the land that now comprises Churchtown. The surrounding township (as well as the neighboring township in Berks County) was given the name Caernarvon after Caernarfon Castle, located just miles west of Bangor Wales. It is at Caernarfon Castle that the first son of the British Monarch is invested with the title, Prince of Wales. Our postal designation of Narvon was taken from the end of Caernarvon (maybe someone thought it would be easier to say Narvon, than Caernarvon? ) Over the years, much of our Welsh heritage was largely forgotten, as the Lancaster region became home to a huge wave of immigrants from the German regions of Central Europe. The names of many of the original Welsh founders have been etched into facing stones on the walls of Bangor Church where they can still be read. But after several decades, the use of the Welsh language (originally the readings in the liturgy were read from a Welsh Bible) ceased. The service was entirely in English and most could no longer speak in Welsh. Some time later, our church acquired the St. Deiniol Altar, now in the Church House Common Room. And not that long ago, a friend of the congregation donated a Welsh flag that is displayed on the western wall of the nave. As you enter the church, notice the wooden, ornamental corbel that once was an element in Bangor Cathedral. This will be the third year on St. Deiniol s Day that we will attempt to sing in Welsh the Welsh National Anthem, Land of My Father ( Hen Wlad fy
Nhadau ). It is a very challenging language because like other Celtic languages, it isn t written exactly how it is pronounced. And all those consonants!! The Welsh have a grand tradition of hymn singing. I hope to have a Welsh singing choir visit us in 2022 when we will celebrate our 300 th anniversary. But for now, let s give thanks for those who started the first Christian congregation in what is now Lancaster County; our church was also the first congregation is what is now the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania. As the first church, we can proudly claim the title, Mother Church of the diocese. So, wear some green and red (Welsh colors), maybe try some traditional Welsh foods, and get ready to sing the old language next Tuesday. Many silent voices will be joining us from the Churchyard and in the Communion of Saints. We have such a very special heritage! Mark+ Coming Events Vestry meeting September 9 St. Deniol Day, Dinner and Evensong Tuesday, September 11 Museum of the Bible trip September 19 Fr. Stan Imboden Sunday September 23 Fr. Pete Greenfield Sunday October 14 Heritage Sunday October 21 Announcements +We will kick off the fall season this Tuesday, September 11. Celebrating St. Deiniol Day, our patron saint, we ll share a Pot-Luck, Covered Dish supper at 6:00. Traditional Anglican Evensong will be sung in the church at 7:00. Plan to join us! +The 3 rd Annual Garden Gala will take place on Saturday, September 15 at 6:30 PM at the Legacy Gardens of Garden Spot Village. This is a culinary evening of tapas-style food, benefiting CrossNet Ministries.
The cost is $100 per person and the tickets are limited- so if you are interested, phone CrossNet Ministries at 717 355-2454. +The Churchtown Methodist Church will be celebrating their 180 th anniversary on Sunday, September 16. We have a card from Bangor Church to send to them. Please sign your name to the card posted on the Information Table in the Church House. +On Sunday, September 23 we look forward to welcoming The Rev. Canon Stan Imboden and his wife, Sandi, who will be our special guests. Fr. Stan served as the Rector of Bangor Church, following his retirement as Rector of St. James, Lancaster in 1994. +Our prayers have been asked for Kathy Weaver, Dylys Glew, Eleanor Hertzog, Lynn Schneider Schauer, Carol Greenfield, Lois Benedix, Bob Dailey, Ann Dailey, Marie Yannarell, Pat Bankenstein and Dave Mathewson.