Church of the Week
Dowlais, Mid Glamorgan
Dowlais St Illtyd is the oldest Catholic church in the Valleys. It was built in 1844 and funded by iron works and local miners. The artwork in the church includes a recent work by Kevin Sinnott, a well-known Welsh painter, and depicts the growth of the church in the Valleys. A £200,000 grant from the National Churches Trust through our Last Chance Church appeal turned everything around for this Grade II Listed church. “We are so grateful to our generous funders. Were it not for their support I don’t know how we would have kept the building open,” shares Canon Barry English, parish priest at St Illtyd. Gareth Simpson, our Wales/Cymru Support Officer, was able to attend the fête and Service at St Illtyd to celebrate the end of the re-roofing project. We are excited to have played a part in this church’s story and how it will now be able to serve the local community for many more years to come.
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