The New Library and St Illtud’s Church are working together in partnership to celebrate the long tradition of welcome, hospitality and scholarship in Llantwit Major.
Richard Parry, director of the cultural charity Coleridge Cymru that is developing the New Library for the partnership said,
“We’re delighted to be working in partnership with St Illtud’s Church to celebrating the town’s remarkable heritage, welcome and offer. Based in the historic Old Gatehouse the New Library venture is a national offer for the understanding of theology, culture and welcome. The vision has a wonderful, fresh approach. Working together with visitors, the town and St Illtud’s will bring the remarkable offer of Llantwit Major to many, many more people.”
Canon Edwin Counsell, who leads the Glamorgan Heritage Coast Ministry Area said of the partnership the New Library and the church said,
“In this project St Illtud’s church building is a tactile timeline… whether that’s the chisel marks left on the windows by the medieval masons, or the Celtic stones that have left people in awe for a millennium and more. These are physical reminders of deeper truths. The breaking of bread is a selfless act of sharing the presence of the Risen Christ. It defines and underpins every aspect of our life at St Illtud’s, providing the heartbeat of our work and witness in God’s name. We aim to model a radical hospitality so that each person who crosses our threshold knows that they are deeply loved and accepted by God.”
Llantwit Major is Britain’s oldest recorded place of learning where the Celtic saint Illtud developed an international centre of Christian education from the year 500. The New Library continues that tradition of learning and hospitality.
BBC Radio 4 visited Llantwit Major earlier this year to make a broadcast of Sunday worship from St Illtud’s reflecting the project’s vision of welcome. You can here the programme here: BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship from Llantwit Major.
On Sunday 4th September 2022 the New Library and St Illtud’s church will celebrate the partnership with a day of public celebrations which including the unpacking of books form the Library’s Kingdom of Heaven collection. All welcome. Details on joining the celebration here.
