Later today will see the last ever 'regular' services at Ss Mwrog & Mary, Llanfwrog and at St Meugan's. Thereafter, the Church in Wales will be centralising its Rhuthun/Ruthin activities in St Peter's, to be called the hub church.
This follows the 2010 reorganisation when Ss Mwrog & Mary joined the other two town churches after separating from Clocaenog and Cyffylliog. That in 2010 saw the early retirement of one rector and it paved the way for the greater sharing of ordained ministry among those who remained.
The churchwarden at Ss Mwrog & Mary's far from being bitter at the decision regards the closure as a relief. There are simply too few to make the church sustainable. But, it's still a little bit of history that's slipped away from us. Christian worship began there in the 6th century. The building itself is from the 13th. It particularly appealed to those who preferred 'low' services when compared to St Peter's 'high' offering. This reflected the cultural split between Llanfwrog Urban and Rhuthun.
The 2022 closures reflect the reality of life for the Church. Congregants at Ss Mwrog & Mary are sometimes in single figures. Not 30 years ago and the church if not full was bustling. This was evident to non-churchgoers by the number of parked cars on both sides of the road outside the building. It maintained its own organist and, unusually, its own choir. Midnight services at Christmas were heaving. An internal reorganisation in 1999 added kitchen facilities to what otherwise was a typically Victorianised Vale of Clwyd double-naved church. It's taken just a generation to get to where we are.
While a concentration on St Peter's is now a logical step, I suppose we must consider the prospect that in another 15 years numbers there will also fall and, if so, the longer term future of St Peter's will also be in the balance. As we reflect upon the death of the queen, someone with a profound Christian faith, just what has happened to the collective worship that expressed a Welsh nation of faith that was once so central to this country, whether chapel or church?
The Church in Wales is at pains to point out that neither church is actually closing. There shall be up to six services a year in each, plus any weddings, funerals or baptisms. St Meugan's will become a 'pilgrim church' for anyone to use while walking the lanes thereabouts, perhaps using it while walking the triangle, for quiet reflection. Ss Mwrog & Mary, of the other hand, will in the spring open as a 'glamping church' for parties of 10 or fewer to camp overnight.
The current Warden (rector) may wrongly feel that he's let everyone down. This is not so. What's happening is universal in Wales and although sad and the walls may crumble it's only a building and for the numbers attending a millstone at that. It's therefore about having the faith to step out, literally, in a new direction.