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Kneeler Project
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During one of the monthly meetings of the Mothers' Union our then branch leader, Mrs Ruth Hughes, asked "How are we going to celebrate the year 2000?" She then had the idea of making kneelers to go around the altar. Needless to say there was some trepidation about the project because of its size and not many of us had any experience of such work. However after many meetings and discussions, it was decided to go ahead. The kneelers would depict both historical and Christian symbols. Mrs Joan Coleman and Ruth designed the kneelers. Once the plans were approved, Ruth obtained the necessary materials, and painted the designs on the canvasses. Her husband, Mr. Trevor Hughes, made the frames to hold the canvasses for us to work on and we were ready to start. 49 members took part in this project, which took 15 months to complete, and over 260,000 stitches were worked. The kneelers were dedicated on Easter Eve 2000, and used for the first time on the Easter Day.
The symbols on the kneelers, starting from the left (facing the altar) are:-
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Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, denote the infinity of God, that He is eternal, from the beginning to the end. The Celtic Cross with the year 2000 beneath it; the circle around the arms of the cross symbolises "Eternity" The Dove, the symbol of the Holy Spirit.
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The Miner's Lamp and Tools one side and on the other the Winding House, (always present on every colliery site) symbolise Rhondda's past industrial life. In the centre the Glory Cross, showing that Jesus is alive and with us always. The Glory Cross is in the centre of six kneelers.
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On the left the Symbol for St David with the date of the closure of St. David's Church, Ton Pentre. On the right, the symbol for St Mark with the date of closure of St Mark's Church, Gelli.
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On the Corner there is one of the two largest kneelers which both have the logo of the Mothers' Union in the centre, with a Celtic Cross each side, giving a Welsh connection. There is another identical at the other corner.
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On the left the Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God), symbolises St John the Baptist. The dates beneath are important to this church: St. Tyfodwg established the first Christian settlement in the valley, on this site in the 6th century, and the previous church building closed in 1987. On the right are two bells. One symbolises the bell from the old St John's Church (which can be seen on the bottom of the memorial stand in the church), and the calling of the people in the parish to worship in the new church. The othe symbolises the ringing in of the New Millenium. The date of the new Church of St. John the Baptist is placed beneath.
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On the left a Chalice and Patten representing the Holy Eucharist with the date 1695 beneath. A chalice belonging to this church, dated 1695, can be seen on display in the Museum of Wales, Cardiff. The three fish on the right remind us of Jesus feeding the five thousand, which the early Christians related to the Eucharist. Also the fish was a Christian symbol from the first century.
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On the left, the font-the sacrament of Baptism. On the right an open book, representing the Bible.
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The daffodils for Wales and the wheat for fruits of the earth, symbolise the rural nature of the pre-industrial Rhondda Valley. The daffodils also represent Spring, and the wheat Autumn or harvest time.
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Groups of letters derived from Greek and Latin words used as symbols for our Lord Jesus Christ in the early Christian Church, and still used today. "IHS" is from the first three of the Greek word for Jesus. On the right is "Chi Rho", the first two letters of the Latin word meaning Christ. In the centre the Celtic Cross.
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