A link between Syria and Wales was celebrated on Monday 15 November when the village of Llandegla received a gift from Ma’alula, a town in Syria where St Tecla is buried. The gift, an icon of Tecla, the saint to whom Llandegla is dedicated, was delivered by the Bishop of St Asaph, Dr Gregory Cameron, and received by the children of Ysgol Dyffryn Iâl and the church members at St Tecla’s church.
Rector of Llandegla, the Ven Shirley Griffiths, said, “This is a very special day for the church, school and community in Llandegla. By bringing this gift to us directly from the shrine of St Tecla, Bishop Gregory has rekindled our 1600 year old connection with the saint. We are delighted by this gift which is the result of Bishop Gregory’s recent visit to the convent at Ma’aloula.”
The Bishop presented the icon at a service, during which the pupils of Ysgol Dyffryn Iâl performed a drama of the life of St Tecla. An exhibition of their art work relating to the story of St Tecla is on display in the church.
Bishop Gregory visited Damascus for the meeting of the Joint Working Group of the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches. He visited Ma’alula, the town built up around the Convent of St Mary and St Tecla, where Tecla lived and died and is buried.
He said, “It is a surprising thing to discover that an ancient Welsh Church in Iâl should bear the name of a Syrian saint. It is even stranger to find oneself in Syria standing in front of the tomb of that saint! The nuns at St Tecla’s tomb were thrilled that the news of Tecla’s life had spread so far, and sent an icon painted by a member of their community as a gift to celebrate the ties of friendship and Christian discipleship. I found it moving to bring back such a beautiful and powerful image of our unity in Christ, and it was a delight to share this moment with the children of the local Church school.”
