St Joseph's R.C. Church, Hay-on-Wye

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church
The church front viewed from Belmont Rd
52.074774°N 3.127053°W / 52.074774; -3.127053
OS grid reference	SO2285242423
Location	The Presbytery, 4 Belmont Road, Hay-on-Wye, Powys HR3 5DA
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous denomination	Calvinistic Methodist
Website	https://www.stmichaelsrcbrecon.org.uk/st-joseph/
History
Status	Parish church
Founded	1968
Dedication	Saint Joseph
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Hay conservation area
Architect(s)	F.R. Bates, Son & Price of Newport
Style	Gothic architecture
Administration
Province	Cardiff
Archdiocese	Cardiff-Menevia
Deanery	Llandrindod Wells Deanery[1]
Parish	St. Joseph's
Clergy
Priest(s)	Fr. Jimmy Sebastian Pulickakunnel MCBS

St. Joseph's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Belmont Rd, Hay-on-Wye which is in Powys, Wales.[2] The parish is in the Llandrindod Wells Deanery which was in the Diocese of Menevia but since 2024 is in the Archdiocese of Cardiff-Menevia.[3][4] St. Joseph's is served out of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brecon.[5][6] The Parish Priest for both parishes is Fr. Jimmy Sebastian Pulickakunnel MCBS. Fr. Jimmy is a member of the religious order of the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.[7] Canon Clyde Hughes Johnson, now retired, still helps in the parish and has done so for decades.[8][9][10]

Location

Hay-on-Wye is a medieval town on the border of England and Wales in the area known as the Welsh Marches.

Thanks to Richard Booth, Hay-on-Wye is widely known as the "town of books".[11][12] On April Fools day in 1977, Booth proclaimed Hay-on-Wye as an "independent kingdom". He declared himself as "King" and his horse as "Prime Minister".[13][14]

The town hosts the annual Hay Festival of Literature & Arts .[15][16][17][18] Literary connections to St. Joseph's parish include: Penelope Betjeman,[19] Christopher Dawson,[20] Bridget Gubbins,[21] Evelyn Waugh,[22] and H.G. Wells.[23] Francis Kilvert is a literary connection for the geographical area known as "Kilvert country" which includes Hay-on-Wye and nearby villages, especially, Clyro and Llanigon.[24][25][12]

St. Joseph's R.C. Parish - Hay-on-Wye

There are two regular Masses, Sunday at 9am and Thursday at 10am. The weekly newsletter contains details about social and liturgical events including the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Exposition, Holy day Masses etc.[26]

Parishioners play an active part in the life of the parish. The Parish Advisory Council (PAC) includes parishioners with responsibilities for safeguarding, finances, maintenance and repair etc.[27] Lay ministries include: altar serving, catechist (including RCIA), reader, eucharistic minister, hospitality etc. Periodic activities include: preparation of bidding prayers, church and altar linen cleaning, flower arranging etc.

History: Tabernacle Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, Hay-on-Wye (1828 -c 1963)

The Calvinistic Methodist's (now the Presbyterian Church of Wales) are the only Christian denomination indigenous to Wales, services are predominantly Welsh speaking. In 1811 they split from the Church of England, facilitating the ordination of their own ministers. The Calvinistic Methodist denomination was formally established in 1823, differing from the Wesleyan Methodist denomination.

In 1740, William Seward, a lay preacher from the nearby Calvinistic Methodist Theological College Coleg Trefeca, and other outsiders visited Hay-on-Wye to promote the Calvinistic Methodist cause. A stone thrown from a hostile crowd in Black Lion Green resulted in Seward receiving head injuries. This lead to his death days later and becoming the first Methodist Martyr.[28] The historicity of the incident is disputed for various reasons including the lack of contemporary evidence. The event may have been a conflation of similar well documented incidents.[29] Archdeacon Rev. Dr W. L. Bevan (Vicar of St. Mary's in Hay-on-Wye, 1845-1901) an authority on the history of the Welsh Church said that the "highly coloured account of the martyr's death on the tombstone in Cusop churchyard is dated at least 100 years after Seward's death".[30][31]

Following the 1762 Welsh Methodist revival, some congregations were nicknamed 'the Jumpers'.[32] In 1774, John Wesley (brother of Charles Wesley) preached in St. John's Chapel in Hay-in-Wye.[33][34] His diary entry for the visit describes 'the Jumpers' behaviour "they clapped their hands with the utmost violence; they shook their heads; they distorted all their features; they threw their arms and legs to and fro in all variety of postures; they sang, roared, shouted, screamed with all their might to the no small terror of those that were near them".[32]

Thomas Phillips

In 1828, the Tabernacle Calvinistic Methodist Chapel was built in Belmont Rd. in Hay-on-Wye.[35] The word "Tabernacle" emphasises the presence of God and the practice of Holy Communion.[36] The building of the new Chapel was overseen by its minister Rev. Dr. Thomas Phillips (1803-70),[37] whose stipend was £30 per annum.[38] Previously, he trained clergy for the "South Wales Home Missionary Society" (in Neuadd-lwyd). Their mission was to the anglicised parts of Wales, unreached by Welsh ministers, like Hay-on-Wye.[39][40][41] It was common for Methodists to attend Anglican services as well as their own, when possible.[29][42] Attendance flourished in the Tabernacle Chapel, in part due to Phillips and the absence of a Sunday evening service at nearby St. Mary's. In 1834, Samuel Lewis described the Tabernacle Chapel as a "handsome place of worship". Phillips "kept a school",[43] and Lewis commends the school teachers from the Chapel who freely taught many local children.[44] In 1836, after a decade as minister, Phillips left to become the "indefatigable and marvellously successful" Welsh secretary[38] of the ecumenical British and Foreign Bible Society.[45][46][47]

Francis Kilvert

Between 1865 and 1872, whilst Curate for Clyro, Francis Kilvert often journeyed to Llanthomas (in Llanigon). The known route(s) he followed implies he walked past the Tabernacle Chapel.[48] The Chapel is not mentioned in the surviving Kilvert diaries. As a loyal Anglican, Kilvert had little time for non-conformists, whom Kilvert called dissenters. Kilvert often visited his friend Rev. Dr W. L. Bevan who lived in Hay Castle.[49]

Richard Owens

At the end of the 19th-century, of the 6,427 known non-conformist chapels in Wales, more than half had been rebuilt at least once.[50] In 1872, a new stone-built chapel was partly built on the foundations of the 1828 Tabernacle Chapel, retaining portions of the original walls. It cost £700 to build, worth about £100,000 today.[51][52] The Chapel was designed by the prolific Calvinistic Methodist architect Richard Owens of Liverpool. The building contractor was Mr. James Webb of Hay-on-Wye.[53] The building of the upgraded Chapel was overseen by its minister Rev. Richmond Leigh Roose.[54][55][56] He was the father of the Wales international footballer Leigh Richmond Roose,[57] who died heroically in the 1916 Somme offensive. Leigh is commemorated at the Thiepval memorial in France.[58][59]

Rhys Prytherch

The Calvinistic Methodist minister Rev. Rhys Thomas Pryddererch (or Prytherch) was a respected preacher in the Hay-on-Wye area. He died heroically in 1917 within 10 days of arriving on the Western front.[60][61] He is commemorated on the Hay-on-Wye and Cusop War Memorial.[62][63][23][64]

It is not known what language was used for the Tabernacle Calvinistic Methodist services. If Welsh was used then the small number of Welsh speakers in Hay-on-Wye may have contributed to the decline in the congregation. If English was used then Hay-on-Wye already had English speaking Wesleyan Methodist and Independent Methodist Chapels. Another factor was the emigration to the United States by Methodist's who sought greater religious freedom. An ever-dwindling congregation had to augment the meagre stipends given to ministers.[29] The Tabernacle Chapel was closed, sometime in the early 1960s. The last known document for the Chapel is a pulpit supply list for 1963. This is a directory of preachers who are qualified and available to lead services when the regular minister is unavailable.[65][66][67] In the late 1960s, the Chapel was repurposed to become St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church.[68]

History: St. Joseph's parish and church, Hay-on-Wye (1892 - 1925)

Hay-on-Wye Map 1889 (displayed at the Cheese Market)

Following the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829, the Roman Catholic population in England and Wales grew.[69] In 1850, Pope Pius IX restored the hierarchy of dioceses in England and Wales in Universalis Ecclesiae. Wales was split between the Diocese of Shrewsbury and the Diocese of Newport and Menevia.[70][71][72][73] Misunderstanding of a pastoral letter by Cardinal Wiseman (Archbishop of Westminster) prompted the burning of effigies of the Pope and the Cardinal throughout England. On November 5th 1850, a small group of protesters burnt effigies by the Hay-on-Wye clock tower. The Anglican church and Rev. Dr. W. L. Bevan (Vicar of St. Mary's) were conspicuously absent from the protest.[29][74]

Hay-on-Wye modern map (displayed at the Cheese Market)

Without a Roman Catholic church in Hay-on-Wye since the 16th-century, the faithful often assisted one another to get to churches in the local area.[75] The nearest Roman Catholic Churches included Brecon,[76] Weobley,[77] Belmont[78] and Hereford.[79][80] From 1812, horse-drawn carriages running over rail, transported goods between Brecon and Hay-on-Wye. The track passed along the back of what would be the Tabernacle Chapel[81][82] In 1864, the Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway was opened for passengers and goods, reusing some of the tramway track. Roman Catholics that could afford to travel by train were able to get to churches in Hereford and Brecon, until the line was closed in 1962.[75]

Before St. Joseph's Parish or Church existed, the clergy at Belmont and Brecon provided a supportive role to the Roman Catholics in Hay-on-Wye. Belmont was founded in 1859 as a house of studies for the Benedictine monasteries at Downside, Ampleforth and Douai.[83] Until 1915, Belmont was also the Cathedral for the Diocese of Newport and Menevia.[84] The Gothic St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Brecon and adjoining presbytery were designed in 1851, by the architect Charles Hansom (brother of Joseph Hansom).[85][5][86]

H.R. Grant on Castle St. and former flannel mill on Belmont Rd

In 1892, Henry Richard Grant, a Roman Catholic, ran a newsagents and toy shop plus a printing business[87][88][89] from 6 Castle St.,[90][91][92] in Hay-on-Wye. Francis Kilvert was a frequent visitor to the newsagents, in the time of the previous owner George Horden.[93] Henry Grant was married to Jane Victoria (née Hughes), they had seven sons and two daughters. Henry Norman, their eldest son, died heroically in 1916,[94][95] on the first day of the Somme offensive.[96] He is commemorated on the Hay-on-Wye and Cusop War Memorial.[97][98] At the start of the 20th-century most parishioners attended Roman Catholic Mass in the Grant's home, on the junction of Castle St. and Belmont Rd. Masses were served by the Secular Priests from Brecon or the Benedictines of Belmont (designated an Abbey in 1920). Attending school Masses was possible for families that sent their children to two schools in the area. Belmont Abbey school for boys (1926-1993) was run by the Benedictines in Belmont.[99][100] St. David's school for girls in Brecon (1903-2020) was originally run by the Daughters of the Holy Spirit (from France).[101][102][103] From 1948,[104] the Ursuline Sisters (from Thurles, Ireland) ran the school.[105][106][107][108][109][110]

St. Mary the Virgin at Capel-y-Ffi

The conversion to Roman Catholicism of the Caldey Island Benedictine monks in 1913 meant that the monastery built by the Anglican Father Ignatius (Lyne) at Capel-y-Ffin,[111] near Llanthony Priory,[112] came under the ownership of a Caldey Island Roman Catholic monk. The property was sold to a Roman Catholic lay person of deep faith but shallow morality. The property hosted a Roman Catholic community of artists and crafts people known as the Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic. Mass was celebrated at Capel-y-Ffin from 1913, initially by a monk from Caldey Abbey.[113]

The origins of St. Joseph's Parish has a Celtic influence. Henry Richard Grant came from Scotland in 1892. Thomas Joseph Madigan came from Ireland in 1909, as did Rose Jones (née Fitzgerald) in 1926 and the Dewan family. Rose received the Papal award, the Benemerenti medal. Many third-generation descendants of the Victorian and Edwardian families are active parishioners today.[114]

First Mass Centre (1925 - 1967)

Cheese Market in 1885 poster - (displayed at the Cheese Market)

Cheese Market timeline poster - (displayed at the Cheese Market)

A combined cheese market and town hall was built in 1835, on the site of a pre 17th-century Guildhall, (formerly the Hay-on-Wye Town Hall).[115] The upper rooms above the market hall were used by the Wesleyan Methodists (before moving to Trinity Chapel in Oxford Rd., built in 1872) and the Independent Methodists (before moving to Ebenezer Chapel in Broad St., built in 1875).[29][116] The hired rooms were also used as a Masonic lodge until 1972.[117][118] The upstairs door had "a curious peephole" and "a round circle of wood that can be slid sideways from the inside to check for intruders" alluding to secretive Masonic ceremonies.[119]

In the 1901 census Thomas Joseph Madigan (born 1878) was described as "a servant". By 1909, he was a stable hand at Kinnersley Castle when he married Edith Adelaide James. She was the daughter of the station master at Kinnersley railway station. They had two sons, Terrence and Desmond (Des, aka Dessie), the brothers married two sisters Mildred and Gloria (née Harrison), respectively. By 1925, Thomas was a Councillor for Hay Town Council[120] and was a Justice of the Peace for Hay and Brecon.[121] Thomas owned two businesses in Castle St. (opposite H.R. Grant's shop), one selling car/bicycle parts, and petrol from the pavement. The other business was the Plaza Cinema (now Hay Cinema Bookshop). He also owned a garage (previously owned by J.V. Like) which was opposite the Swan Hotel.[122] Thomas gained his knowledge of car mechanics from a correspondence course. In 1925, Thomas acquired the lease from the local council for the two upper rooms over the Cheese Market which were being used by the Market St. stall holders for storage. The larger of the two rooms became St. Joseph's Church, becoming the third Christian denomination to use the room. The smaller room was used as a Sacristy.[123][124] St. Joseph's Parish was created sometime in the 1920s, probably when Bishop Francis Vaughan the Bishop of Menevia gave consent for Roman Catholic Mass to be celebrated in the hired assembly room. Colonel Abel Morrell of Wyecliffe, Miss Binney (who later became a Nun) and the first priest Fr. Herbert Flannery (from Belmont) spent months decorating and furnishing the dilapidated assembly room. They used surplus pews from Weobley[125] and Belmont. The Mass centre was served either by the Belmont (Abbey) clergy from 1926-30 and 1939-48 or the Brecon (St. Michael's) clergy from 1930-39 and 1948-59.[75]

Current parishioners remember that the assembly room ceiling often leaked when it rained. The weight of roosting pigeons on the compromised roof caused its collapse on to the altar below. The smell of the pigeon droppings was evident, even after the roof was repaired. Although the staircase was wide, getting coffins up and down the steep staircase was challenging.[126][127][128] There was a public toilet in the market hall below the rooms, resulting in the assembly room being known as the "Catholic church on top of the public loo" - or similar wording.[129][75]

Without a Roman Catholic school in Hay-on-Wye, Fr. John Brady (known as the "kind priest") introduced a catechism class on Saturday afternoons in the assembly room. The catechist was Mrs Eileen Biddle, in good weather she would host the class in her home overlooking the River Wye in Witney-on-Wye.[130][75][131] She also hosted garden parties to raise funds for the church. Mrs Eileen Ashton a convert, was a pillar of the church. She was the ad-hoc caretaker, church cleaner, organist (playing a harmonium), diarist, mother to six children (including the author Bridget Ashton), adopted and fostered children, fed the visiting clergy and was engaged in many altruistic activities.[119][132][129] Miss Chappell, headmistress of the school in Capel-y-Ffin (and later Craswell) led the congregation in the hymns.[133][134] Benediction followed Sunday Mass on special occasions like Trinity Sunday.[119]

Mass attendance grew during World War II as Roman Catholic evacuees were billeted to Hay-on-Wye.[135] The military section of the Mid-Wales Hospital at Talgarth became a prisoner of war (POW) hospital.[136] German and Italian POWs who died in the hospital are buried in the Hay-on-Wye cemetery.[137][138][139] After the war, Mass attendance was further increased by former Italian POWs who lived and worked in a timber yard in Hay-on-Wye including Ricuecio Biagio, Adeldo Raffaele etc.[119] [140][141] Also, Polish refugees were resettled in Hay-on-Wye. Mr Pyrzakowski (aka Kosky) had a clock and watch repair workshop in Hay-on-Wye. His wife was an artist and music teacher.[119]

In 1951, the Mass centre was formally registered for marriages. The first Roman Catholic marriage in Hay-on-Wye since the 16th-century, took place in St. Joseph's. Fr. William Cubley married Terrence Madigan (son of Thomas and Edith) and Mildred (née Harrison).[114][75][142][143] On one occasion Fr. Patrick Shannon was called away after Mass on a family emergency, and had to leave the Blessed Sacrament. The bishop gave permission for John Grant and Thomas Madigan to watch and pray with the Blessed Sacrament in the interim period before collection.[75]

First Parish Priest

Old Presbytery, Church St.

In the late 1950s, John and Clive Grant, Des Madigan and other parishioners raised money to buy the Grade II listed Ashbrook House, in Church Street, Hay-on-Wye.[144][145][146][147][148][149] This became known as the old Presbytery. The intention was to build a church in the grounds at some future date.[150][151][152]

In October 1960, Bishop John Petit the Bishop of Menevia appointed Fr. Hugh Healey as the resident Roman Catholic Priest for the parish, the first since the 16th-century. He lived in the old Presbytery.[153] Anecdotal evidence by current parishioners reveal that Fr. Healey would celebrate a very early Sunday morning Mass at St. Mary's chapel, Capel-y-Ffin, a distant outpost of the parish. He would then rush back to Hay-on-Wye to celebrate early Mass.[142]

A Church Building Funding Committee was set up, achieving excellent results. External practical and financial support was provided by Cyfeillion Amgueddfa Cymru (Friends of National Museum Wales),[154] and from the Sisters of Mercy and the school children they taught in Glenamaddy, Galway. Fr. Healey's zeal for fund raising was tireless. He held monthly jumble sales on the lawn of the old Presbytery. He would drive around the UK (and Eire) to collect jumble, furniture and other items. He was affectionally known as 'Steptoe' and the 'King of the Totters'. He would often repair and renovate the items to make a few shillings for the parish. He made leather belts and wallets to order, and would sell them in Covent Garden, London.[114][75][155]

First Parish Church (1967 - now)

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

In 1967, rather than build a new church in the grounds of the old Presbytery, the former Calvinistic Methodist chapel in Belmont Rd., Hay-on-Wye was purchased by Fr. Healey for the bargain price of £1,500 (at the time) worth about £35,000 today.[156] It was refurbished, re-roofed and adapted for Roman Catholic use by the firm of architects F.R. Bates, Son & Price of Newport at a cost of £6,000 (at the time) leaving a debt over £3,000 (at the time). The firm specialised in modernising Catholic churches across South Wales.[157][158][159][160][161][162][163] The building contractor was Mr Percy Price of Hay-on-Wye. For the first time the Parish had its own church. On May 28, 1967 (Ascension day), St. Joseph's Church was blessed and opened by Bishop Petit who participated in the Second Vatican Council.[164] The ecumenical spirit of the Second Vatican Council was manifest by the attendance of local Clergy from other Christian denominations.[142]

Current parishioners remember that in 1968, the Presbyterian Rev. Dr Ian Paisley and other outsiders came to Hay-on-Wye to lead a small protest about the repurposing of the Tabernacle Chapel. Paisley did not suffer the same fate as the Methodist martyr William Seward, but he did suffer the same lack of influence over the locals.[29] Richard Booth revealed that the outsiders did not reflect the view of the people of Hay-on-Wye.[142][155] In the spirit of ecumenism, Rev. Tom Wright a Presbyterian from Coleg Trefeca (near Talgarth) said he was pleased with the "link with the building’s past" and he was "pleased that God was still to be honoured on that spot”.[165][166][142][155][167]

Fr. Healey was a popular figure around town. He always had time to stop and talk, especially when walking his dog. He was a regular at the nearby Indian restaurant - he would have approved of Fr. Jimmy's annual curry night. Parishioner Des Madigan, recounts that Fr. Healey said he would "like to die with his boots on". He did, having to be carried from the St. Joseph's altar in 1984, dying soon after. Fr. Healey carved his name into the history of Hay-on-Wye, a revered and much loved character by the parishioners and the people of Hay.[142][155]

One of Fr. Healey's more eccentric parishioners also carved her name into the history of Hay-on-Wye. The author Lady Penelope Betjeman (wife of the Poet Laureate John Betjeman) would "come into town on her pony and trap, wearing a chunky knitted jumper and jodphurs".[19]

The Church choir were formed in the 1970s. Their first organist was Des Madigan who was renowned for playing the organ loudly. Consequently, the choir were equally renowned for singly loudly, like 'the Jumpers'. Later his wife Gloria took over as organist. They both gave piano lessons to local children including local pianist Anna Fry.[119][168][169] Recent choir members descended from Thomas and Edith Madigan include (alto) Dawn Beethan (née Madigan) and (organist) Julie O’Reilly (née Madigan).[4][75][142]

First Presbytery adjoining the church

Canon Clyde Johnson

Vatican City

The old Presbytery was later sold, in order to purchase the new Presbytery adjoining the church in 1985. The Parish Priest at the time Fr. Patrick Murray, lived in a small flat in Oxford Road for a few months until the purchase was completed.[114]

Canon Clyde Johnson advised Bishop James Hannigan to purchase the house which was to become the new Presbytery, "bringing great joy and encouragement to the parishioners". The Presbytery was also used as a parish centre, important in a town with limited capacity social venues. Additional Masses were celebrated in the house for ad-hoc family events. The house and the spacious gardens were used for parish social events.[114]

The house flanking the new Presbytery was previously owned by John Grant (the grandson of Henry Richard Grant). The house on the other side of the Church was owned by another Roman Catholic, Mrs Rose Jones. The house that became new Presbytery was built in 1938 by Mr John Watkins of MiddleWood for Mr Ralph Jones, brother-in-law of Rose. The cluster of buildings was affectionally dubbed by Rose as 'Vatican City'.[114]

More recently...

Rosalind Grant (RIP - 27th Nov 1936) daughter of H.R. Grant and Jane Grant

• On the 12th June 1992 (Ascension day), the Silver Jubilee of the opening of St. Joseph's Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Daniel Mullins the Bishop of Menevia, the Dean and the Priests of the Deanery.[155]
• The patronal feast day is celebrated annually[170] with a social event organised by a parishioner(s) in the Hay-on-Wye parish hall[171][172] or the Royal British Legion.[173][174]
• Fr. Jimmy organises an annual Curry night in Brecon for both parishes.[175]
• Norman Keylock (and his family) create spectacular Christmas and Easter devotional tableau scenes annually.
• Martin McNamara was the Clerk of Works for the conservation-led renovation and repair of Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye.[176]
• The garden outside the church dedicated to Our Lady, was created by retired teacher Maggie Sims (British Empire Medal) during a COVID lockdown[177] c.f. on the right in the top right-hand image. Hard landscaping was provided by John Darlison.
• In the 1990's, Pat Hammond took over as organist, and formed an ecumenical choir called the 'Holy Joes'. Decades later she still leads the choir, who support and encourage the congregation to sing at Mass. The 'Holy Joes' also participate in other local events.[178][179]
• The parish hymnal[180] includes hymns written by Methodists. Some may have been sung in the 1828 chapel, like Charles Wesley's "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing". Charles's son Samuel and his son Samuel Sebastian were all hymn writers. Anthems by all three are part of the 'Holy Joes' repertoire. Samuel converted to Roman Catholicism, much to the chagrin of his uncle John Wesley (founder of the Methodists and brother of Charles).
• In 2028, 200 years will have past of Christian worship and "honouring God" in the Belmont Rd Chapels and Church.

Church interior

"Your word is a lamp to my feet" - Psalm 119:105

Praise the Lord! Alleluia.

The interior curved roof is one of the few original Presbyterian architectural features following the refurbishment in 1967.[181][68][53] The curved roof is wagon-headed, where all the principal ribs are exposed and were originally varnished.[53]

The abstract coloured window glazing is thought to be the work of the Architects F.R. Bates, Son & Price of Newport.[68] Around the start of the new millennium, the windows either side of the chancel had deteriorated and had to be replaced with new window frames and stained glass. John Darlison ensured that the work was in keeping with the Hay conservation area requirements. Another parishioner salvaged some of the original stained glass windows from a skip, and repurposed some of the stained glass windows. The two large stained glass windows at the back of the church date to the 1967 refurbishment.

In the late 1990s, Fr. Tim Maloney commissioned a bespoke set of Stations of the Cross. Local Stonemason Caitriona Cartwright carved the Stations of the Cross using stone from local quarries. The text font was inspired by the letter cutting of 18th-century headstones. Her other works includes a Baptismal font in a Wiltshire church.[182][183]

Church exterior

Presbyterian Chapel in Belmont Rd (1932)-National Monuments Record of Wales: 6370888 - WPW038162

St. Joseph's today with small parishioner car parks in front of the church and presbytery

The church building is within the Hay Conservation area, but is not Grade II listed.[184][185] The conservation area includes the entire medieval town of Hay-on-Wye.[186] The architecture is based on a 13th-century Gothic style.

Due to its heritage, the church is not orientated traditionally i.e. towards the east. The altar faces towards the west and the entrance towards the east.

The 1878 architecture was based on the Classical and the 13th-century Gothic style of the gable entry type.[187][116] The wall along the nave on the left side (looking from Belmont Rd) terminates with a stepped buttress carried up into a pinnacle.[53] The tower above the entrance has deep jambs and sunk heads. Above the doorway is a belfry and a 40 feet tall cornice.

The pitched roof is covered in Welsh slate and local stone was used for the rock-face stone front wall (looking from Belmont Rd.). The front walls being square random with dressings of Grinshill and Ruabon stone.

The front has one large triple-light window, and one single window with plated tracery in the heads. The gabled front central pointed window has three simply moulded lights with three hexagons in the tracery. To its left is a single pointed window (looking from Belmont Rd.) with a straight head to the main light and a hexagon in the tracery.

Architect Richard Owen's church designs often included a spire and an upper seating area. Historical documentation states that the 1872 chapel included a framed and slated spire 20 feet high c.f. St. David's.[188][68] It is not known when or why the spire was removed. Original architectural documents state that the chapel measuring 41 feet by 30 feet was designed to accommodate a congregation of nearly 260 i.e. 5 square feet per person. If the claim was valid, it suggests that there might have been an upper seating area c.f. Aberystwyth.[189][53]

St. Joseph's Roman Catholic clergy

Some of the clergy from Brecon serving St. Joseph's Mass centre above the Cheese Market:

• Fr. Patrick Shannon (RIP - 1956).[3]
• Fr. William Cubley (RIP - 1973).[3]
• Fr. John Brady (RIP - 1975).[3][119]
• Fr. James O’Reilly (RIP - 1977).[3][119]

Some of the clergy from Belmont serving St. Joseph's Mass centre above the Cheese Market:

• Fr. Herbert Flannery (RIP - 1979).[190]

Some of the clergy serving St. Joseph's Church, Belmont Rd.:

• Fr. Hugh Healey (RIP - 1984).[75][142][153][155]
• Fr. Martin McCormack (RIP - 1984).[155]
• Fr. Patrick Murray (RIP - 1991).[114][155]
• Fr. Peter Flanagan (RIP - 2008) SCJ.[155][191][192][193]  
• Fr. Tim Maloney (RIP - 2013) IC.[194][195][196][197]
• Fr. Patrick Fitzgerald-Lombard O.Carm.[198]
• Fr. Jimmy Sebastian Pulickakunnel MCBS.[199]
• 
  Fr. Hugh Healy (left) with Bishop Petit (right)
• 
  Fr. Patrick Murray
• 
  Fr. Tim Maloney - lost an eye playing rugby.
• 
  Fr. Patrick Fitzgerald-Lombard
• 
  Fr. Jimmy - our current Parish Priest

Notable People

• Lady Penelope Betjeman (née Chetwode) (1910–1986), Roman Catholic who lived in Cusop Hill overlooking Hay-on-Wye.[200] English travel writer (and wife of Sir John Betjeman, the Poet Laureate).[22] Penelope was influenced to become a Roman Catholic by Evelyn Waugh.[201]
• Dr Thérèse Coffey (born 1971), Roman Catholic, former MP and visitor to St. Joseph's Church.[202]
• Christopher Dawson (1889–1970), Roman Catholic, who lived in Hay Castle, author of books on cultural history and Christendom.[203][20]

• 

  Hay-on-Wye & Cusop War Memorial - Henry Norman Grant - RIP

  Bridget Gubbins (née Ashton) (born 1947), grew up in Hay-on-Wye. She and her family attended St Josephs Church over the Cheese Market. Bridget authored books on social history, travel writing and her memoirs including "Hay before the bookshops or the Beeman's family".[21][204][132][129]
• Henry Norman Grant (1892–1916), eldest son of Henry Richard and Victoria Grant was declared missing in action on the first day of the Somme offensive. It was more than a year before his death was confirmed. Commemorated on the Hay-on-Wye and Cusop War Memorial.[94][95][98][96]
• Francis Kilvert (1840–1879), Church in Wales curate at Saint Michael and All Angels, Clyro, author of the "Kilvert Diaries". He describes many visits to Hay-on-Wye. Kilvert visited the newsagents owned by George Horden, who sold the shop to H.R. Grant.
• William Edward Thomas Morgan (1847–1940), Church in Wales vicar at St. Eigon, Llanigon, Kilvert's best man and polymath. In 1932, H.R. Grant published William's book "Hay and Neighbourhood".[205]
• Richard Owens of Liverpool designed up to 300 chapels, mostly in Wales and mostly Calvinistic Methodist.[188][189][206][207][208] After moving from Wales to Liverpool, he designed many buildings in Liverpool including the family home of Ringo Starr (No. 9 Madryn).[209] Owens died in his home in Anfield Road, Liverpool at the age of 60 from gallstones and was buried in Anfield Cemetery.[210][211]

• 

  Hay-on-Wye & Cusop War Memorial - Rhys Pryddererch - RIP

  

  Goalkeeper Leigh Roose - RIP

  Rhys Thomas Pryddererch (or Prytherch) BA, BD (1883-1917). Calvinistic Methodist minister for the Hay-on-Wye area. He volunteered for the infantry in 1914 but was rejected on medical grounds. He declined a commision as Army Chaplain. On his fifth attempt he was accepted as a private in the King's Regiment (Liverpool). He died on the Western Front in World War I.[61][62][63]

• Leigh Richmond Roose (1877–1916), son of Calvinistic Methodist minister Richmond Leigh Roose. He was a Wales international footballer. He attended the Holt Academy, where he was taught by H. G. Wells.[212][213] Leigh survived Gallipoli but died in the Somme offensive in 1916. Commemorated at the Thiepval memorial in France,[214] which his family discovered many years later due to the misspelling of his name.[59][23][64]
• William Jones Thomas was Vicar of St. Eigon in Llanigon, following William Edward Thomas Morgan. William Thomas rejected both Kilvert and Morgan as suitors for his daughters Frances (aka Daisy) and Charlotte, respectively. Thus playing a pivotal role in the Kilvert story.

Gallery

• 
  Welcome to St. Joseph's Church, Belmont Rd, Hay-on-Wye
• 
  St. Joseph's porch and entrance
• 
  Liturgy of the Eucharist - Taking, Thanking, Breaking, Giving.
• 
  Liturgy of the Word - The word of God, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
• 
  The sanctuary lamp, is placed before the tabernacle as a sign of Jesus’ presence within
• 
  'The Holy Joes' - "Singing is the sign of the heart’s joy"- Acts 2:46
• 
  "To whom shall we go? You have the words of Eternal Life" - John 6:68-69
• 
  Christmas nativity tableau created by Norman Keylock (and family)
• 
  11th Station of the Cross - Jesus promises his Kingdom to the repentant thief - Luke 23: 39–43
• 
  Easter tableau created by Norman Keylock (and family)
• 
  “Do not be afraid, Joseph, son of David, to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit." - Matthew 1:20
• 
  "My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour. He looks on his servant in her lowliness; henceforth all ages will call be blessed" - Luke 1:46-47
• 
  Prayer means ".. a cry of grateful love from the crest of joy or the through of despair.." - St. Therese of Lisieux
• 
  "Christ of compassion, you enable us to be in communion with those who have gone before us" - Brother Roger of Taize (RIP)
• 
  The sower - Matthew 13:23
• 
  Madonna and Child
• 
  Petro's Ukrainian family are a blessing to our community
• 
  Lockdown garden created by Maggie Sims BEM
• 
  Lockdown garden is dedicated to Our Lady
• 
  "One is nearer to God in a garden than anywhere else on earth" - Dorothy Frances Blomfield
• 
  Lockdown garden
• 
  Lockdown garden
• 
  Roses and Hollyhocks flower bed
• 
  1st Sunday of Advent 2024: New Liturgical year, new Lectionary & new Altar Server: Dan
• 
  Epiphany Carol Concert 2025

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