Dydd Gwyl Dewi Dedwydd!

Once again I am risking my reputation (what there is of it) and relying solely upon the accuracy of the internet.  Which is to say, that title up there had better mean "Happy St David's Day" in Welsh or I shall be mightily embarrassed.

St David - the sixth century bishop, not the King of Israel - is the patron saint of Wales and today is his feast.  The Inn has something about his life here.  This is his collect from the English Missal:

Grant to us, almighty God: that the loving intercession of blessed David, thy Confessor and Bishop, may protect us; that while we celebrate his festival we may imitate his steadfastness in the defence of the Catholic faith. Through Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Fr Hunwicke this morning mused:

 Didn't the SSPX church in London begin as a church for Welsh Anglicans? I wonder if they honour their origins by singing Cwm Rhondda at Benediction

Indeed, he was probably thinking of the verse

Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
Feed me now and ever more,
Feed me now and ever more! 

Now we are talking SSPX here.  I doubt English at Benediction is going to fly. But in fact, the words to Tantum Ergo fit Cym Rhondda pretty much perfectly.  Perhaps a touch livelier than Benediction is meant to be.  But what a great tune it is.

Here.  Get out your Missal and look up the words to Tantum Ergo; it'll be in the Benediction section in the back.  You can sing along. All together: one, two:



. . .Procedenti, Procedenti, Procedenti ab utroque
Compar sit laudatio.
Amen.

Wonderful stuff.