St Mary's Church in Llanfair Caereinion celebrates 150th anniversary

St Mary’s Church, situated in the heart of the town, was rebuilt in 1868 by the architect Edward Haycock Jr of Shrewsbury.

To celebrate the historic milestone, The Bishop of St Asaph, The Right Rev Dr Gregory Cameron, will preach and preside at the special service which will be held on Sunday, October 7, along with The Rev Jane Eva James, The Rev Glyn Jones, The Rev Ivor G Hawkins and The Rev Yaqoob Khushi.

Children and adults of the community will take part in the service which will include a presentation about the history of the building.

St Mary’s Church stands on the site of a Saxon building and the first record of the church dates from 1239.

The old church was demolished between 1866 and 1887 due to its poor state of repair, and was rebuilt at a cost of £1,900.

Some parts of the church such as a characteristic Montgomeryshire-style wooden steeple, a 13th Century south porch and font, a medieval stone effigy and the 15th Century timber roof survive today.

Rev. Yaqoob Khushi and his family with Bishop Gregory.

St Mary’s present vicar, the Rev. Yaqoob Khushi, originally from Pakistan, moved with his family to Llanfair Caereinion in December 2016 from London after ministering as a hospital chaplain for 16 years.

He says the church has been at the heart of the community’s “big moments”.

“From marriages and baptisms to supporting socially by helping people through emotionally challenging times, the church has always been there to help and listen. It’s a community hub in a small area for life’s big moments and it’s made a big influence on the lives of many people.”

Speaking about the special Sunday service which will be held at 11am, Rev Yaqoob said everyone can join in the celebrations.

“All the people are most welcome to the service to enjoy the blessing of God, to give thanks for the church, the area, the land, the community and the Bishop,” he added.

The celebration service is on Sunday, October 7, at 11am.