PARISHIONERS and friends watched Llangollen’s new vicar perform an ancient religious ceremony in which he blessed his own home.

Just before Christmas Father Lee Taylor was installed as vicar of St Collen’s and also the Church in Wales parishes of Llantysilio and Trevor by the Bishop of St Asaph.

Father Taylor is keen to revive ancient and often forgotten church rituals, and the first of these he chose was a home-blessing service at his new vicarage in Abbey Road.

He had invited around 50 church members and friends to watch and take part in the ceremony on Saturday evening.

He said: “It’s long been a tradition during the Epiphany season to bless the home.

“Chalk is blessed for this purpose.

“Special prayers of blessing are said and a holy formula is chalked over the entryway.

“In the case of the vicarage this was 20 + C + M + B + 19.

“The C, M, and B are chalked in between the numbers of the current year.

“The three letters have two significations, the invocation ‘Christus Mansionem Benedicat’ - Christ bless this house - as well as the first initial of the names of the three Magi, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar, who visited the newly-born baby Jesus on what became known as the Epiphany.”

He added: “I blessed the outside of the vicarage using holy water, incense and the chalk I had blessed.

“If anyone else in the parishes I serve would like their home blessed during the Epiphany season they are welcome to contact me by email at: frleetaylor@hotmail.co.uk, or by phone on 01978 592092.”

Father Taylor comes to Llangollen from Croydon Minster where he had been serving as Associate Vicar.

One of his novel ventures there was a beer blessing ceremony at a local pub, The Dog & Bull, which made national headlines.

Soon after arriving in Llangollen he said: “I think we can look forward to lots of quirky things, ideas and initiatives, so watch this space.”