Parish raise a stunning sum

● The first Annual Sponsored Walk of the newly formed Parish of the Most Holy Redeemer and St. Joseph’s, Porthmadog and Pwllheli, raised in excess of a staggering £7,000 towards the Parish funds. Anna Meyerratken, joint fundraising coordinator with Gillian Williams, said: “We launched the project on Easter Sunday and have been extremely touched by the generous response of so many of our visitors and Parishioners. Although we’re a large Parish geographically, we’re small in terms of numbers so this is a fantastic achievement for us. Donations are in fact continuing to pour in, but we wanted to present the cheque to Fr. Fredrick before he left on his well-deserved annual leave.” On August Bank Holiday Monday, 27 walkers followed the scenic coastal path from Abersoch to Aberdaron, with seven completing the whole 20 mile stretch while others took a more direct 15 mile route from Sant Garmon’s to Porth Neigwl before the two groups converged for a picnic lunch by Plas yn Rhiw. The day then concluded with Mass at the historic church of Sant Hywyn’s in Aberdaron, where the Pilgrims received a warm welcome and enjoyed the generous hospitality of the Church Wardens. Announcing the Walk’s success to the congregations at Porthmadog and Pwllheli, Gillian Williams said: “With the closures of the churches in Criccieth, Abersoch and Morfa Nefyn, this has been a difficult year for us, but this proves that we are the living stones that make up the Parish, and the success of the Walk reflects the fact that the Church is still alive and well, and that the Diocesan changes are no more than a necessary continuation of its evolvement – an evolvement that has always featured down the centuries, and which has at times proved painful, given our instinctive aversion to change.” Anna Meyerratken (right) and Gillian Williams (left) present the cheque to Fr. Agbor Fredrick Isek MSP