According to local historian James Lane Bowen, in the early days a room in the old Parish Church was used by the Roman Catholics of Llanelli.

1839 It is possible that travelling priests visited Llanelli before this date, either from Bristol or London. From 1839 to 1856 the Catholics in Llanelli were served by Father Charles Kavanagh who celebrated the first Masses since the 16th century. At this time meetings were held in private houses and Masses were celebrated in Vauxhall, Water Street and Old Castle Road.

1840 Bishop Thomas Brown was appointed bishop on 28 October 1840 in St John’s Church Bath. He was responsible for the development of the Church in Wales as Vicar Apostolic.

1841 The Enumerator’s census returns of 1841 contained the first references to Catholics and there were 37 Irish.

1847 In the Blue Books of 1847 which listed all schools in Llanelli, no Catholic school was listed. However, local tradition suggests that there was a Catholic schoolroom in Old Castle Road before 1860 and Mrs Ann Griffin, reputed to be the Catholic Schoolmistress, lived there.

1849 The growth of the Roman Catholic Church in Llanelli was largely due to Irish Immigrants who fled Ireland as a result of the Great Potato Famine.

1850 Bishop Thomas Brown became Bishop of Newport and Menevia and initiated the modern era of Catholicism in Llanelli.

1856 Father Peter Lewis succeeded Father Kavanagh from 1856 to 1861.

1858 Father Thomas William Fenn was the assistant priest to Father Lewis from 1858 to 1861.

1858 An Agreement between Bishop Brown and John Stepney Cowell Stepney dated 21 May 1858 stated “Let a schoolroom . . .be built on piece or parcel of land being part of Greenfield in the borough of Llanelly.” This indicated that Catholic education began as early as 1860.

1860 A small Catholic church dedicated to St Mary was founded in Lloyd Street with a maximum capacity of 200. Conditions were said to be very spartan with few creature comforts. The congregation had to kneel on bare boards because there were no hassocks. Both Father Fenn and Father Lewis officiated at the official opening of St Mary’s in 1860.

During this time Llanelli was served by priests from Swansea and Father Lewis and Father Fenn had specific responsibility in Llanelli.

Note In 1851 when Mira Turner, a Roman Catholic servant at Llanelly House was taken ill suffering from the effects of laudanum poisoning, William Chambers junior ‘sent to Swansea for a spiritual adviser.’

Llanelly Guardian Whit Monday 1860

Opening of the Roman Catholic Chapel. This neat chapel was opened for divine service on Whit Monday. High Mass with an English sermon, was performed at 11 o’clock by Rev. P Lewis, RD who was assisted by Father Glasbrook and Fenn. Mozart’s Twelfth Mass was performed, and led by the organ, which was exceedingly well played. In the afternoon, the Rev. L Havard of Carmarthen delivered in Welsh sermon with vespers. Several ladies and gentlemen from Swansea, Carmarthen and Llandilo were present. A fife band in connection with the opening, perambulated the town during the day.

1862-1853 Father William Marshal established Llanelli as a separate Mission and was responsible for setting up the Mission Baptismal records.

1862 The first entry in the Baptismal Register for Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, May 1862 read: "Gulielmus filius Laurentii (olia McCarthy) Dooley, Conjugum natus 10 Januarii 1862 at sponsoribus Michael Cokely et Bridgetta Reidy, baptizatus fuit 19 Januarii 1862 a me, Gulielmo Marshall Sacerdote."

During his time as parish priest Father William Marshall baptised 26 children. When Llanelli actually became a mission in 1862, Father Peter Lewis served Llanelli from Swansea.

1869-1875 Father Denis Spellissey served as Parish Priest.

1870 There were only about 100 parishioners and a story was related how the contributions from the poor parishioners was so meagre that the priest’s housekeeper, whose wages had fallen into arrears, one Sunday morning locked the priest in his room and the congregation out of the church. Through a window of the presbytery she announced the ultimatum to the waiting worshippers “No wages for me, no Mass for you!” In the recorded history of industrial disputes at Llanelli this is the only case of a “lock out” occurring at the same time as a “lock in”. It was said to be an instant success.

1872 An Elementary School was built on land adjoining the church in Lloyd Street. Bishop Brown, had entered into an agreement with William Chambers under the will of Sir John Stepney 8th Baronet, authorising a school to be built. Father Denis Spellissey and his successor Father Michael McGrath were involved in the setting up of the school.

1875 Father McGrath succeeded Father Spellissey and was very involved in the development of Catholic Education at the time.

1877 The funeral of Father McGrath transpired into a major incident and newspapers gave a disturbing account:

Llanelly Guardian November 1877

Funeral of Father McGrath

Considerable uncalled for commotion and curiosity was displayed by some of the inhabitants during the later portion of last week, arising from the fact that it was rumoured that the remains of the late Reverend Father McGrath “laid in state”, as was termed, the fact being no other than the coffin containing the deceased was laid on the altar steps of the Roman Catholic Chapel, covered over with a black pall and a few lighted candles near, this being no more than what is ordinarily done in the residences of deceased persons of every persuasion.

Scores of people congregated around the chapel demanding admission often with coarse language and with oaths, thus causing a place of solemnity and mourning to present unnatural features on such an occasion. The presence of the dead should at all times at least command due regard for the feelings of the bereaved.

St Mary’s Church and School, Lloyd Street

St Mary’s was the original Catholic church. A new church called ‘Our Lady Queen of Peace’ was erected in 1936 on the fairground site at Waunlanyrafon. This later church was never consecrated and had to be demolished because of subsidence. The new Roman Catholic Church was built near the spot in Waunlanyrafon.

1879 St Mary’s Church in Lloyd Street was licensed for marriages and on 24 April 1879 the first marriage registered and conducted in St Mary’s Church was between Patric Sergeant F O’Conor and Margaret Cavanah.

1893 The Reverend James O’Haire (1893-94) initiated the restoration of St Mary’s Church which included renovation and ornamentation. Rev. James O’Haire and Bishop Hedley co-celebrated the first Mass and Bishop Hedley was the first bishop to ever come to Llanelli.

1896 Father Edward Byrne, the resident priest was called out late one night to a parishioner who was dying at Ferryside and because he had no other means of transport he decided to board the Fishguard express at Llanelli. As the express thundered through Ferryside Station Father Byrne pulled the communication cord. Anyone else pulling the communication cord would have been prosecuted but Father Byrne had such a strong personality that the engine driver obeyed meekly when ordered to reverse the train because it had overshot the platform. Needless to say, no action was taken again the priest.

1898-1912 Father Thomas McCoughlin was Parish Priest and he took a deep interest in the education and tuition which took place at St Joseph’s Convent. He was the Parish Priest when the Ursulines of Jesus came to Llanelli in 1903.

1900 Historical evidence indicates that an Italian community had a major influence on the growth of the parish from the early 1900s.

1903 The Ursulines of Jesus arrived in Llanelli in 1903 after they had been expelled from France. Monsignor Mostyn granted permission for the nuns to establish an Ursuline foundation in Llanelli. The nuns had a massive impact on he spiritual and educational development of the Parish and were very active in the Catholic community with the following activities: Women’s Sacred Heart Sodality; Visiting the sick; Catholic instruction; Sewing Classes; Children of Mary; Sacrisity duties; Teaching in junior and senior schools.

1906 Canon McLoughlin was at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Lloyd Street.

A field was purchased in Penygaer providing a site for a Church for the Catholics in the Felinfoel and Dafen districts.

1950 Penygaer Chapel was commenced and completed in May 1951. The Chapel was dedicated to St David, Blessed and opened by His Lordship the Bishop of Menevia The Right Reverend J E Petit on Whit Sunday 13 May 1951.

1952 The Little Sisters of the Assumption (nursing sisters) were invited to Llanelli. They set up a convent in a house adjacent to the church, and by 1957 their community had grown from five to eleven sisters.

1955 During this period there was a further influx of Italians who came from southern Italy adding greatly to the parish community and the influence of their faith strengthened the liturgical life of the parish.

1957 Felinfoel’s “Nursing Nuns” opened an extension to their convent on 3 October 1957 and the ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Menevia, Monsignor Petit. Members of the order from various parts of England, Ireland and the Mother House in Paris attended.

1962 The Catholic Church celebrated the centenary 1862-1962 of the founding of their parish Menevia.

A Church was established at Llwynhendy to serve the Catholics of the area and the opening ceremony was performed on 13 May 1962.

1963 St John Lloyd RC Secondary School was opened by His Lordship Bishop John J Petit in April 1963.

1965 Canon John Moran retired as Parish Priest following 30 years service to Llanelli. Tribute was paid to his work as Parish Priest at Llanelli and he was acknowledged for building Our Lady Queen of Peace, Churches at Felinfoel and Llwynhendy and St John Lloyd Roman Catholic School. He was succeeded by Bishop Langton Fox Auxiliary Bishop of Menevia who was inducted as Parish Priest (1965-1972) by Bishop John Petit, Bishop of Menevia in September 1965.

1972 The Induction of Canon Cyril Schwarz took place on 6 September 1972 and he was instrumental in establishing a new Parish Hall.

1977 The new Parish Hall was opened in 1977 by His Lordship Bishop Langton Fox following help from many of the parishioners and lots of fund raising.

1985 It must have been a great shock to the Roman Catholic community when they heard that their new church which had been completed in 1937 was scheduled for demolition because of serious structural defects. It was for this reason that successive Bishops of Menevia had decided not to consecrate the building. The last Mass to be said in Our Lady Queen of Peace before it was demolished on Sunday 21 July 1985 was celebrated by Canon Clyde Johnson.

1985-1996 Between July 1985 and June 1995 the new Parish Hall became the church, and temporary home for the Parish’s liturgical ceremonies. The Tabernacle, Crucifix and many of the statues were housed within the hall.

When the new church was built near the same site following the demolition of the church built in 1985 the relics, including the font from the original church of St Mary’s Lloyd Street and a memorial window connected with the Ashburnham family were transferred to Our Lady of Peace.

Canon Thomas McLoughlin, one of the early captains of the Ashburnham Golf Club, helped to pioneer the game on the popular Pembrey course.

Father Clyde Hughes Johnson said 4,500 baptisms had been performed in the font.

1988 St Mary’s School, Goring Road, had to be closed and demolished. A new school was built in Havard Road and opened on 11 April 1988. A nucleus of Catholic education was formed as St John Lloyd and St Mary’s schools were situated side by side.

1995 A new church of Our Lady Queen of Peace, was rebuilt on the same site as the previous church, in Waun-lan-yr-afon and opened on 11 July 1995 by the Most Revd J A Ward OFM, Archbishop of Cardiff and Right Revd D J Mullins BA, Bishop of Menevia.

1999 It was estimated that there were about 300 Italian families living in Llanelli.

The Parish was consolidated and the church at Llwynhendy closed in 1999.

Priests in Llanelli from 1856

1856-1869 Father Peter Lewis

1859-1861 Father William Fenn

1865-1868 Father Charles Limpens

1862-1863 Father William Marshall

1864-1871 Father Thomas Croft

1865-1870 Father Phillip Fotheringham

1866-1867 Father James Comerford

1867-1867 Father James Berry

1868-1869 Father William McClement

1868-1869 Father John Dawson

1869-1875 Father Denis Spellissey

1875-1877 Father Michael McGrath

1877-1877 Father E A Dale

1877-1877 Father J F A Donnell

1877-1878 Father Alfred Wilson OSB

1878-1881 Father Thomas Contrin

1881-1888 Father John Hyland

1883 Father Steaphino Bolger

1888-1890 Father Edward Lynch

1888-1890 Father David Waring

1890-1893 Father Peter John Cardinael

1893-1894 Father James O’Haire

1894 Father Polycarp Clifford

1894 Father J G O’Conner

1895 Father James Davis

1895 Father G Moore

1896 Father John Stanislaus Looney

1896-1898 Father Edward Byrne

1898-1912 Father Thomas McCloughlin

1912-1935 Canon Eustace Richard Carew

1929-1930 Father Joseph Higgins (Assistant to Canon Carew)

1930-1932 Father Thomas Fitzharris

1932 Father Adolf Evans

1935 Father Edmund J Kelly (Late Monsignor)

1935-1936 John Tole

1936-1965 Father John Moran MC

1936-1937 Father James Mitchell

1937-1939 Father Francis Rogers

1939-1940 Father Patrick Crowley (Archdeacon of Cardiff)

1940-1941 Father Patrick Fitzsimons

1941-1943 Father Brian O’Reilly

1943-1946 Father Joseph Gallavan

1946-1947 Father John McMeal

Chapels, Churches and Religion

1947-1950 Father Joseph Gallavan

1950-1957 Father Gerald Holdcroft

1972-1982 Canon Cyril Schwarz

1982-1984 Canon John O’Donovan PP

1984-1988 Canon Clyde Johnson PP

1988-1992 Father John Dermody PP

1992 Father Hugh Cullen

Assistant Priests

1952-1955 Father John Rudd

1955-1957 Father Jeremiah Butler

1957-1960 Father Joseph Billington

1957-1958 Father John Schikan

1958-1963 Father Bernard Norris

1960-1961 Father Phillip O’Connell

1961-1963 Father Bernard Murphy

1963-1968 Father Robert Towers-Perkins

1963-1972 Father Michael Tomkins

1966-1969 Father Patrick Griffin

1968-1970 Father Anthony Jones

1969-1970 Father William Power

1970-1975 Father Clyde Johnson

1971-1973 Father Vincent Daly

1974-1975 Father Pascal Dormer

1975-1980 Father Owen McGreal

1975-1976 Father Bernard Morgan

1976-1984 Father John Dermody

1985-1985 Father Joseph Stewart

1985-1985 Father Adrian Morris

1985-1988 Father Michael Burke

1989-1989 Father John Hughes

1989-1990 Father Harry Holwell

1991-1993 Father Dorian Llewellyn

1993 Father Peter Allen

Source

A Visual History of the Roman Catholic Community of Llanelli 1839-1999, by Rev Fr Owen McGreal MA, Llanfair Presbytery, Waun-lan-yr-afon, Llanelli

The Jewish Synagogue

Before MAY 1908 the large number of Jewish residents in the community had worshipped at Swansea until they secured a temporary place in Castle Buildings.With the increased congregation it had been decided to find a permanent building and a special appeal for donations was issued by Mr Isaac Benjamin, the Honorary Secretary, and Mr N Rubenstein, the Honorary Secretary of the Building Committee. On July 14 1908 the president of the congregation, Mr Isaac Benjamin presented Mr Hyman Goldberg, of Swansea, with a silver trowel when the foundation stone was laid. The Rev. Chief Rabbi sent his blessings for the success of the enterprise.

Christadelphians

Meeting Room, Gas Building, Murray Street

The Christadelphians held their meetings in the Meeting Room, Gas Building, Murray Street, which was demolished during the town centre improvements.