St Melangell, Snowdonia, Wales

Pennant Melangell

The church of St Melangell, near Llanrhaedr-ym-Monchant, Wales

It is a treasure of a place, hidden at the head of a valley tucked round by mountains, fed by hill streams. The church is on the site of  Melangell's hermitage where she was gifted land by a local prince. It is full of beautiful artwork icons and representations which I loved. 

The legend goes that whilst out hunting hare he chased an animal into a thicket, only to find it hiding in the robes of a virginal woman who was praying. He was so impressed by her devotion and ability to protect the hare by preventing him blowing his hunting horn and causing the hounds to run on by or be frozen on the spot, that he gave her the land for her hermitage and prayer community.

She lived and died here praying, sleeping in a cave a short way from her hermitage. Her gravestone exists in the tiny chapel, and her late medieval shrine has been reinstated. The shrine is not something I really go along with, (as I’m not comfortable with praying to saints), so I just move into the tiny circular chapel to pray.

As I was praying and singing praises, and as there was no one around, I felt to lie prostrate on the stone cobbled floor. As I do, I start weeping and crying out to God. Melangell’s heart seems so aligned to mine.  I long for similar women to pilgrimage through life with. There are not many modern day mystics. It is heartening to hear the story of one, a female Christian. They are usually forgotten.

I’m not even really sure what the tears are about except a deep, deep visceral longing which could only be expressed in spiritual tongues. My mind can’t quite comprehend the depth of emotion but I know it is linking my heart to the heart of Jesus and also releasing stress I didn’t know I was carrying. It is all part of the pilgrimage journey as we go deeper day by day. (Now a week in).