Island pilgrimage for city parish

Flat Holm is five miles from Cardiff, but falls within the parish

Clerics and parishioners from Cardiff have set sail to visit the remotest part of their parish.

The group boarded a boat on Saturday morning and headed for Flat Holm island in the Bristol Channel.

The visit was to celebrate the forthcoming St Cadoc's Day - the day chosen to remember the island's patron saint.

The party celebrated mass on the island before enjoying a barbeque lunch and tour.

The island, which is part of the parish, has a long Christian tradition Canon Graham Francis

Among the churches taking part were St Mary the Virgin in Butetown and St Dyfrig & Samson's and St Paul's in Grangetown.

Canon Graham Francis, who is leading the visit, said Flat Holm was the furthest outpost of the parish.

He said: "The island, which is part of the parish, has a long Christian tradition.

"It is associated with St Cadoc, who was a 6th century abbot of the monastery at Llancarfan, and who is, in fact, the island's patron saint.

"We will be following in St Cadoc's footsteps as a congregation and will be celebrating mass on the island together.

"This Saturday is the Saturday which falls before St Cadoc's day next week.

"We hope that our parish pilgrimage will be a period of blessing for us all as we visit the island."