The Archbishop of Wales has reopened St Mary’s Church in Nefyn, after a decade without worship.

Over 100 people joined the Archbishop during a special service on 2 June.

St Mary’s Church, built in 1870, was a cornerstone of Morfa Nefyn’s spiritual and communal life for generations. When church worship ceased, local community members set up a committee called the Friends of St Mary’s and organised celebration events throughout the year to ensure the church remained a vibrant part of the community.

The journey to reopening St Mary’s for regular worship began when Revd Kevin Elis became vicar of Bro Madryn Ministry Area began attending the events. The community was keen to introduce regular worship services back into the church and with the support of the Diocese of Bangor the journey to reopening began.

The long-term vision for St Mary’s includes establishing a local, largely Welsh-speaking congregation that is firmly rooted in the community’s cultural and spiritual traditions.

Archbishop of Wales Andrew John said: “It is a profound joy to reopen St Mary’s Church for regular worship. I am delighted that this cherished church, maintained with love and dedication by volunteers, is once again a vibrant community hub where people can come together to explore their faith and find a sense of belonging.

“It was the goodwill of the people who wanted a space to worship that has led to the reopening of St Mary’s and we are delighted to welcome them back into the Church in Wales. I thank Revd Kevin and all the volunteers who have made this possible.”

Revd Kevin said the reopening service was “great and uplifting”.

“There was a beautiful moment in the service when people from Bro Madryn Ministry Area stood up and welcomed St Mary’s to the Ministry Area, which was completely unplanned.

“During its closure, people have continued to meet here and hold events and it feels like the right moment to be reopening St Mary’s.

“We shouldn’t be surprised by the reopening of a church – after all we are people who believe in the resurrection!”

To celebrate the reopening, St Mary’s Church has planned a series of events throughout the summer. These events aim to unite the community and celebrate a new and exciting chapter in the history of St Mary’s Morfa Nefyn.