St Mylor Patronal Festival

The saint then led a procession back through the churchyard and the priest stopped by the Holy Well where another hymn was sung. The crowd of some 70 souls then processed into the beautifully decorated church for the start of the Festival Eucharist. This was a joyous occasion, the congregation being exhorted to follow the example of their Saint and also to make the day a gift day for the church in that place.

A papier mache representation of a saint in a coracle, with a net hanging from one side had been suspended in the Lady Chapel and the people were asked to come up before the giving of The Peace to offer their gifts and prayers by fixing them to the net. The service was fun as well as deeply spiritual and in true Mylor tradition was followed by cake and bubbly for all.

The soloists during the services were Kay Deeming who led the singing on the shore and Izzy and Elise who sang beautifully during the Eucharist. Mr Nicholls preached a sermon which seemed to suggest that perhaps the Saint had arrived here by allowing the coracle to take him where it would and that he was seeking a quiet place for contemplation. Indeed the church and its environs seems to have retained that special sort of quiet ever since and remains a place of palpable, joyful holiness.

There had been a week of celebration before the festival. There was a special churchyard service on the previous Sunday when people gathered to remember those buried in the ancient churchyard and give thanks the witness of so many souls. This was followed on Friday evening with songs of praise and a splendid Bread and Fishes supper in the church itself. The various types of bread had been made by members of the friends of St Mylor and some of the congregation, accompanied by Mr Nicholls, had successfully landed the mackerel!

All the celebrations for this year’s Patronal Festival reinforced the atmosphere of true devotion to Christ and the love and care radiated out into the community.