Delta Welsh Heritage
Rehoboth Welsh Chapel
Rev. Richard Price Baskwill, Minister
Winter service hours (thru 3/7/10)
Sunday afternoon 2:30 pm
Evening Prayer according to the service of the Anglican Church in Wales
Followed by tea and cookies, and Welsh language class at 3:30.
Located at the corner of Main and Pendyrus Streets, Delta.
Church Phone: 717-456-5762
Sunday March 7, 2:30 pm
Celebration of St. David, Patron Saint of Wales. Mini-gymanfa with te bach afterward.
Sunday, March 14: Services return to summer hours. Tea and cookies at 5:00 pm, followed by Welsh language class. Bilingual service of Evening Prayer at 6:00.
Sunday April 11 - No service at Rehoboth. Gymanfa Ganu at the NY City Welsh Congregation, Rutgers Presbyterian Church.
One of the most important parts of Welsh life in Delta was the Chapel, and parishoners often attended three times on Sundays - morning service, afternoon Sunday School, and evening service. The congregation of Rehoboth Welsh Chapel was founded in 1854 by Calvinistic Methodists, who wanted to worship entirely in their native Welsh language. The present building was constructed in 1891, and has been refurbished twice - in 1929 and 1991. A weekly service is held in Welsh and English, and several special services occur during the year. Twice a year a Gymanfa Ganu, or Welsh singing festival, is held - on the first Sunday in May and the second Sunday in October. Visitors come from all over North America. The Chapel has also hosted renowned Welsh choirs, such as Pendyrus Male Choir from the Rhondda Valley, and Brythoniaid Choir from North Wales. Rehoboth is one of only five Chapels outside of Wales featured in the Welsh-language book Capeli Cymru.
On June 27, 2009, Rehoboth Welsh Choir presented a concert and brief gymanfa ganu at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Wales was the guest nation at this summer's Festival.
