Croeso!

That's the word that is painted on the wall just inside the front entrance of St. Stoic.

No idea what it means? I guess you aren't Welsh, then, are you? Me neither.

But yesterday I was Welsh for an afternoon.

This unique little community I serve has a very proud and longstanding Welsh history, going back about 175 years. Yesterday they celebrated the Feast of St. David, the Archbishop of Wales, c.6th century.

I was invited to come along. (And pray the invocation and benediction, of course. No sense wasting a preacher on a Sunday when you can put her to work.)

The little village where the church is located has these red, green, and white flags all along Main street, and on the street signs. I thought at first that they were just the symbol for the village, but they are the real thing! I just find it interesting that hardly anybody flies the Stars and stripes here, but the Welsh Dragon is everywhere.

The daffodil is the national flower, although to some the leek remains the national symbol. There were men yesterday at this celebration wearing leeks pinned to their lapels. I kid you not.

The best part of the Feast of St. David is the singing. You cannot gather 2 or more Welsh in a room without music. Luckily, most of the hymns we sang are in the Presbyterian hymnal, so I knew most of them--just not in Welsh like everybody else.

By the way, "Croeso" means "Welcome" which is what I felt yesterday, even with my Gaelic last name.