The Vale of Clwyd was a significant center for the development of Christianity, with numerous Celtic saints establishing religious cells in the area. St. Meugan's church in Llanrhydd became a prominent mother church, recorded in historical documents and receiving compensation for damages during wars. Edward I's conquest of Wales in 1282 led to the reduction of St. Meugan's influence, as Ruthin Castle was constructed, and Ruthin became a chartered borough.
Lord John de Grey established St. Peter's Collegiate Church in 1310, housing a community of priests known as the Bonshommes. The church endured damage during uprisings but continued to serve the community. Over time, the church underwent alterations, including a Victorian restoration and the addition of a spire. St. Peter's is known for its distinctive double-naved structure and magnificent timber roofs. Dean Gabriel Goodman played a significant role in Ruthin, refounding the wardenship and constructing almshouses.
The church experienced maintenance challenges, including a fire in 1904. In 1920, the Welsh Church Act resulted in the separation of Wales and Monmouthshire from the Church of England. Notable memorials and historical buildings related to the church and Gabriel Goodman can be found in the vicinity.
References:The Pilgrimage Church of Wies (Wieskirche) is an oval rococo church, designed in the late 1740s by Dominikus Zimmermann. It is located in the foothills of the Alps in the municipality of Steingaden.
The sanctuary of Wies is a pilgrimage church extraordinarily well-preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, and is a perfect masterpiece of Rococo art and creative genius, as well as an exceptional testimony to a civilization that has disappeared.
The hamlet of Wies, in 1738, is said to have been the setting of a miracle in which tears were seen on a simple wooden figure of Christ mounted on a column that was no longer venerated by the Premonstratensian monks of the Abbey. A wooden chapel constructed in the fields housed the miraculous statue for some time. However, pilgrims from Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and even Italy became so numerous that the Abbot of the Premonstratensians of Steingaden decided to construct a splendid sanctuary.