The Parishioners of All Hallows have been working hard in recent years, creating, designing and planting different aspects to the grounds and community garden.

During Eastertide 2024, children from All Hallows along with Parents and Catechists scattered seeds to create a woodland area to the gardens. The ground was prepared by the gardening group at All Hallows. Fun was had by all. Thanks to everyone who helped with this and watch out for the wildflower seed scattering when the ground has been prepared.

Check out all the latest photos here:

The “Live Jesus” Corner

On the north wall of All Hallows’ Church, you will find a statue of a saint, a balding man wearing a priestly stole and holding a book showing the words Vive Jesus! Who is this man, and why is his statue where it is?

To solve this mystery, we first need to know the stories of three priests.

St Francis de Sales (1562-1622) was a prelate who served as Bishop of Geneva from 1602 until his death. He was famous for giving spiritual direction to laity as well as clergy. His most famous book was called An Introduction to the Devout Life, a guide as to how lay people could pursue holiness even in the midst of their daily duties. One of his favourite slogans was “Live Jesus” – a motto by which de Sales says Jesus must live in our hearts, quoting St Paul: “It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me.”

St Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (1651-1719) was a French priest, educational reformer, and founder of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. This was the first Catholic religious community to consist exclusively of laymen, devoting their lives to teaching the poor, although their founder was a priest. One of the customs of the order was that the founder would awaken the brothers each morning declaring “Live, Jesus, in our hearts”, to which the rest of the brothers present would respond “Forever!”

Revd Allan Davies-Hale, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cardiff, was educated at St Illtyd’s College in Cardiff, which at the time was run by the de la Salle religious order. Fr Allan became parish priest of St Dyfrig’s, Treforest, in 2012 and also became parish of priest of All Hallows, Miskin, in 2014. He retired due to ill health at the start of 2022.

A parishioner wishing to honour Fr Allan procured a statue which was presented to him as a thanksgiving by parishioners. It was widely understood to be a statue of St Jean-Baptiste de La Salle and for some years stood in the narthex of St Dyfrig’s. In 2026 it was moved to All Hallows, as the centre of a display corner in the church grounds. At this time, a parishioner pointed out that the statue was very similar to typical depictions of St Francis de Sales, whereas in art, de la Salle is almost always depicted with a collar resembling a book.

We do not make a declaration on this website about which saint the statue actually represents. What is clear, is that a statue represents a priest offering us a book with the French words Vive Jesus! These are not the equivalent of the Spanish Viva Cristo Rey – the triumphant acclamation “Long live Christ the King!” In French, vive is an invitation to live in a certain way. De Sales was famously the spiritual director of St Jane Frances de Chantal, who founded an order of sisters in 1610. “Vive Jesus!” was written on the top of every letter that Saint Jane Frances wrote. To “Live Jesus,” was to surrender one’s entire self (thoughts, actions, works, devotions, etc) to the living presence of Jesus. It is most appropriate that a church dedicated to all the saints has a statue reminding us that all of us are called to “live Jesus”, for this is the only way to become saints on Earth.