MENEVIA, DIOCESI of. — In the Province of Cardiff in England, with the exception of Glamorganshire and Monmouthshire. Of its 932,480 inhabitants (1931 census), it comprised 21,350 Catholics distributed among 61 parishes, served by 75 secular priests and 130 religious priests, one seminary (St Mary's College), 12 male and 28 female religious communities; in 1948 there were 141 conversions.
In 1840 this province (Principality of Wales) was divided between Newport and Shrewsbury. Then, in 1895, Leo XIII re-established the apostolic vicariate of Wales (excluding the diocese of Newport), presided over by Mgr. Francis Mostyn, titular bishop of Ascalon, of Welsh and Catholic lineage; and on 12 May 1898 he created the diocese-bishopric of M., the Latin title of the ancient diocese of St. David's (probably derived from the Roman Menapia), of which Mgr. Mostyn became the first bishop. The patrons of M. are Our Lady Help of Christians, s. David and s. Winefride.
The cathedral of S. David was begun by Bishop Pietro de Leia (1176–1203), with additions made especially by Bishops H. Gower (1328–47) and E. Vaughan (1509–23). The relics of s. David (canonized by Callistus II) were greatly venerated there; popular tradition held that two pilgrimages to S. David were equivalent to one to Rome: « Meneviam pete, Romam adire si vis; Merces aequa tibi redditur hic et ibi; Roma semel dat quantum dat bis Menevia tantum ». The last Catholic bishop was appointed in 1554. The bishops of M. from 1895 were, besides Francis Mostyn (1895–1921, then archbishop of Cardiff, 1921–39), Francis Vaughan (1926–35), Michel McGrath (1935–40, then archbishop of Cardiff), Daniel Joseph Hannon (1940–46), and John Petit (1946).
The church of Our Lady of Sorrows at Wrexham serves as a “pro-cathedral.” At Holywell is the miraculous spring of s. Winefride, which has always been a destination for pilgrims, even during the persecution. The ancient cathedrals of St. David's, Bangor and St. Asaph's are now used by Protestants; of several abbeys, such as Valle Crucis and Talley, only ruins remain. A solemn Mass was celebrated at Valle Crucis in June 1947.
Many saints have made this region famous, among them st. David, st. Non, st. Tello, st. Benos and st. Winefride the martyr. After the apostasy, M. produced the blessed martyrs Richard Gwyn (1584), John Roberts (1610), Philip Powel (1646), John Lloyd (1679), and the venerable Humphrey Pritchard (1589), William Davies (1593), Edward Morgan (1642) and others.
MENGS, ANTON RAPHAEL. — Portrait of Two Spanish Infants. Madrid, Prado Gallery.