Service for Paul Flynn MP

A service was held in memory of the life of Paul Flynn MP at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft on Friday 22 March 2019. Paul passed away on 17 February 2019. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.

Paul had been a member of parliament since 1987, representing Newport West for over 30 years and was also a former Shadow Leader of the House. The service celebrated Paul’s life and the work he did to improve the lives of others through Parliament and his work in the constituency.

The service was led by the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House. The Speaker read from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

The service concluded with a musical reflection, Dylan Thomas’ Prayer from Under Milk Wood:

Every morning when I wake,
Dear Lord, a little prayer I make,
O please do keep Thy lovely eye
On all poor creatures born to die

And every evening at sun-down
I ask a blessing on the town,
For whether we last the night or no
I’m sure is always touch-and-go.

We are not wholly bad or good
Who live our lives under Milk Wood,
And Thou, I know, wilt be the first
To see our best side, not our worst.

O let us see another day!
Bless us all this night, I pray,
And to the sun we all will bow
And say, good-bye – but just for now!