Esgob Bangor yn dechrau ei gweinidogaeth gyhoeddus gyda symbolau o Gristnogaeth Geltaidd
Bydd Esgob newydd Bangor yn dechrau ei gweinidogaeth gyhoeddus yn ffurfiol pan gaiff ei sefydlu yn Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor y penwythnos hwn.
Mae ei modrwy a’i chroes newydd yn cynnwys symbolau o Nefyn, Llŷn ac Ynys Enlli sy’n adrodd hanes ei ffydd, ei gweinidogaeth a’i chysylltiadau â’r esgobaeth.
Cysegrwyd yr Esgob Manon yn esgob yn Eglwys Gadeiriol Casnewydd ddydd Sadwrn 12 Medi. Yn ystod y gwasanaeth, cafodd ei heneinio a chyflwynwyd symbolau gweinidogaeth esgob iddi, gan gynnwys ei modrwy esgobol a’i chroes frest.
Roedd y fagl a gyflwynwyd iddi yn ystod y cysegru wedi cael ei rhoi iddi gan yr Esgob Barry Morgan, cyn Archesgob Cymru a’i hordeiniodd yn ddiacon ac yn offeiriad.
Comisiynwyd y fodrwy a’r groes gan Rhiannon Evans, y gemyddes Gymreig nodedig o Rhiannon Jewellery. Maent ymhlith ei chomisiynau olaf cyn iddi ymddeol. Gofynnodd yr Esgob Manon i Rhiannon greu darnau modern mewn arian ac aur, gan ddefnyddio symbolau o fannau yn Esgobaeth Bangor sydd wedi dylanwadu ar ei bywyd a’i ffydd.
Yn wreiddiol o Nefyn ym Mhen Llŷn, mae’r Esgob Manon yn siarad Cymraeg fel iaith gyntaf. Fe’i hordeiniwyd yn ddiacon yn Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor ym 1994 ac, ym 1997, daeth yn un o’r merched cyntaf i gael ei hordeinio’n offeiriad yn yr esgobaeth. Dywedodd yr Esgob Manon, “Wrth feddwl am gynllun fy modrwy a’m croes, roedd yn bwysig i mi eu bod yn cynnwys symbolau o’r esgobaeth.
“Gan fy mod i’n dod o Nefyn, daeth Rhiannon o hyd i groes hynafol rhwng Nefyn a Phistyll, a defnyddiodd honno yn y cynllun.”
Credir bod y groes yn dyddio o rywbryd rhwng y seithfed a’r nawfed ganrif. Mae ei chynllun yn ymddangos ar ddwy ochr y garreg ym modrwy’r Esgob Manon ac ar gefn ei chroes frest.
Mae Rhiannon wedi astudio croesau cerrig cerfiedig cynnar ers blynyddoedd lawer.
“Mae’r amrywiaeth ymhlith y croesau cerrig cerfiedig cynharaf yn hynod ddiddorol, felly roeddwn i’n gwybod am y groes yn Nefyn,” meddai. “Mae’r rhai cynnar hyn yn gerfiadau endoredig syml, sy’n dyddio’n ôl i oes y seintiau, tra bod y rhai mynachaidd mwy addurnedig yn ddiweddarach, o’r wythfed i’r ddegfed ganrif.”
Mae’r groes frest yn dilyn y ffurf Geltaidd draddodiadol a geir ar hyd arfordir gorllewinol Prydain ac mewn aneddiadau mynachaidd cynnar. “Mae gan y rhan hon o Gymru nifer fawr o safleoedd Cristnogol hynafol iawn, felly defnyddiais symbolaeth o draddodiad yr Eglwys Geltaidd,” meddai Rhiannon.
Mae’r clymwaith ar y groes frest yn seiliedig ar batrymau a geir ar groesau ar Ynys Enlli. Dewisodd yr Esgob Manon y patrymau fel symbol o’r Drindod. I Rhiannon, mae ystyr ehangach hefyd i’r llinellau di-dor sy’n cydblethu.
“Roedd clymwaith yn nodwedd o gelf fynachaidd Geltaidd, gan gynrychioli’r ffordd y mae creadigaeth Duw yn dragwyddol, gyda phopeth yn gysylltiedig ac wedi’i gydblethu, a’n bodolaeth ddynol ni’n ddim ond rhan o’r cyfan,” meddai.
Yng nghanol y groes frest mae carreg gron o lapis lazuli. Dywedodd yr Esgob Manon, “Roeddwn i eisiau carreg gron o lapis lazuli, sydd yn aml yn symbol o bresenoldeb Duw yn y Beibl. I mi, mae carreg gron yn cynrychioli cydraddoldeb a’r ffordd rydym i gyd yn gwasanaethu ein gilydd.”
Creodd Rhiannon hefyd addurn canolog wedi’i ysbrydoli gan y môr a thraddodiad pysgota Llŷn. Mae’n cynnwys y pysgodyn fel symbol hynafol o Grist.
“Roeddwn yn falch iawn o gael y gwahoddiad i greu’r darnau hyn i’r Esgob Manon, gan mai’r rhain, fwy na thebyg, fydd fy nghomisiwn olaf cyn ymddeol,” meddai Rhiannon. “Rwyf bob amser yn teimlo ei bod yn fraint cael creu darnau crefyddol ac ysbrydol.”
Yn ystod ei gyrfa, mae Rhiannon wedi creu sawl darn ar gyfer esgobion ac archesgobion. Un o’i chomisiynau cynharaf oedd y clasp aur, sy’n cau gwisg archesgob, ac sy’n dal i gael ei ddefnyddio gan Archesgob Cymru.
“Yr un mwyaf mawreddog oedd y clasp ar gyfer gwisg Gymreig Archesgob Caergaint, a gyflwynwyd i Rowan Williams gan Lywodraeth Cymru,” meddai.
I Rhiannon, mae creu darnau crefyddol yn ei chysylltu â’r mynachod a greodd gelf Gristnogol yn y mynachlogydd Celtaidd hynafol. “Wrth eu creu, rwy’n teimlo cysylltiad â’r mynachod hynafol hynny a greodd gelf grefyddol ryfeddol yn y mynachlogydd Celtaidd, pan oedd y gwaith o greu yn rhan o weddi ac ymroddiad i Dduw. Yn ôl y sôn, roedd yr angylion yn eu hysbrydoli ac yn arwain eu dwylo. Rwy’n gobeithio eu bod wedi gwneud yr un peth i mi!”
Mae’r Esgob Manon wedi gwasanaethu fel offeiriad plwyf yn esgobaethau Bangor a Llanelwy ac wedi dal swyddi esgobaethol ym meysydd hyfforddiant, addysg a galwedigaethau. Yn Llanelwy, hi oedd y Cyfarwyddwr Gweinidogaeth. Cyn dod yn Ddeon Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor ym mis Hydref 2025, hi oedd Deon Hyfforddiant Cychwynnol Gweinidogion yn Athrofa Padarn Sant.
Caiff ei sefydlu yn 82ain Esgob Bangor a’r ferch gyntaf i ddal y swydd yn Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor am 2pm ddydd Sadwrn 19 Medi. Oherwydd y lle cyfyngedig, dim ond drwy wahoddiad y gellir dod i’r gwasanaeth.
Bishop of Bangor begins public ministry with symbols of Celtic Christianity
The new Bishop of Bangor will formally begin her public ministry at her installation in Bangor Cathedral this weekend.
Her new ring and cross contain symbols from Nefyn, Llŷn and Ynys Enlli which tell the story of her faith, ministry and connections with the diocese.
Bishop Manon Ceridwen James was consecrated as a bishop at Newport Cathedral on Saturday 12 September. During the service, she was anointed and presented with the symbols of a bishop’s ministry, including her episcopal ring and pectoral cross.
The crozier presented to her during the consecration had been given to her by Bishop Barry Morgan, the former Archbishop of Wales who ordained her as both deacon and priest.
The ring and cross were commissioned from acclaimed Welsh jeweller Rhiannon Evans of Rhiannon Jewellery. They are among her final commissions before she retires.
Bishop Manon asked Rhiannon to create modern pieces in silver and gold, using symbols drawn from places within the Diocese of Bangor which have shaped her life and faith.
Originally from Nefyn on the Llŷn Peninsula, Bishop Manon is a first-language Welsh speaker. She was ordained deacon at Bangor Cathedral in 1994 and, in 1997, became one of the first women to be ordained priest in the diocese.
Bishop Manon said: “When thinking about the design of my ring and cross, it was important to me that they included symbols from the diocese. “As I’m from Nefyn, Rhiannon found an ancient cross from between Nefyn and Pistyll which she used in the design.”
The cross is thought to date from between the seventh and ninth centuries. Its design appears on both sides of the stone in Bishop Manon’s ring and on the reverse of her pectoral cross.
Rhiannon has studied early carved stone crosses for many years.
“The variety in the earliest carved stone crosses is fascinating, so I knew of the cross at Nefyn,” she said. “These early ones are simple incised carvings, dating right back to the age of saints, whereas the more elaborate monastic ones are later, from the eighth to tenth centuries.”
The pectoral cross follows the traditional Celtic shape found along the western coast of Britain and at early monastic settlements. “This part of Wales has a large number of very ancient Christian sites, so I used symbolism from the Celtic Church tradition,” Rhiannon said.
The knotwork on the pectoral cross draws on designs found on crosses on Ynys Enlli. Bishop Manon chose the patterns as a symbol of the Trinity. For Rhiannon, the unbroken, interwoven lines also carry a wider meaning.
“Knotwork was a feature of Celtic monastic art, representing the way God’s creation is eternal, all interrelated and intertwined, with our human existence merely a part of the whole,” she said.
At the centre of the pectoral cross is a round lapis lazuli stone. Bishop Manon said: “I wanted a round stone which is lapis lazuli, which often symbolises God’s presence in the Bible.
“A round stone for me stands for equality and how we all serve and minister to one another.”
Rhiannon also created a central motif inspired by the sea and the fishing tradition of Llŷn. It includes the fish as an ancient symbol of Christ. “I was delighted that I was asked to create these pieces for Bishop Manon, as they are probably my last commission before retirement,” Rhiannon said. “I always feel privileged to make religious, spiritual pieces.”
During her career, Rhiannon has created several pieces for bishops and archbishops. One of her earliest commissions was the gold morse, the clasp worn on an archbishop’s robes, which is still used by the Archbishop of Wales.
“The grandest one was the morse for the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Welsh robes, presented to Rowan Williams by the Welsh Government,” she said.
For Rhiannon, making religious pieces connects her with the monks who created Christian artwork in the ancient Celtic monasteries. “When making them, I feel a connection with those ancient monks who made wonderful religious artwork in the Celtic monasteries, when the making was part of prayer and devotion to God. The angels reputedly gave them inspiration and guided their hands. I hope they have done the same for me!”
Bishop Manon has served as a parish priest in the dioceses of Bangor and St Asaph and has held diocesan roles in training, education and vocations. At St Asaph, she was Director of Ministry. Before becoming Dean of Bangor Cathedral in October 2025, she was Dean for Initial Ministerial Training at St Padarn’s Institute.
She will be installed as the 82nd Bishop of Bangor and the first woman to hold the role at Bangor Cathedral at 2pm on Saturday 19 September. The service is by invitation only because of limited space.