St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester
Parish Newsletter
SUNDAY 16th DECEMBER: THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR C) – GAUDETE SUNDAY
Christmas Flowers Second Collection Today
Remember, we are committed to just eight second collections each year: three for the SVP (Christmas, Summer Meal and Holiday Home), two for Flowers (Christmas and Easter), one for Church Students, one for Retired Priests and the Annual Mission Appeal. Just eight!
No Contractor Parking from Now On
We’ve tried to be reasonable – we really have! Initially, in consultation with the builders, we gave permission for one car to be parked on our driveway, if it was tucked right in. But then one became two, two became three and last week it was FIVE. Wednesday morning was a cross between Agincourt and the third Battle of the Somme. So, we have had to withdraw permission completely – as soon as one car parks there, all the rest follow! There will be A Boards at each end: if you need to come in before the Sacristans, please replace them afterwards. Sacristans: please take them down and store them in the porch. Many thanks, everyone!
Confessions Before Christmas
- Monday 17th: 7.00 pm – 10.00 pm
- Tuesday 18th: 10.00 am – 12.00 noon
- Wednesday 19th: Penitential Service 7.00 pm
- Friday 21st: 7.00 pm – 10.00 pm
- Saturday 22nd: 10.00 am – 12.00 noon
New Arrival in the Parish – Welcome to Donna!
A very special new parishioner to welcome today – Donna the Donkey. Our existing one, Donald, was dropped and smashed some time last year. (By the bye, whoever did must have known they did it – couldn’t they have reported it???) So, a trip over to Carrara’s, the amazing Statue Factory in Liverpool. Nothing remotely like Donald in the showrooms or workshops. One last crazy idea: ‘We could always go down to the cellar where we store the junk and see if there’s anything there…’ And there we found Donna, covered in the muck of ages and two inches deep in dust. An exact match for Donald! We gave her as much of a clean-up as possible and she’ll be back to Carrara’s after Epiphany for a re-paint, when they will tell us if Donald can be repaired or not. If he can, we’ll have them both. Might even be a breeding pair, like those Maracas. So, lots of little donkeys this time next year.
Isn’t that sweet? Yes, it is…
2019 Yearbooks Now Arrived - £4 each
Featuring in the photos a picture of Bishop Mark blessing our new Great War Memorial.
Panto Tickets: 27th Dec, 7.00 pm Theatr Clwyd
Now available for collection. Altar Servers and Families collect from Gerry. Others collect from the Parish Office. Remember: 7.00 pm start!
December 26th: Boxing Day Altar Servers Mass
We are delighted to be enrolling Stephanie Pilliner and Matthew Cartmill into our branch of the Guild of St. Stephen and making a number of Awards to other Altar Servers. We do hope that many Parishioners will attend what is always a very enjoyable and special Mass – 10.00 am.
University Masses Start Again Mon 7th January
Forthcoming Musical Concerts
Saturday 22nd Dec at 7.30 pm: Chester Bach Singers with a super Concert of Christmas Music. (Over 500 here for Belle Voci on Friday, folk standing at the back! Thanks especially to our highly trained team of Toilet Queue Supervisors…)
Christmas Cards on Sacristy Window-Sill
A super way of distributing cards to fellow parishioners – so, two requests: do please have a look to see if any there are for YOU, and do please put FULL names on, as there are an awful lot of ‘Caths’ and ‘Johns’ in the Parish!!
Christmas Service Times Cards
On table at back of church, so do please distribute as far and wide as possible. Thanks!
Christmas Volunteer Rota Out Now
Please sign up: we need the usual team of volunteer Eucharistic Ministers, Readers, Welcomers and Collectors for our special Masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
CWAC Sixth Form Schools League Tables
Latest Government League Tables for schools out this week. Notoriously difficult to agree on comparison criteria. I’m generally not a huge fan but the latest yardstick is “Progress Score”. The Sixth Form tables are informative, showing how much progress pupils make between their GCSE’s and their A Levels. For what it’s worth…
1. Abbey Gate College, Chester
2. Sir John Deane’s, Northwich
3. The Grange School, Hartford
4. King’s Chester
5. Queen’s Chester
6. Chester Catholic High School
7. Upton High School, Chester
8. Whitby High School, Ellesmere Port
9. Tarporley High School
10. Christleton High School
11. St Nicholas High School, Hartford
12. Helsby High School
13. Bishop’s High School, Chester
14. Ellesmere Port Catholic High School
15. Bishop Heber High School, Malpas
16. Queen’s Park High School, Chester
17. The Hammond, Chester
18. Univ of Chester Academy, Ellesmere Port
Message from John in our Parish Club
Our folk circle is holding their Christmas Big Sing at the Parish Centre on Friday December 21st
at 8.00 pm. Everyone welcome.
Children’s Christmas Eve Vigil Mass – 6.00 pm
Not too early, mums and dads, to start getting those costumes ready!
Music Group Playing Sunday 16th Dec at 10.45
Catholic High School Parents Association
Carol Service – Tuesday 18th December 6.30 pm.
Photo of the Week: May Procession 1966
Our children from the Primary School, a lifetime ago. So, everyone, where are they now??
