Parish Newsletter

Liturgical

Zephaniah 3, 14-18; Psalm Isaiah 12; Philippians 4, 4-7; Luke 3, 10-18

Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: John Lennon (Anniversary)
Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Silver Wedding Thanksgiving – Peter and Bernice Meredith
Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Norah Fennessey (Co Cork)
Sunday 12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Alice Josephine Jane Boekweit
Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of the Gammell Family

Monday 17th December: Ferial: Genesis 49, 2-10; Psalm 71; Matthew 1, 1-17
11.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Requiem Mass for Mandy Burke, late of Barrowmore Court
2.00 pm: Crabwall Hall NH: Carol Service for Residents – All Welcome!
7.00 pm – 10.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Confessions

Tuesday 18th December: Ferial: Jeremiah 23, 5-8; Psalm 71; Matthew 1, 18-24
10.00 am – 12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Confessions
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Mae Kay

Wednesday 19th December: Ferial: Judges 13, 2-25; Psalm 70; Luke 1, 5-25
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Bill O’Donnell (R.I.P.) and family
7.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Penitential Service

Thursday 20th December: Ferial: Isaiah 7, 10-14; Psalm 23; Luke 1, 26-38
10.00 am: Primary School: Year 5/6 Class Mass for Advent
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Catherine M

Friday 21st December: Ferial: Song of Songs 2, 8-14; Psalm 32; Luke 1, 39-45
10.00 am: Primary School: Whole School Advent Mass
11.00 am – 12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Ben (Los Angeles)
7.00 pm – 10.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Confessions

Saturday 22nd December: Ferial: I Samuel 1, 24-28; Psalm 1 Samuel 2; Luke 1, 46-56
10.00 am – 12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Confessions
1.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Wedding Service for Neale Darracott and Emily Bowyer
6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Hilda Jones (99th Birthday Rem) and Pat Maguire (79th B.R.)

SUNDAY 23rd DECEMBER: FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (YEAR C)
Micah 5, 1-5; Psalm 79; Hebrew 10, 5-10; Luke 1, 39-44

Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Hilda Jones (99th B. Rem) and Pat Maguire (79th B.R.)
Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Brian Boardman
Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Thanksgiving for Anwen – 1st Birthday
Sunday 12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Rupert Wilcock
Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Joan Barlow (8th Anniversary)

Prayer Intentions

Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: Lorraine McKeown, James Catterson, Ruth O’Kane, Henri Diacono, James Donovan, Garth Stocking and Kevin Maguire; and for all the sick of the Parish; and for those who have died recently, especially Mandy Burke; and for those whose anniversaries occur about this time: Mona Downey, John McCarthy, Nell Murphy, Mark Entwistle, John and Frances Williams, Terence Hunt, Elizabeth Macaulay, Olive Rowlands, Arthur Townley, Pauline Blanche, Brendan Anderson, David O’Malley, Robert Barlow, Josephine Quinn, Peggy Sheen, Sheila Burns, Loretta Roberts, Gilderoy Finney, Violet Carroll, Stephen Kennedy, George Bowyer, Ron Bennett, Dot Williams, Charles Donnelly, Douglas Brown, Violet Martinez, Harry O’Korn, Cesidia Moreton, Margaret Cooper, Christina Williams and John Arcari. May They All Rest in Peace.

Parish events

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??