Parish Newsletter

Liturgy Group Meeting: Tuesday at 7.00 pm

To prepare for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter

 

Building Work Next Door and Passageway

Exactly eight weeks to go to Completion Date, 17^th May. Please just grit your teeth, everyone (assuming you still have your own, of course.) 

 

SVP Lent Reconciliation Service for Elderly/Housebound

Saturday 6^th April at 10.30 a.m. in St Werburgh's church. Transport will be provided. All welcome.

 

Parish Day Out to Oscott on Wednesday

Coach departs promptly from the lay-by outside St. John’s Church (adjacent to the Amphitheatre) at 8.45 am and we hope to return to Chester by 5.30 pm. We are delighted that Oscott will now be providing us with a two-course hot meal at no extra cost. [Even if it means your PP being in the kitchen at 2.00 am, Ed.] On arrival, we will be met by Deacon Robert Dykes, a Shrewsbury Diocesan Seminarian who will be ordained to the priesthood on the Feast of St John Plessington this year in St Mary’s Church Crewe.

 

Stewards for the Easter Vigil

The new Parish Health & Safety Group has got off to a cracking start – see separate Newsletter Item. One immediate concern is the upcoming Easter Vigil, the fire alight in the garden, everyone processing with their lighted Candles into the total darkness of the church… (What could possibly go wrong?) So, we need four Steward / Fire Marshalls, to be on duty for at least the first part of the Service. If you are not otherwise engaged, could four parishioners volunteer for this crucial task, please?

 

Countess of Chester Hospital Mass

The regular ‘First Thursday’ Mass will be celebrated on 2^nd April at 12.15 pm. in the Hospital Chapel. For patients/outpatients, staff, families and friends, and the wellbeing of our hospitals, including the Bowmere.

 

Christian Aid Lent Lunches: 12.00–1.30 pm

Held on Mondays 25^th March and 1^st April at the Quaker Meeting House and on 8^th April at St Mary’s Centre Handbridge. St Werburgh’s will be hosting the lunch on the 25^th and would welcome your support.

 

British Summer Time – Saturday 30^th March 2019

Clocks Go Forward Next Saturday Evening.

 

Christleton Churches Together Lent Programme

This Lent, we are visiting five of the Chapels of Chester that serve people of all faiths and none. Last Tuesday we were at the Catholic High School. Tuesday 26^th we’re at the Hospital Chapel. 2.30 start time – all welcome.

 

First Holy Parish Group Meetings

All formal meetings and classes now finished, so the next event will be the Commentary Mass on Monday and then the series of First Holy Communions in May. Please keep them in your prayers.

 

Easter Ministries Volunteer Rota

Now at back of church – please sign up!

  

Gift Aid & Envelopes: Three Important Notices

(a) Tax Status: If you no longer pay income tax, please let Fr Paul or Denise Jones know by 5^th April, otherwise it will be assumed that you have paid sufficient income tax for the Parish to claim Gift Aid on your donations for the tax year 2018/19. Thanks.

(b) Offertory Envelopes: If you have not yet collected your box, please collect asap. Thanks.

(c) Joining the Gift Aid Scheme: If you pay income tax, joining the Gift Aid scheme increases the value of your donations to the Parish at no extra cost to you. If you are interested in joining the scheme, please contact Fr Paul or Denise Jones.

 

NW Universities Catholic Chaplains Meeting

We meet as Regional Groups (in our case, NW England) twice a year, every Spring and Autumn. We meet nationally – all 120 England & Wales Unis together – in June. On Thursday, the NW Group meets at the University of Bolton: Bangor, Chester, all the Manchester and Liverpool universities, UCLAN, Lancaster and Cumbria. Quite a gathering!

 

Caritas at Rowton last Saturday Evening

Good to welcome our Caritas friends to Rowton, When Dominique and Nathalie took over (mainly Loic, in fact), we had about 12 active box-holders. Before last weekend, it was 72. Now it’s into the 80’s!  We have 120 Red Box Mission Box-Holders: so, Bernie, we’re catching you up!

 

Friday Evenings in Lent: 7.00 pm

• Friday 29^th March: Devotions (Lectio Divina)
• Friday 5^th April: Devotions
• Friday 12^th April: Stations

Followed by Exposition until 9.00 pm.

 

Tesco Supporting Val’s Fencing Club

Val Scipanovs has been running the club for over 12 years now and as part of their school programme they deliver fencing sessions in Chester and Cheshire schools involving over 200 pupils per term. His Club has been selected for Tesco Bags of Help scheme, for customer vote March - April 30^th in all of Chester’s Tesco main and Convenience stores. If you shop there, please give Val’s Club your support! Liels paldies!

 

Parish Health and Safety Group Meeting

Excellent start last Wednesday, and the first four Task Groups now up and running.

 

Liverpool Renaissance Singers:  

Sun 31^st March 7.30 pm, here in St Werburgh’s. Entitled: ‘A Lily Grows: Flowers and their Hidden Meaning in Music from the Medieval to the Baroque’. Tickets are £10 (£8 Concessions). Everyone warmly welcome.

 

Photo of the Week: Ash Wednesday Morning

Another beautifully atmospheric shot of our church in the dawn of Ash Wednesday 2019. Although we ask for and love receiving pictures of other churches, it’s amazing how many different shots of our own church you submit, in its different seasons and times of day.