Parish Newsletter

Confirmation – 19^th November 2019

Class One is Tuesday week, 10^th Sept, 7.00 pm in Church. See you all there!

Parish Diary Now Arrived!

An enormous labour, collecting together all the dates and events in the Parish and area for the next twelve months. Please don’t say you didn’t know when anything was happening!! Huge thanks to Syd and Denise for this. Please make sure you take your copy with you today.  

Arrangements While I’m Away

‘Mille grazie’ (as they in German) to everyone for minding the shop so well while I was away: to Frs Colin and Neill for the weekend and weekday Masses; to Syd, for his usual excellent admin over the last fortnight, and to everyone who played their part. Thanks, team!

Old Photos of Front of Church?

The architect would love to see any photos of this era that show what that flat paved area originally looked like. Keep’em coming in!

First Holy Communions for 2019-20

For children in Year Three or above in September. Preparation Classes for children attending Non-Catholic Primary Schools: please contact Fr Paul by phone or email before 5^th  September, if you would like your child to prepare for their First Holy Communion. Our Classes and Preparation Books are normally geared to children in Year Three, so if you have an older child, please contact us to discuss. A good number of names have come in so far – any last ones definitely this week, please, and we will publish a list of names received next week.  

APF Red Box Mission Collection

Bernie will be available at the 9.00 am, 10.45 am and 6.00 pm Masses on Sunday 6^th October to collect any red boxes ready for emptying. Thanks very much!

Next Meeting of the Readers Group

After the break, our next meeting will be on Monday September 16^th September at 7.00 pm in the Presbytery for about an hour, to look at the Sunday readings for the next month.   All very welcome, whether readers or not.

Christian Aid Coffee Morning

Saturday 14^th September 10.30 – 12.30 pm at the United Reform Church, Hoole Road.   Cakes are needed. Contact Marie (311374) if you can help.

SVP: Mass for the Elderly and Housebound

Sunday 22^nd September, 2.30 pm in the Primary School. Transport provided. For further info, contact Stephen Perry on 07775 851 204.

Heritage Open Days – September

As usual St Werburgh’s opens its doors to visitors 10.00 am – 4.00 pm Friday 13^th – Sunday 15^th September.  We’ll need two Welcomers / Stewards available for each hour that the church is open. Sign-up sheet at the back of church. A brochure with full details of all Chester Heritage Open Day Buildings now out.

October Bible Month in Chester

The brochures have now arrived, so do please take a copy today. You will see that the whole month is full of events in so many different churches and venues to explore the Bible. Here in St Werburgh’s, we will have a Bible Exhibition, and the church open every day 10.00- 1.00 pm for visitors. In addition, FP will be giving three talks on the Bible, open to everyone:

1. Wednesday 2^nd October: 7.30 pm: “From Suspicion to Enthusiasm: The Catholic Church’s attitude to Bible Translation through the ages”
2. Wednesday 9^th October: 7.30 pm: “What were the Original Bible Languages, Hebrew and Greek, and original Texts, and what do we mean by calling the Bible ‘Inspired’ and ‘The Word of God’?”
3. Wednesday 16^th October: 7.30 pm: A Practical Workshop on Translating the Bible Ourselves

Day Out Welsh Highland and Ffestiniog Railways

Thank you so much for your “expressions of interest” – 48 received!! So, this trip is definitely on. Unfortunately, both projected dates in October are already booked, and the season finishes in November. So, we are now looking to make a booking for May of next year, when the Booking Season opens in January. Watch this space, folks, for the trip of a lifetime!

Parish Council Meeting on Wednesday

We’ll be looking at the Minor Works List and the Major Project, updating ourselves on Child Protection and Health & Safety, having our usual financial update, and everything else that needs monitoring month by month. If you have any items you would like discussed, please let FP or any Council Member know.

Photo of the Week: World Day of Prayer

Another lovely photo from the World Day of Prayer held here in St Werburgh’s on 1^st March this year. Each year focuses on a different country, and this year it was Slovenia. Can you recognise the very fetching Slovenian lady in the photograph?

Milan – August 2019

What an amazing city! Strongly recommended if you have never been. A selection of pictures on the noticeboard (not mine, I hasten to say!). There are the sights you know about in advance, the Cathedral in pink-white marble, the stunning Sforza Palace, the Pinacoteca Brera, possibly the finest collection of religious art in Europe. Then there are the surprises: that extraordinary Central Station, one of the most striking examples of Fascist Architecture in Italy, and, an amazing find, the Cimitero Monumentale, the enormous Victorian Cemetery, with the best sculptors and artists commissioned by each family to make their graves as beautiful as possible, and celebrate the power of death in such an unrestrained and uninhibited style. Unforgettable. Plus, the two Holy of Holies, La Scala for those who love opera and San Siro for those who don’t. The tiny Airbnb apartment was great, and a superb base for exploring the area. And some wonderful trips on those fantastic (and very cheap) Italian trains: to Bergamo and Lake Como (both an hour away and €5), Mantua (two hours away, and only €11) and Bologna, three hours by train for a princely €16. And temperatures never out of the mid-30’s…