Parish Newsletter

Statement from Bishop Mark: Friday 5th June
PREPARING FOR THE RE-OPENING OF CHURCHES

"I am grateful to all the parish priests who have indicated that their parishes wish to be part of the first phase of the re-opening of our churches. It is good to see the readiness and generosity of volunteers and some 47 churches expressing interest in being part of this initial phase. I appreciate that local conditions - including the situation of clergy - won’t allow the re-opening of all of the churches. However, I hope the experience of the first parishes will be a source of encouragement for everyone.

I note that parish priests are most often seeking to begin this phase by opening churches for a specific number of hours on weekdays and especially on Sundays. In conversation with the Vicars General, everyone seems to appreciate this is very much a pioneering stage as we emerge into changed circumstances and in some ways a changed world. The recent re-opening of schools, businesses and other facilities indicate elements of ‘Covid security’ that will be expected of the churches in the months ahead. I am grateful to Julie Tinsley, our Diocesan Health and Safety Officer, for her availability to assist parish priests and parishioners during this first phase and beyond.”

OFFICIAL GUIDANCE FOR REOPENING OF CHURCHES

Bishop Mark writes:

"As we await the final word from the Government on the timescale for the re-opening of churches, I am pleased to be able to send you the official guidance from the Bishops of England and Wales which has been agreed by the Government Task Force and peer reviewed by Public Health England. As I warned in my last letter, the requirements for public safety are certainly demanding. However, once we have these provisions in place and demonstrate that we can act safely and responsibly we will have the basis to move towards the public celebration of Mass and the sacraments. It is important to note that we are awaiting from the Government the Risk Assessment Template which will be required to be completed before any church can be opened. However, I have been assured that the guidance document attached contains all of the points to complete this risk assessment correctly.”

This Document (Dated 6th June) is on our Website, Box One. Our own Re-Opening Taskforce is up and running. Next meeting Monday Morning, 8th June. Watch this space! Thanks, everyone!

Hour Outside Church Sunday Morning

10.00-11.00 am, for Catholic papers, Newsletters or just to say "Hello!” Why not come along?

Austin Tighe RIP

Love and sympathy go out to Catherine Neal on the death of her father, Austin, at home in Halifax. Her Mum and Dad were frequent visitors here, and we send out condolences to all the family, especially our own Catherine, Simon, Emily and Eliza.

Newsletter "Outsides” from Redemptorists

We are now out of these, and none available until Lockdown is over. Printed Newsletters will therefore be just "insides”, either side of an A4 sheet.

Mass Intentions During Lockdown

Still honoured and delighted to say your Mass Intentions: but there is only one Mass each day except Sunday (two) and that does mean that some pre-booked Intentions may not be on the exact day you requested if it was a Sunday. I’ll try to say your Mass on the nearest available day.

"Online giving to the Parish”

An online donation page has been added to the Parish website. It’s the third box down on the Home Page. (Box One, Official Statements, Box Two, Blog.)

Richard Curtis’s CAFOD 10k Run

Richard completed his run last Sunday evening, with Gerry and myself to cheer him on. Well done, Rich! We hope to be able to let you have a Final Total of money raised and sent to CAFOD next week. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-curtis18

Living Differently

During these strange times of Spring/Summer 2020, we are all finding ways of living differently. ‘Living Differently’ is a new set of free online resources from Retreat House Chester, offering the good things of retreat as we wend our way slowly and thoughtfully through these unfolding times. Go well. The ‘Living Differently’ resources are available on our website https://retreathousechester.co.uk/living-differently. Please share this invitation and these resources wherever you can. Thank you.

Keeping in Touch during this Period

Newsletters and Information Sheets will be available two ways, as usual: hard copies, in the Newsletter Box on the Front Door of the Church; and on the website, as you’ve always done. Log on to: www.stwerburghchester.co.uk. On the home page, you will see three links: one takes you to all the official statements; the second is the childish Parish Priest’s Daily Blog; the third is online giving.

Photo of the Week: St Ann Seton’s Church, Omaha

St Ann Seton (1774-1821) is the first native-born United States citizen to be canonised by the Catholic Church, by Pope Paul VI in 1975. Born in New York City, she had a very difficult childhood, her mother dying when she was three, and her stepmother rejecting her. She married at the age of 19 and had five children before her husband died of tuberculosis when Ann was only 29. Out of her grief, she took instruction in the Catholic Faith and was received into the Church two years later in St Peter’s New York, which was then the only Catholic church in the city. She was confirmed the following year by Bishop John Carroll, the only Catholic Bishop in the United States. (Quiz Question: Bishop of where? What is the USA’s Primatial See?) In 1809, she moved to Maryland and founded a Catholic School for girls. She then founded a Community of Religious Sisters to care for the poor, the first such in the country. She died in 1821 at the age of 46. I’m only sorry we aren’t having Mass at Rowton at present, as I could have asked our large US contingent all about her. Maryland would have known everything, Michigan would have known nothing...
Thanks for the photo and info, Lal!