Parish Newsletter

Sunday Morning Mass - Numbers Plateauing Out

• Week One: Sunday 19th July: 147
• Week Two: Sunday 26th July: 198
• Week Three: Sunday 2nd August: 201
• Week Four: Sunday 9th August: 215
• Week Five: Sunday 16th August: 232
• Week Six: Sunday 23rd August: 243
• Week Seven: Sunday 30th August: 257
• Week Eight: Sunday 6th September: 270
• Week Nine: Sunday 13th September: 270
• Week Ten: Sunday 20th September: 257
• Week Eleven: Sunday 27th September: 253
• Week Twelve: Sunday 4th October: 268
• Last Week Thirteen: Sunday 11th October: 261

This is about 67.5% of our "normal” Sunday Morning Mass congregation. Thanks, everyone - and thanks Taskforce, Cleaners and Stewards especially. We couldn’t do it without you!

Today’s 12.00 Noon Mass - 18th October

Stella Farrell’s 1st Anniversary Mass, and Joe is bringing a large number of family and friends to mark this important date. You are all very welcome!

Track and Trace: Government Covid-19 QR Code

Thank you everyone for your patience each Sunday morning as we necessarily collect names and contact details for everyone entering church. We are also supporting the Government’s Test and Trace App. The NHS COVID-19 QR Code is on the railings near the front gate for you to scan - coming in OR going out. It doesn’t replace the requirement for us to keep our own record of your attendance at Mass - it’s as well as! If you do leave your phone switched on during Mass, please ensure it is on silent.

Chester Catholic High: Virtual Open Days

This last week saw The Catholic High School’s first Virtual Open Week. Videos were uploaded daily to give an insight to the unique school for future students and their families. The videos can be seen on the school website https://www.christofidelis.org.uk/Virtual-Open-Evening-2020/. Please spread the word to any families with children currently in Year 5 and 6.

Last Monday’s Taskforce Meeting: Music

We looked at the "Resuming Music at Mass" document, and soon realised we had little room for manoeuvre. All congregational singing is still banned, and our half-hour Masses allow little scope for more than some opening and closing CD’s. We all long for the day when our Choir and Organ comes back into use, but that’s some way off. One suggestion: instead of the "Thought for the Day", I could sing you some songs of Old Tralee? No? Not keen?

Fire and Evacuation Procedures

In order to comply with Fire Regulations, we will, over the next few weeks, introduce you to our fire safety arrangements which the fire safety team are developing. These arrangements include fire notices (what to do in the event of fire) at strategic points, alarm system and emergency exit points. Last Sunday, 11th October, we introduced you to the Klaxon, which is the official Fire Alarm. Next Sunday, 25th, at one of the Masses, we will have a Practice Fire Drill. Apologies for any inconvenience but this is something we must do at least once a year.

Car Parking Sunday Mornings: Priority for Stewards

Please DON’T try to park at church if you are coming for one of the four Sunday Morning Masses. Blue Badges: you can park on the main road, as usual.

November: Month of the Holy Souls

Sadly, we will not be able to celebrate this beautiful month with quite the style we are used to. With limited numbers and restricted movement in church, we cannot hold the Mass for the Recently Bereaved or the Holy Souls Mass. Apologies. Instead of the Holy Souls Book this year, I will offer each of my Weekday Private Masses for one of your family Holy Souls Intentions. Please get your names into me as soon as possible, and they will appear on the Newsletter as "Deceased friends and Family of John and Mary Smith". Delighted we can still have our Blessing of Graves: Sunday afternoons, 2.00-4.00 pm, 22nd November at Blacon and 29th November at Overleigh.

Spring Bulbs! Time to Plant! Donations of £48 so far!

The front garden was a riot of colour this year, and we’d love it to be even more colourful next spring, a little sign of hope and joy in these horrible lockdown days. Box in the porch if you can all donate a bag of bulbs. And Thursday Morning 29th October the big Bulb Planting session at 10.00 am! Bring your own kneeler and your own dibber (they can’t touch you for it) and we’ll have a fun morning, all socially distanced, shoving those bulbs into the yielding autumnal loam (Steady on!) Everyone welcome to join us - and everyone invited to donate!

Message from Bishop Mark: Friday 16th October

A time for caution and vigilance: In the past week we have seen most areas of our Diocese move into the two highest tiers of public health restrictions. These measures have not as yet involved any new requirements for places of worship; however, they do naturally invite us to increased caution and vigilance in our implementation of the Covid safety measures developed and refined over these past three months. As I write, I understand that the territory of the Diocese has been divided into these categories within the three-tier system:
Very High Alert: The Wirral; Halton
High Alert: Cheshire West and Chester; Cheshire East; Manchester; Stockport; Tameside; Trafford; Warrington.
Only Shropshire now remains at the level of Medium Risk. I know there will be differing opinions as to what safety measures are now appropriate; however, I think we should stress beyond any personal opinions, our need to act in an exemplary way by following what is required to minimise the transmission of the virus. In reference to any second "national lockdown" there have been few references to the closure of places of worship. Public Health England has stated that places of worship pose a low to medium risk of virus transmission and have confidence in this assessment. We may expect some further refinements of guidance as the governmental task group works through the details of the higher states of alert adopted during the past week. I hope all the measures you have so effectively put in place since the summer will enable us to keep our churches open as among the safest places in society. If I receive any further information from the Secretariat of the Bishops Conference regarding changes to the guidance, I will immediately alert you.

Photo of the Week: Saigon Cathedral

Originally called "L’Eglise de Saigon", this Basilica was built by the French between 1863 and 1880, when Vietnam was a French Colony. Located in down-town Ho Chi Minh City (as it is today). it is now officially "Notre Dame Cathedral". Thanks for sending it in, Judith!