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
• Week Thirteen: Sunday 11th October: 261
• Last Week Fourteen: Sunday 18th October: 294 (a record!)

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!

November Holy Souls Lists

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. Thank you for the great number that have come in already - so many, that I have had to start at the end of this month:

• Wed 28th Oct: Baxter and Gidney Families
• Thurs 29th Oct: Fazey and Boulton Families
• Fri 30th Oct: Peter and Bernice Meredith’s Family
• Sat 31st Oct: Broadhurst and Hammond Families
• Sun 1st Nov: Pat and Gerry Cummins’ Family
• Wed 4th Nov: Elizabeth Arrowsmith’s Parents
• Thurs 5th Nov: Cesare and Margaret D’Enrico’s Family
• Fri 6th Nov: Chris and Mary Powell’s Family
• Sat 7th Nov: Norah Clewes’ Family
• Mon 9th Nov: Karen Elliott’s Family
• Tues 10th Nov: Maurice and Peggy Power and Family
• Wed 11th Nov: Hugh Lancaster’s Family
• Thurs 12th Nov: Cook and Fernando Family
• Fri 13th Nov: Angie Bithell’s Family
• Sat 14th Nov: Michael Burke’s Family
• Sun 15th Nov: Syd and Denise Jones’ Family
• Mon 16th Nov: John and Vera Clyne and family
• Tues 17th Nov: Alex and Pat Barnes’ Family
• Wed 18th Nov: David and Barbara Graves’ Family
• Thurs 19th Nov: Gerry Tighe’s Family
• Fri 20th Nov: Anne and Aiden Cadden’s Family
• Sat 21st Nov: Daly and Rogers Families

Just a very few spaces left if there are any more requests. I will read your list out in full at each Mass.

SVP Holiday Home Appeal

SVP 'Just Giving' page - for all of the obvious reasons the Chester and Ellesmere Port District SVP, which includes the St Werburgh’s team, have had to cancel all of their annual fund raising events that would normally raise money to help maintain their Holiday Home in Talacre. As an alternative approach they have decided to set up a 'Just Giving' page for a limited period so that donations can be made at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chesterellesmereportholidayhome. If anyone would like to support this initiative their contribution would be very welcome. More details of the Holiday Home that we provide to local families in need can be seen on the SVP page of the Parish website.

Last Monday’s Taskforce Meeting: FHC

We decided to ask all twelve families with youngsters not at our Parish Primary who should have made their FHC last May if they would be willing to come on Saturday 24th November instead. Delighted that nine have said "yes", so now we will go into the detailed planning phase. Huge thanks to all Stewards also who have indicated availability for Christmas.

Fire and Evacuation Procedures

On Sunday, 11th October, we introduced you to the Klaxon, which is the official Fire Alarm. Today, 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.

Family in Need of Furniture

Our SVP have been asked to help find furniture for a family who are about to move out of a homeless hostel into a flat of their own. They need the following items: Two single mattresses, One double bed and mattress, 3 x wardrobes, Tumble drier, Side tables, Dining table. If anyone is able to help please contact svpchester@gmail.com or call 07775781204.

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. 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! Get Your Dibbers Ready!

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!) The perfect dibber is an old cricket stump - it’s the right width and length, has a pointed end for shoving in the soil and, if anyone gets too close and isn’t socially distanced enough as they back towards you, it’s ideal for jabbing in their nether regions. That’ll learn’em.

Message from Bishop Mark: Friday 23rd October

I am conscious Greater Manchester has today entered the highest level of Covid alert and mindful how this will impact upon the lives of individuals and communities. We can be thankful that the closure of churches and suspension of participation in public worship has not been considered a necessary part of even the most stringent public health measures in England. It is a cause of sadness to see the faithful across our border in Wales and across the sea in the Irish Republic facing a second closure of churches. It would be troubling if these steps were taken without consulting the Church. As I indicated in the last Ad Clerum, in England the opening of churches and participation in worship are not perceived by the public authorities as being part of the problem in spreading the virus. However, let us remember our brethren in Wales and Ireland and hope similar measures will never be introduced again within our own Diocese.

Photo of the Week: 1929

The Centenary of Catholic Emancipation in 1829, when so many (but not all) of the sanctions and penalties against Catholics in this country were removed. I’d love to know more about this photo: where it was taken, who is in it, and why, oh why, are they dressed up like Christmas Trees? I’m almost tempted to say it’s not in England, but why would they celebrate this Centenary abroad? Any further information gratefully received.