Parish Newsletter

Lockdown Three: St Werburgh’s Remains Open

Numbers up last week at 184, from 179 the week before: 48 at 9.00 am, 41 at 10.00 am, 58 at 11.00 am and 37 at Noon. We continue to monitor the situation week by week, under direction from Bishop Mark. As of Friday 22nd, eight Diocesan Parishes have closed for the time being, either because they are in Covid-19 hot-spots or because the Parish Priest himself has tested positive. The figures Bishop Mark sent us last night for the eleven Local Authorities in our Diocese are as follows:

• Halton: 897 per 100,000 (last week 1,148)
• Wirral: 763 (last week 976)
• Telford and Wrekin: 588 (last week 550)
• Warrington: 577 (last week 780)
• Shropshire: 500 (last week 420)
• Manchester: 488 (last week 492)
• Cheshire West: 464 (last week 528)
• Tameside: 418 (last week 407)
• Stockport: 416 (last week 503)
• Trafford: 406 (last week 495)
• Cheshire East: 368 (last week 388)

Some signs of a slowing down, but still a critical need for everyone to take maximum care, both here in Church and in every other part of our lives.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Delighted we were able to keep this going, via the ever-faithful Christleton and Waverton Churches Together. We met remotely via Zoom, at 12.00 noon each day next week, with the different churches hosting, the services based on the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland material:

• Monday 18th Jan: Waverton Evangelical
• Tuesday 19th Jan: St James Christleton
• Wednesday 20th Jan: Methodists
• Thursday 21st Jan: St Werburgh’s
• Friday 22nd Jan: St Peter’s Waverton

Numbers each day were between forty and fifty, the Werbies as always excellently represented. Many thanks to the team who helped me on Thursday: Fifi from Forest Court, Gary from Garden Quarter and Ronnie and Rosie from Rosslyn. Stars, one and all!

Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals?

Baptisms: permitted, but "Rule of Six" - maximum of six people allowed to attend. Weddings: only in exceptional circumstances such as grave illness, and, again, "Rule of Six". Funerals: permitted, with a maximum of thirty people attending.

St Clare’s

We expect Fr Emeka home this weekend, after his three-week annual leave, back home with his family in Nigeria. He will now need to quarantine, so we will be looking after the Masses in St Clare’s for the next week as well, and possibly the next fortnight. Profound apologies to St Clare’s. Haven’t they suffered enough? (Haven’t they suffered? They don’t have to stand out in the open air for the Drive-in Mass. Oh no, they stay in their nice warm cars... Self, self, self is all you hear from some Parishes.)

New Notices Around Church

You’ll see some new laminated notices displayed in prominent places, just reminding everyone about the Covid-19 essentials: hand-sanitising as often as possible, wearing that mask properly, and keeping two metres apart. They didn’t take me long...

If I can touch you, we are too close!

The really important Covid-19 Regulations can be boiled down to "Face-Hands-Space". Speaking personally, I am very happy with the way we are all observing the first two in St Werburgh’s. But the third sometimes gives me the heebie-jeebies (as they say in German). We are getting far too close to one another, and I never thought I’d have to say that! Seriously, everyone: this horrible virus spreads from person to person, and the major way it does that is by physical contact. So, a new rule in St Werburgh’s:
IF I CAN TOUCH YOU, THEN WE ARE TOO CLOSE.

Want to Get on Zoom?

To state the obvious: none of us had the slightest idea when Lockdown One began last March that we’d still be here virtually twelve months later. Like many of you, I was a reluctant convert to Zoom, but it’s been an absolute lifesaver, bringing people together in all sorts of ways. I’m grateful to Marco and the SVP for sorting me out and getting Zoom installed. Would any of you like a hand to get it installed? If you have a computer or laptop, we can help you. The kit (microphone and camera, that just plug in) costs about £25, and we can order it for you. If you’re interested, just let me know - or if you’d like to offer your services as an installer for someone else.

Magazines, Year Books, Ordos...

We haven’t been able to have our usual Newsstand during Lockdowns, but the Day by Day (£1) magazines and Sacred Heart Messengers (£1.50) are both available in the porch as you leave, as well as the Diocesan Year Books and Ordos (£5 each). Don’t worry if the "one-way system" makes paying difficult: just take the mags and pop the money in next week!

Last Week’s Photo of the Week: Confirmation 1966

Talk about a ‘Eated Debate! So many of you have been in touch about this picture, some to query if it was really Confirmation and not rather a First Holy Communion. It’s the white dresses that are confusing us. Bridie from Bradford has no doubts it was Confirmation as she still has nightmares about the orange hat her dear aunt wore as her Sponsor. Little Johnny Kenyon (whatever happened to him?) says it went on and on and on... Bit of a "Just William", our Johnny. And as for little Denise Norman? Don’t ask! Full account on today’s Blog of all these memories.

This Week’s Photo of the Week: St Bede’s Choir

There they are, on the steps of the Town Hall, entertaining shoppers with Carols, Christmas 1967, conducted by their Music Teacher, Mrs Andrews. I’m sure lots of the children there would also have been in the Confirmation Photo the year before. Anyone recognise any faces?