St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester

Parish Newsletter

 

SUNDAY 28th FEBRUARY: SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B)

Liturgical

Genesis 22, 1-18; Psalm 115; Romans 8, 31-34; Mark 9, 2-10

9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Albert Norman (Anniversary, 2000)
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Fred and Mavis Fazey; Tom and Mary Bolton
11.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Derek Taylor (13th Anniversary)
12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Kevin Smyth (1st Anniversary)

Monday 1st March: St David of Wales: Philippians 3, 8-14; Psalm 1; Matthew 5, 13-16
Fr Paul’s Private Mass Intention today: Austin Tighe (Birthday Remembrance)

Tuesday 2nd March: Ferial: Isaiah 1, 10-20; Psalm 49; Matthew 23, 1-12
Fr Paul’s Private Mass Intention today: Intentions of Michael Hemmerdinger

Wednesday 3rd March: Ferial: Jeremiah 18, 18-20; Psalm 30; Matthew 20, 17-28
Fr Paul’s Private Mass Intention today: Intentions of Sheila Wilcox

Thursday 4th March: Ferial: Jeremiah 17, 5-10; Psalm 1; Luke 16, 19-31
2.00 pm: Blacon: Funeral Service for Iris Pritchard, late of Prospect House NH, Malpas
Fr Paul’s Private Mass Intention today: Michael O’Neill (L.D., Dublin)

Friday 5th March: Ferial: Genesis 37, 3-28; Psalm 104; Matthew 21, 33-46
Fr Paul’s Private Mass Intention today: Jill Moore (L.D., Nuneaton)

Saturday 6th March: Ferial: Micah 7, 14-20; Psalm 102; Luke 15, 1-32
Fr Paul’s Private Mass Intention today: Herald of Free Enterprise (34th Anniversary)

SUNDAY 7th MARCH: THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR B)
Exodus 20, 1-17; Psalm 18; I Corinthians 1, 22-25; John 2, 13-25
9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Jean and Geoff Hewson (Wedding Anniversary Remembrance)
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Tom and Mary Boulton
11.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Patrick Elliott (Birthday Remembrance)
12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Anne Woodhouse (1st Anniversary)

Prayer intentions

Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: James Convey, Pauline and Bill Hackett, Laura Chadwick, Elisabeth, Stuart Clark, Keith Hayes, Sheila Winder, Joe and Ruth O’Kane, Garth Stocking and Kevin Maguire; and for all the sick of the Parish; and for those who have died recently, especially Wilma Roscoe, Paul Power, Iris Pritchard, Peter Roberts, Gino Vianello and Ronald Edwards; and for those whose anniversaries occur about this time: Kenneth Warburton, Annie Connolly, Michael Snee, Elizabeth Tierney, John Thomson, Mary Ivory, Mary Pink, Mary Smythe, John Doolan, Margaret Rees. Margaret Everett, Mary Gough, Jean Dean, Albert Thomas, Tom Boulton, Kasimierz Dabrowski, John Burns, Leonard Whittle, Mary Evans, Maurice Murphy, Cyril McLoughlin, Reginald Sweeney, John Beatty and Cathy Taylor. May They All Rest in Peace.

Parish events

Covid-19: Monday’s Announcements

Much to digest in the PM’s announcement on Monday. Basically, it is a four-stage month-month-by-month easing of the restrictions, with the aim of getting us all to Midsummer’s Day - 21st June - when the final one can be lifted. But it is important to stress that this is an AIM, and if the figures do not support it, the next monthly stage will not be happening. To ease restrictions too quickly and so plunge us back into another surge, another lockdown, would be the height of folly.

Infection Figures for Last Week

These are the last such figures Bishop Mark is going to issue. I’m sure we have all found them a very useful guide to what is happening across the Diocese. The figures are reassuringly going down, but we are certainly not out of the woods yet.

  • Halton: 102 (171; 220; 378; 522; 897; 1,148)
  • Wirral: 102 (119; 184; 252; 384; 763; 976)
  • Telford & Wrekin: 175 (187; 245; 305; 373; 588; 550)
  • Warrington: 122 (151; 208; 312; 369; 577; 780)
  • Shropshire: 109 (142; 178; 211; 244; 500; 420)
  • Manchester: 168 (182; 215; 291; 339; 488; 492)
  • Cheshire West: 109 (133; 161; 250; 314; 464; 528)
  • Tameside: 188 (204; 187; 238; 309; 418; 407)
  • Stockport: 185 (172; 202; 251; 274; 416; 503)
  • Trafford: 120 (131; 155; 211; 263; 406; 495)
  • Cheshire East: 94 (121; 150; 197; 212; 368; 388)

Ash Wednesday

A dozen or so Ash Crosses still available if anyone didn’t receive theirs and would still like one.

More Lent "Day-by-Days"

We’ve obtained another twenty - the first sixty flew off the table - so do pick up yours at Mass today.

Co-operating with our Sunday Stewards

Reports from Stewards last Sunday that they’d encountered some lack of co-operation from some of you when it came to seating at the start and then coming out for Holy Communion. Please, everybody: these arrangements allowing us to have Public Mass were incredibly carefully thought through, in terms of both the Bishop’s and the Government’s rules, and our plans had to be submitted to the Diocese as a formal Risk Assessment, and approved, before we could begin to open our doors again. Each one of these rules or guidelines is for a purpose, and we are very willing to show you the small print if you need convincing. Most of you fortunately don’t and are prepared to trust us, that if we ask you to do such-and-such, it’s for a good reason. I am appealing to you all: please sit where the Stewards ask you to, and please come out for Holy Communion as directed. If you want to object, take it out on me, not them!! ‘Nuff said?

Station of the Cross via Zoom

Delighted that we are able to offer this essential part of Lent. They will be on four Wednesdays at 7.00 pm: March 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st. The Zoom link will be available a week or so beforehand: email me and I will happily forward it.

Primary School Governor Vacancy

We have a vacancy at a Catholic Primary up on the Wirral. If you might be interested or would like further information, do have a word with FP.

Bishop Mark’s Guidance on the Four-Stage Easing

Step One, 8th March 2021

All children and students return safely to face-to-face education. Funerals and wedding arrangements will continue as at present, i.e. 30 attendees at funerals and 6 for weddings (limited to exceptional circumstances). No changes to the current restrictions on Baptisms. The ‘stay at home’ rule will still be in place, until 29th March 2021 and people should still work from home when possible. Maintaining social distancing, face covering, providing good ventilation indoors and continuing regular handwashing/sanitising will still be required. 29th March 2021: The rules around funerals will not change with attendees limited to 30. Weddings will still be able to proceed with 6 attendees and will no longer be limited to exceptional circumstances. Additional guidance will be provided for the safe celebration of Holy Week and Easter.

Step Two, ‘no earlier than’ 12th April 2021

At this point, funerals can continue to proceed with up to 30 attendees. Weddings will be able to take place with up to 15 attendees. People should continue to work from home when possible and domestic travel to be minimised. There is to be no household mixing indoors, therefore social distancing arrangements are still to be observed in church, during Mass and during private prayer.

Step Three, ‘no earlier than’ 17th May 2021

At this step weddings, funerals and baptisms may proceed with up to 30 attendees present. No later than this step, the Government will update its advice on social distancing between friends and families. Until then the advice on social distancing, regular hand hygiene and letting in fresh air will continue. The Government will continue to advise working from home when possible.

Step Four, ‘no earlier than’ 21st June 2021

The Government proposes to remove all limits on weddings, funerals and other ‘life events’ including baptisms (subject to the outcome of the scientific research programme). Legal limitations on social contact will be removed. The Government is to produce guidance on the risk of transmission and protecting oneself. Even as restrictions are lifted, it is essential that we all continue to practise ‘good habits’ to reduce transmission, remembering ‘Hands, Face, Space’; letting in fresh air; getting a test following the first sign of symptoms and self-isolating if the test is positive.

We will await the national guidance from the Bishops’ Conference next week; however, we may need to think about re-establishing parish booking systems as we did at Christmas for Good Friday and Easter morning when in normal conditions we would expect to see all our churches crowded.

This Week’s Photo of the Week: 1958 Wedding

John and Barbara Dolan, in the back garden with Canon Welch, having just tied the knot. 62 years and never a cross word. (She was a child bride). No garage at that stage? And sadly, Canon Welch died the following year, 1959, much before his time.