Parish Newsletter

Coming out of Lockdown: Stage 4: 19th July

(1) From 19th July, continue to provide sanitiser at entrances and exits, ventilate our churches well and expect that masks should be worn. Good general cleanliness should be maintained.
(2) Public confidence in coming to church must be maintained, and social distancing respected.
(3) Stewarding no longer mandatory but individual churches may want to continue some sort of helpful assistance to regulars and visitors.
(4) Congregational singing permitted once again, but phase it in slowly, and continue with masks.
(5) Keep on with Track and Trace as long as it is required nationally.
(6) Don’t reintroduce Holy Water stoops just yet.
(7) Servers, Readers and Eucharistic Ministers can gradually be reintroduced.
(8) Offertory Collections can be taken in the normal way.
(9) Sign of Peace remains suspended.
(10) Holy Communion remains via the Host only and may be administered on the tongue if people prefer. No need to maintain a one-way system.
(11) No restrictions on numbers for Baptisms but avoid Multiple Baptisms.
(12) No restriction on numbers for Marriages.
(13) No restriction on numbers for Funerals here in church, but this may not apply to Crematoria and Graveyards.
(14) Continue safeguards with Anointing of the Sick and Care Home visiting.
(15) For Parish Social Activities, it is strongly recommended a Risk Assessment should be undertaken first.
(16) For Catechesis (eg Sacramental Preparation), Risk Assess each activity in dividually.

Getting Back to Normal: What’s Changing First?

Today Sunday, 25th July, two big changes:
(1) You hand-sanitise yourselves on entrance (and on exit if you wish).
(2) You choose where you sit. Please respect the "One Metre Rule", remembering it’s "a metre in front and behind" as well as side-by side.
When we’ve reviewed these two changes, we’ll introduce the next two. And so on...

Getting Back to Normal: Our Four Principles

(1) The emphasis now is as much on individuals deciding for themselves as on central diktat.
(2) As a result, different people will take different positions, and we need to be extra sensitive to those who take a different view from ourselves.
(3) The Government’s Task Force for Places of Worship has issued guidelines, which we will follow, as appropriate for St Werburgh’s.
(4) We will have a phased return to normality.

Consultation on Weekday Mass Times

85 replies so far! You can either fill out the paper Questionnaire or go online to our home page https://www.stwerburghchester.co.uk

Fr Denis Keating OP, RIP

We were sorry to hear news of the death of Fr Denis Keating, whom some of you will have known. His funeral is at St Francis on Wednesday 28th July at 13.45. Please remember Fr Denis and his family in your prayers. May he rest in peace.

Reintroduction of Confessions

Starting Saturday 3rd July, 9.00-10.00 am, on the Sanctuary, two chairs socially distanced. Please sit on the Red Plastic Chairs while you are waiting.

Summer Ordinations for our Diocese

Deacons Patrick Breeze, Humphrey O’Connor and Stephen Roberts were ordained to the Priesthood at Saint Anthony’s, Wythenshawe on Friday 16th July 2021 at 7.00 pm and on Saturday 24th July 2021. Dr John McKay and Professor Wilfred McSherry were ordained to the Permanent Diaconate at Saint Michael & All Angels Church in Woodchurch at 12 noon. Congratulations, one and all!

Ed Black Running the London Marathon

Our great Werbie, Ed Black, son of Consilia and Simon, is running the London Marathon in October hoping to raise £2,500 for Pancreatic Cancer UK. Ed’s a former Altar Server here, and a former member of the Music Group, and an all-round good egg. The website is uk.virginmoneygiving.com/edblack where you can also read why Ed has chosen this particular charity. (I’d be running it myself if it weren’t on a Sunday, of course...)

Confirmation at St Columba’s - February 2022

Confirmation teenage candidates and their parents are invited to an Information Evening on Tuesday 14th September at 7.00 pm, at St Columba’s. All are welcome to attend, but to ensure sufficient resources are available please email you interest in being confirmed to stcolumbatheresaconfirmation@hotmail.co.uk by early September. Adult Confirmation Candidates will be invited to meet Fr William and the Confirmation Team in August. For further information, phone Denise Lusk on 379742.

Salford Diocesan Vacancies

Some key posts have become available, working from the Cathedral Centre in Ford Street. For details, go to their website: www.dioceseofsalford.org.uk/news/vacancies

Photo of the Week: Off to Speke to See the Pope!

May 1982, and Pope John Paul II’s unforgettable visit to England. I went out to Speke from my (then) home parish in Birkenhead. Our photo today shows a group of Werbies ready to make the same trip. Marie Broadhurst’s mother is in the wheelchair (is that an Infant Pete doing the pushing?) and you might also spot not one but two Mrs Dolans and a Mrs Frances Connolly. Anyone spot any other faces? I went in my mother’s arms, of course, eighteen months at the time... Sunday, 30th May 1982. The Pope drove from Speke Airport into the City to celebrate Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral.

As we come out of lockdown and many of you enjoy summer holidays, do please send us in your photos for "Photo of the Week". During lockdown, we’ve drawn mostly on archive photos: now it would be good to receive any snaps from hols, not just churches you visit (though they are always popular) but any places of interest. How about shots of some old ruins? Or have you heard enough about the Choir recently... (Low blow!)