St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester
Parish Newsletter
SUNDAY 6th MARCH: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR C)
Synod Consultation: Our Submission is in!
The deadline for sending Parish Synod Submissions to Bishop Mark was Tuesday 1st March: ours was sent off Monday evening. We know it has been received safely, and Bishop Mark was very appreciative of it – its length, its positive tone, and its sign of so many parishioners being engaged in the process – when he came here on Ash Wednesday. It is now on the website (home page, Synod of Bishops, October 2023) and hard copies are available this weekend and thereafter, enclosed in the Newsletter today. The Synod Planning Team – Zosia Archibald, Syd Jones, Anne Proctor and Lyn Williams – read every one of the individual submissions you sent in, as well as those composed during the four Monday Evening Open Meetings. They then synthesised them into a single document, using your words wherever possible. I cannot thank them enough for this amazing work against such a tight timetable. It’s a worldwide process, initiated by Pope Francis, to culminate in the Synod in October 2023. What comes of it is out of our hands: bur we have done our bit and more at the level of Parish Submissions. Enormous thanks to everyone who became involved.
Synod Consultation Exercise: Questionnaire
Pope Francis set us ten areas where we might “walk together better”: Please go onto our website, and complete the online Questionnaire, telling us what you believe to be the THREE top priorities among those ten. Hard copies also available back of church.
Closing date: Sunday 13th March.
CAFOD Lenten Fast Day Envelopes on Table Today
Please, everyone: have a simpler meal one day during Lent, put the savings in the envelope and return on the Collection Plate. It may just be £2 or £3, but multiply that by 100’s of parishioners, by the 100 Parishes in our Diocese, by the 22 Dioceses of England and Wales… It sure adds up!
CAFOD Ukraine Appeal: news@email.cafod.org.uk
The situation there is desperate, as we see every day on our televisions and in our newspapers. Please use the website address above if you would like to make a contribution to the humanitarian relief effort.
On the Free Table This Weekend…
A few padded A4 envelopes left! The sheet music is going well: do have a browse and help yourself to anything you’d like!
New Tax Year Weekly Offertory Envelopes
The 2022/23 envelopes are at the back of church.
Gary Carter Visiting Chester Next Weekend
Gary was a Theology and Religious Studies student here at the University ten years ago, then a member of the Baptist Church. He stayed on for a Master’s, then went back to his home in Surrey and took on a temporary job at his local Catholic High School, Salesian College Chertsey. One thing led to another, and he became a Catholic – the fool! One thing kept leading to another and he applied for Seminary – the even bigger fool! He’s now in his Third Year, at Allen Hall in London, for his home Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. (We must pray for him). He’s visiting Chester next weekend, and he’s going to speak at the Sunday Masses, telling us about the life of a Seminarian today. Welcome back to Chester, Gary!
Ukraine Prayer Vigil Today
Sunday 6th March, 2.00 pm, outside the Town Hall
High School SVP Afternoon Tea
Hosted by the Catholic High School students. On Wednesday 16th March at 2.00 pm in the school. For further info: Fran Waldie on 07990-524-780.
Ash Wednesday: 2nd March 2022
Great to see so many of you here at the three Masses. Bishop Mark thoroughly enjoyed his mid-day visit, and couldn’t believe the numbers at 12.15 pm. I told him it was normally double that…
Jars of Change: Christleton Churches Together
This year, we are supporting WaterAid, the great charity that helps to bring clean water to those who need it most in the Third World. During Lent, please put your spare change into a jam jar, and bring it along at Easter. Let’s see how much we can raise!
Women’s World Day of Prayer: Friday 4th March
Great to see you there! Well done, St Thomas’s!
Christian Aid Lenten Lunches: 12 noon- 1.30 pm
- Monday 7th March: Wesley Methodists
- Thursday 17th March: Hoole URC, Hoole Road
- Monday 21st March: Wesley Methodists
- Friday 1st April: Vicars Cross URC
- Wednesday 6th April: St Mary’s Church Handbridge
The Werbies are kicking off (in the nice sense of the phrase) on Monday 7th! See you all there!
Learning about the Passover
Rabbi Warren Elf will give a talk about the Jewish Passover in the Cathedral Refectory on Tuesday 5th April at 7.00 pm. Tickets are £5 and include light refreshments, from Cathedral Website:
https://chestercathedral.ticket olve.com/shows/1173621282
Lent Day-by-Day (£1) & March Messengers (£1.50)
On the News-stand at the back of church.
Retreat House, Chester: Thursday 31st March
Retreat House, Chester, an independent Christian Charity, have very kindly offered to come here to provide a Lenten Retreat Day. It’s to be on Thursday 31st March, 10.30-2.15 pm, based in the Day Chapel, Simple Lunch, and limited to 20 parishioners. Signing-Up List at the back of Church today. Only three places left!
Zoom Stations of the Cross: Friday Evenings in Lent
This was so popular last year, allowing us to join the Stations from the comfort of our own homes, plus the chance of seeing different Stations from all over the world, that we’re repeating it this year. We began Friday 4th March, 7.00 pm, with our own Stations in St Werburgh’s. Email FP for the link.
CathSoc Sunday Night 7.00 pm: Pancake Evening!
We don’t seem to have killed off any of our Students or Wrinklies… So, see you all for Debate Night!
Photo of the Week: St Werburgh’s School, 1920’s
Sent in by our good friend from St Columba’s, John Wall. It shows the Boys’ Class from our school in the 1920’s. Top row, fourth from left, is John’s father, Thomas Wilfred Wall. I think third from the right on the front row is Geoff Hewson. Am I right?
