St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester

Parish Newsletter

 

SUNDAY 27th MARCH: FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT – LAETARE SUNDAY (YEAR C)

Liturgical

Joshua 5, 9-12; Psalm 33; II Corinthians 5, 17-21; Luke 15, 1-32

Saturday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Mary Fazey (Birthday Remembrance)

9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Thomas Gidney (Anniversary 1972)

10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Gregory Stuart Phillips (Birthday Remembrance)

12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Service for Renewal of Vows for Paula and Peter Farr’s 30th Anniversary

6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Kevin and Dolores Coriam

 

Monday 28th March: Ferial: Isaiah 65, 17-21; Psalm 29; John 4, 43-54

12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Dilys Ball (10th Anniversary)

1.10 pm: University Chapel: University Mass – All Welcome.

 

Tuesday 29th March: Ferial: Ezekiel 47, 1-12; Psalm 45; John 5, 1-16

10.00 am: Primary School: Lenten Reconciliation Service

12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Michael Felle (L.D., Portumna)

 

Wednesday 30th March: Ferial: Isaiah 49, 8-15; Psalm 144; John 5, 17-30

12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Mary Dillistone (Anniversary)

 

Thursday 31st March: Ferial: Exodus 32, 7-14; Psalm 105; John 5, 31-47

10.00 am – 2.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Lenten Retreat Day led by Retreat House, Chester

8.40, 9.45, 11.05, 12.05, 1.40: High School Lenten Reconciliation Services for each Year

2.45: St Werburgh’s: Mass for End of Retreat – All Welcome: For the Intentions of the Retreatants

 

Friday 1st April: St Looflirpa: Wisdom 2, 1-22; Psalm 33; John 7, 1-30

11.30 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Lister

1.00 pm: Northrop Crematorium: Funeral Service for Catherine Stephen, late of Hawarden

7.00 pm: Zoom Stations of the Cross

 

Saturday 2nd April: Ferial: Jeremiah 11, 18-20; Psalm 7; John 7, 40-52

10.30: St Werburgh’s: SVP Lenten Reconciliation Service for Elderly and Housebound

10.45 – 12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Confessions

6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Caroline Miller (4th Anniversary – Michigan, USA)

 

SUNDAY 3rd APRIL: FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT (YEAR C)

Isaiah 43, 16-21; Psalm 125; Philippians 3, 8-14; John 8, 1-11

Saturday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Caroline Miller (4th Anniversary – Michigan, USA)

9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Sylvia Pritchard

10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Pauline Hackett

12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Polly Margaret May

1.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Emily Nora Hadfield

6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of the Saunders Family

 

Prayer Intentions

Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: Neil Leicester, Brian Boardman Jnr, James Convey, Bill Hackett, Laura Chadwick, Elisabeth, Stuart Clark, Keith Hayes, Ruth O’Kane, Garth Stocking and Kevin Maguire and for all the sick of the Parish; and for those who have died recently, especially Evelyn Hughes, Jennifer Sherwood, Tony Core, Eileen Lloyd, Catherine Stephens, Tony Austin Kaye; and for those whose anniversaries occur about this time: Angela Pavia, Mary Smith, Michael Bird, Maureen Newton, Michael Feeney, Edna Smith, Susan Lofthouse, Cath Thompson, Margaret Keenan, Catherine Bottomley, Joe Stockton, Norah Williams, Alan Baines, Eleanor Clay, Phyllis Kerrison, George Wilson, Alice Hignett, Sylvia Pritchard, Patricia Davies, Urcina Hernandez, Pope St John Paul II, David Ollerhead, Paddy Elliott and Maureen Farrell.

May They All Rest in Peace.

Parish events

 Our Response to the War in Ukraine

We all feel powerless as we watch these evil events unfold: and a common response to feelings of powerlessness is “We must DO something”. We all wish we could do more to bring this hideous war to an end. Two things we CAN do are Prayer and practical support for the Refugee Crisis. Many thanks to those who have joined Prayer Vigils so far. Here in St Werburgh’s we will have a Prayer Vigil on the evening of Good Friday, 7.00-9.00 pm. If you’d like to be involved in the planning of this Vigil, please let FP know. On the Refugee Crisis, Bishop Mark writes:

“We are presently witnessing a refugee crisis in Europe greater than any seen since the Second World War. Caritas International, represented by CAFOD in our own country, is active in the provision of aid in the countries now receiving this vast and tragic exodus. I know there has already been a tremendous response from our own parishes to the appeals being co-ordinated by the Emergencies Committee. I am also grateful for the generous offers of help and various suggestions received this past week as the UK begins its response to the humanitarian challenge of housing refugees. I appreciate the frustration and impatience of many of my correspondents who see little happening in practical terms. I only hope what appears to be the slowness of the UK’s response might arise from a desire to care for the refugees and the considerable needs of those who will eventually come to us following the trauma and upheaval of war. Caritas in our Diocese of Shrewsbury, with its experience of working with refugees from Syria and Afghanistan, is in conversation with the Catholic Social Action Network as to how we can most effectively respond in the weeks and months ahead. Individuals who are already offering to host refugee families through the Government’s matching and homesforukraine scheme are advised to link with an organisation with refugee experience. The CSAN Ukraine Toolkit is being continuously updated and this is the link: https://www.csan.org.uk/ukraine/ Thank you.”

 

Holy Week and Easter Wolunteer Rota

Now out, at the back of church. If you are a reader of perform any other Ministry for us, please sign up as soon as possible. Normal rotas are suspended for this week, and we rely on wolunteers. Do sign up.

 

Vacancies at the Catholic High School

School Premises Manager - 37 hours per week, Grade 9. Deadline for applications will be 25th March with a view to interviewing 29th March 2022. The successful candidate will start April 2022.

Teacher of Mathematics – Permanent, full-time, MPS. The vacancy would suit an Early Careers Teacher. Closing date for applications is 9.00 am on Monday 28th March 2022. Interviews will be held on Friday 1st.

Curriculum Leader of Learning for Mathematics – Full time, MPS/UPS+TLR1b. The deadline for application form will be 9.00 am on Monday 28th March. Interviews will be held on Thursday 31st March 2022.

For further details and application forms, please visit our website www.christofidelis.org.uk under recruitment or contact Mrs Mallon, Head’s PA on 01244 267870 or mallonk@christofidelis.org.uk

 

CAFOD Lenten Fast Day Envelopes on Table Today

Please return on the Collection Plate. Thank you.

  

Parish Renewal – Autumn 2022

Coming out of Covid and on the back of our excellent Synod Consultation, let’s look at our whole Parish: what do we want to pick up again, what do we want to drop, what new ventures do we want to start?

 

SVP Reconciliation Service 2nd April 10:30

Please contact Stephen on 07775-781-204 or Teresa on tnunez@alumni.unav.es if you'd like to attend.

 

Holy Week and Easter Service Times Cards

Out next week: please distribute far and wide.

 

Gift Aid: Three Important Notices

(1) Tax Status

If you no longer pay income tax, please let Fr Paul or Denise Jones know by 5th April, otherwise it will be assumed that you have paid sufficient income tax for the Parish to claim Gift Aid on your donations for the tax year 2021/22. Thank you.

(2) Change of Address in last two years?

Please let us know if you have changed your address.

(3) Offertory Envelopes 2022/23 – Reminder

If you haven’t yet collected your box, please take it!

Joining the Gift Aid Scheme

If you’re interested in joining the scheme, contact FP or Denise Jones.

 

Repository:  Lots of lovely Easter goods now in.

 

CAFOD Ukraine Appeal: news@email.cafod.org.uk

Please use the website address above if you’d like to help the humanitarian relief effort.

 

Christian Aid Lenten Lunches: 12 noon - 1.30 pm

Friday 1st April: Vicars Cross URC

Wednesday 6th April: St Mary’s Church Handbridge

 

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

 

Retreat House, Chester: Thursday 31st March

Delighted this is now fully booked – well done!

10.00 am onwards: gather for tea and coffee in the Dining Room.

10.30: Retreat First Hour in the Day Chapel, with some time apart.

11.30: Second Hour, with time apart.

12.30: Lunch – please bring a packed lunch, with something to share with others if you’d like.

1.10: Third Hour, with time apart.

2.00: Gather for Close of Retreat.

2.15: Tea and Coffee.

2.45: Mass for the End of the Retreat.

The whole church area and house is free for your use, so do, please make use of all these lovely spaces for your quiet time on your own.

 

Zoom Stations of the Cross: Friday Evenings in Lent

Please email FP for the link. Everybody welcome.

 

Photo of the Week: The Arrival of the Old Nuisance

Twenty years ago, and the arrival on the Wirral of – no, not the Queen of Sheba, but the Old Nuisance, coming up from Devon to live round the corner from me in Port Sunlight. The years have not been kind?