St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester

Parish Newsletter

 

SUNDAY 17th APRIL: EASTER SUNDAY (YEAR C)

Liturgical

Acts 10, 34-43; Psalm 117; Colossians 3, 1-4; John 20, 1-9

Saturday 8.30 pm: Gerry Cummins (90th Birthday Remembrance)
Saturday Midnight: Intentions of GS
9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Sheila Norman (100th Birthday Remembrance)
10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Celia Murphy and Ann Snowling (8th Anniversary)
6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Huw Williams (L.D.)

Monday 18th April: Monday of the Easter Octave: Acts 2, 14-23; Psalm 15; Matthew 28, 8-15
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Eileen Hughes (L.D., Belfast)

Tuesday 19th April: Tuesday of the Easter Octave: Acts 2, 36-41; Psalm 32; John 20, 11-18
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Madge Toner (5th Anniversary)
2.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Nuptial Mass for Danielle Tougher and Tadeusz Zebrowski

Wednesday 20th April: Wednesday of the Easter Octave: Acts 3, 1-10; Psalm 104; Luke 24, 13-35
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Christopher Booley
1.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Requiem Mass for John Dolan, late of Rosslyn Road, Vicars Cross

Thursday 21st April: Thursday of the Easter Octave: Acts 3, 11-26; Psalm 8; Luke 24, 35-48
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Gordon Almond (L.D., Greasby)

Friday 22nd April: Friday of the Easter Octave: Acts 4, 1-12; Psalm 117; John 21, 1-14
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Rita and Brian Flack, and family

Saturday 23rd April: Saturday of the Easter Octave: Acts 4, 13-21; Psalm 117; Mark 16, 9-15
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Special Intention
12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptisms of Milo John and Sofia Lily McLelland
6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Gerry Cummins (8th Anniversary)


SUNDAY 24th APRIL: SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR C)

Acts 5, 12-16; Psalm 117; Apocalypse 1, 9-19; John 20, 19-31

Saturday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Gerry Cummins (8th Anniversary)
9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Michael Gaccon (L.D., Cardiff)
10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Kenneth Lawley and Kathleen Hargreave
12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Monika Isabelle Lewis
1.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Luciana Serra-Hughes
6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Neil Leicester (L.D., Coningham, Essex)

 

Prayer Intentions

Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: Brian Boardman Jnr, James Convey, Bill Hackett, Laura Chadwick, 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 John Dolan, Veronica Rogers and Pauline Ivory; and for those whose anniversaries occur about this time: Janie Turner, Helen Bird, Terry King, Kathy Reynolds, Mary Byrne, Cecilia Gresty, Pat Griffiths, Kathleen Hughes, James Thornton, Arthur Tolley, John Claxton, Jerry Walsh, John Connolly, Catherine O’Mahony, Matthew Harper, Marie Foley, Mary Reddy, Ann Grimes, William Edge, Joseph Jones, Cara Messer, Mavis Fazey, Eileen Johnson, Norah Atherton, Esther Wilbraham, Barbara Cooke, Gerry Cummins, Annie Langford, Noreen Cubitt and Conchita Sedwell.

May They All Rest in Peace.

Parish events

 

Good Friday Evening: Prayer Vigil for Ukraine

Many thanks to all those who came to our Prayer Vigil – an extraordinary turn-out over the two hours. Special thanks to Lyn for leading us in such a beautiful Meditation for Peace. As this evil war does not seem like ending any time soon, please keep those prayers going, all of us.

Holy Week and Easter Wolunteer Rota

This time of year needs a real army of wolunteers, and you never let us down. Huge thanks to all our readers, stewards, florists, musicians, secretaries, altar servers, foot washes (?): just everyone who helps, and without whom we would not be able to celebrate Holy Week as fully as we do.

Diocesan Chrism Mass: Wednesday of Holy Week

Good to fill a minibus on Wednesday evening to go up to St Michael’s in Birkenhead for the Chrism Mass. As Bishop Mark had unfortunately tested positive, Auxiliary Bishop Stephen Wright from Birmingham gallantly stepped in, and celebrated a fine Mass, at which all the Priests of the Diocese renew their Priestly Vows, and the Holy Oils for the whole Diocese are blessed and then distributed.

CAFOD Lenten Fast Day Envelopes

Many thanks to all of you who returned your Family Fast Day envelopes. A few pounds for each of us, but a few million for CAFOD nationwide.

Ellesmere Port Music Society Spring Concert

Saturday 23rd April, 7.30 pm at St Thomas’s Church Ellesmere Port. Vivaldi Gloria and ‘We Celebrate the Light’, a piece commissioned by EPMS during lockdown. Full details on flyers at the back of church and poster in the porch. We’d love to see you there!
If you want to ask anything further about the concert, several members of the choir are Werbies!

Parish Renewal – Autumn 2022

Coming out of Covid and on the back of our excellent Synod Consultation, what do we all want the “Werbies New Normal” to look like?

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.

SVP Holiday Home Availability

The SVP Holiday Home in Talacre, North Wales is available for two one-week slots on the weeks commencing on the 21st May and 24th September.
The Holiday Home can accommodate up to six people and is free of charge to any family/couple that would otherwise not be able to have a holiday this year. If you are interested or know anyone that might benefit from this opportunity please contact Craig.mullan@outlook.com.

Next Year’s First Sacraments Programme

The programme runs from September to June each year. So, if you have a child in Year 3 or above who does not attend our Catholic Primary School, please contact Fr Paul, preferably by email. The classes begin in October, with First Forgiveness in January and First Holy Communions in May. The closing date for enrolment is Sunday 4th September 2022.


FHC Parish Group: Upcoming Meetings Reminder

  • Parish Group One: The final meeting for parents and children is on Tuesday 19th April at 6.30 pm.
  • Parish Group Two: The final meeting for parents and children is on Tuesday 26th April at 6:30 pm.

Forthcoming Funerals: Promoted to Glory

Sadly, we have lost three wonderful Werbies over the last week or so, whose lives and faith we will be celebrating at Requiem Masses here in church:

  • Wednesday 20th April: 1.00 pm: John Dolan
  • Wednesday 27th April: 12.30 pm: Pauline Ivory
  • Tuesday 3rd May: 12.00 noon: Veronica Rogers

May they all Rest in Peace.

Hearty Congratulations, Bob!

We were all delighted to hear that our great 10.45 Organist, Bob Owens, had been honoured by being selected as one of the Recipients of Maundy Money from Her Majesty the Queen this year. In the event it was Prince Charles leading the Service, and we all send our
best wishes to Bob today on this superb honour.

SVP Gardening / DIY Gloves Sale

Members of the SVP will be selling a range of Gardening and DIY Gloves after Masses on Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May. These are new gloves, and offered at very competitive prices, all the proceeds going to the SVP Holiday Home, which is due for complete replacement in 2024. Don’t miss this bargain opportunity, especially as the gardening season is now upon us!

Learning about the Passover

Great to see so many of you at the Cathedral last Tuesday for a fascinating talk on the Jewish Passover Meal. Many Christian Communities also celebrate this Seder Meal in our Holy Week: something we might think about for next year?

Parishioner’s Pilgrimage to Fatima

One of our Parishioners is going on Pilgrimage to Fatima in Portugal at the start of May and has very kindly offered to take any Petitions. Please pass them to FP in sealed envelopes if you’d wish to do so.

The Synod: Bishop Mark’s Response

Two Documents issued by Bishop Mark this week: a detailed Report on the Diocesan response to the Synod Consultations, with a lot of interesting and important statistics; and then a shorter Personal Response from the Bishop to all that he has read. Both Documents are on our website, in the “Synod of Bishops: October 2023” box on the home page. The Report is eight pages, so I do not propose to print this off. If any individual cannot access it and has no-one to print it off for them, let me know: but I’d rather do my bit to save the planet! The Bishop’s Response is a shorter two-page Document, and copies of that are available at the back of church today. So much work has gone into this Consultation Phase at all levels, do please take the time to read both our own Submission – copies still available (yellow paper) at the back of church - and the two Diocesan Documents.

Photo of the Week: Deva Hospital Staff, 1975

Another extraordinary archive photo from our good friend John Wall: staff and friends of the Deva gathered at our Social Centre with Canon Murphy (second from right) in 1975.