Parish Newsletter

Liturgical

Ezekiel 37, 12-14; Psalm 129; Romans 8, 8-11; John 11, 1-45

Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Caroline Miller (5th Anniversary, Michigan)
Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Gerald Barcroft (11th Anniversary)
Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Minnie Taylor (30th Anniversary)
Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Kevin and Dolores Coriam (Anniversaries)

Monday 27th March: Ferial: Daniel 13, 1-62; Psalm 22; John 8, 1-11
12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Requiem Mass for Joan Duff, late of Richards Croft
7.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Confirmation Class Four for Adults

Tuesday 28th March: Ferial: Numbers 21, 4-9; Psalm 101; John 8, 21-30
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Requiem Mass for Lee Jennings
7.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Meeting for Holy Week Readers

Wednesday 29th March: Ferial: Daniel 3, 14-285; Psalm Daniel 3; John 8, 31-42
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Dilys Ball (11th Anniversary)
7.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Confirmation Class Five for Youngsters

Thursday 30th March: Ferial: Genesis 17, 3-9; Psalm 104; John 8, 51-59
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Kathleen Smyth (L.D.)

Friday 31st March: Ferial: Jeremiah 20, 10-13; Psalm 17; John 10, 31-42
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Betty Park (L.D.)
1.45 pm: Catholic High School: Mass for Staff Inset Day
7.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Stations of the Cross

Saturday 1st April: Ferial: Ezekiel 37, 21-28; Psalm Jeremiah 31; John 11, 45-56
10.30 am: St Werburgh’s: SVP Reconciliation Service
10.45 am - 12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Confessions
1.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Wedding Service for Nicholas Hazel and Aoife Doyle
6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Tess and Paul Connor

SUNDAY 2nd APRIL 2023: PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD (YEAR A)
Isaiah 50, 4-7; Psalm 21; Philippians 2, 6-11; Matthew 26, 14-27
Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Tess and Paul Connor
Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Catherine Wenrle (L.D. Bushey, Herts)
Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Mary Taylor (Birthday Remembrance)
Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Kathleen and Raymond Wilbraham

Prayer intentions

Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: Kath Stanton, Brian Boardman Jnr, James Convey, Bill Hackett, Laura Chadwick, Stuart Clark, Keith Hayes, Ruth O’Kane, and Kevin Maguire and for all the sick of the Parish; and for those who have died recently, especially Lee Jennings and Joan Duff; 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 John Paul II, David Ollerhead, Paddy Elliott and Maureen Farrell. May they all Rest in Peace. May They All Rest in Peace.

Parish Information and Contacts

SVP: svpchester@gmail.com Countess of Chester Chaplaincy: 01244 364543.
St Werburgh’s is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury: Registered Charity No 234025.
Safeguarding Reps: Liz Aiello (email: elizabeth.aiello20@btinternet.com, tel: 07813743723) and
Chris Proudfoot (email: chrisproudfoot.stwerbughs@btinternet.com, tel; 07711495070)

Parish events

Holy Week and Easter Volunteer Rota

Filling up well, but we still need wolunteers from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday inclusive for the following roles: Readers, Communion Stewards / Welcomers, Offertory Collectors, Procession of the Oils, and Washing of the Feet. Please sign up today if you can possibly do so. Many thanks!

Holy Week / Easter Readers Meeting

Tuesday 28th March, 7.00 pm in the House, to go through the arrangements for all the Readings, and specially the Palm Sunday and Good Friday Passions. Please do your very best to attend if you have volunteered for one of these roles.

Should We Keep Communion Stewards?

Total Votes Cast: 205 (63% of those present)
Mass Attendance at both morning Masses: 324
9.00 am: 102 votes – 33 (32%) for, 69 (68%) against
10.45: 103 votes – 43 (42%) for, 60 (58%) against
Total: 205 votes, 76 (37%) for, 129 (63%) against
So, roughly two thirds think we should drop Stewards, and one third want to keep them. Monday Morning’s Taskforce Meeting discussed this at some length, and decided the best way forward was to keep Stewards for High Days and Holydays but to incorporate their role otherwise with that of Fire Marshalls going forward. This is purely precautionary, but a necessary precaution, in the event of needing to evacuate the church speedily. Please see the separate notice below, and do please send your name in if you’d be willing to take on this new role.

Gift Aid: Some Important Notices

• 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 2022/23. Thank you.
• Change of Address Please let us know if you have changed your home address in the last 2 years.
• Offertory Envelopes 2023/24: If you have not yet collected your box, please take it as soon as possible. Thank you.
• the Gift Aid Scheme: If you pay income tax, joining the Gift Aid scheme increases the value of your donations to the Parish by 25% at no extra cost to you. If you are interested in joining the scheme, please contact Fr Paul or Denise Jones.

Fire Marshals Needed

We need three Fire Marshals on duty at Sunday Mass, a role that our communion stewards previously fulfilled, one for each of the exits. The duty is simply about getting people out of the church safely in the event of a fire alarm sounding. If you could volunteer for this role please let FP or Marian McC know, by Easter Monday, 10th April. Training sessions will be organised.

Calling All Eucharistic Ministers

Would as many as possible come to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Maundy Thursday Evening (7.30 pm) for the renewal of vows? We appreciate that this reintroduction may well be the moment for some to decide to stand down, and this is fully in the spirit of our ongoing Parish Renewal Programme. Meanwhile, come on Maundy Thursday!

Easter Day by Days and Sacred Heart Messengers

Now on the table at the back of Church, £1 each.

SVP Lenten Reconciliation Service

Saturday 1st April, 10.30 am at St. Werburgh's, followed by tea and coffee. Everyone is welcome. Please get in touch with Fran if you need a lift on fran.waldie@gmail.com

Christian Aid Lent Lunches: 12.00-1.30 pm

Thursday 30th March: St Mary’s Handbridge This is the final one this year, so do come along if you can. Many thanks to everyone who supported. (Apologies for the mistake last week!) Our own St Werburgh’s day raised a fantastic £521. You can see how they loved my nettle and daffodil consommé. When it’s gone, it’s gone…

SVP Membership Support Officer (MSO)

The SVP would like to recruit a MSO for the Shrewsbury Diocese. A part time role (15 hours per week) working as part of the SVP Membership Team, to support member recruitment and development, provide general support for members and be the link between local Conferences and National Office. For further information and details of how to apply, contact Lance Philpott, Head of Membership at lancep@svp.org.uk Closing date for applications is Sunday 16th April 2023.

Repository Pre-Loved (aka Second-Hand!) Sale

Pre-loved Goods total: March 2023 £159.21, Wow!

Monday 20th March: Commentary Mass

Plenty of opportunity last Monday to involve the children and their families in some lively question-and-answer stuff. (Sound of groaning from parishioners). Even our wonderful Catechists on occasions…. FP: So, what liturgical colour today? We’re in the middle of Lent. Yesterday was Laetare Sunday. Anybody? Mrs Robertshaw? Mrs Robertshaw: Green? (It’s the children you feel sorry for, isn’t it?)

Easter Flowers Second Collection This Weekend

Lent Friday Evenings: 7.30 pm

Enormous thanks to Lyn for presenting such a lovely Zoom Lenten Meditation on Friday. It brought together 24 parishioners – from Tarporley, Ashton Hayes, Great Barrow and Pulford, as well as central Chester itself. So powerful. Final Friday Evening is 31st March, an in-person Stations of the Cross here in Church led by our own wonderful Denise.

Lent Chapel Visits

Final one this Lent: Hawarden and Gladstone country, on Thursday, 2.30.

Photo of the Week: Dr P Gallivanting (again!)

Église Saint-Bernard de Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in the Haute-Savoie region of France. As the name suggests, this is up in the Alps, not far from the Swiss border. (Dr P gets about a bit, doesn’t he?)