St Werburgh's Roman Catholic Parish, Chester

Parish Newsletter

 

SUNDAY 30th JULY 2023: SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (YEAR A)

Liturgical

I Kings 3, 5-12; Psalm 118; Romans 8, 28-30; Matthew 13, 44-52

Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Helen Gornall (Birthday Remembrance)

Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Syd Jones

Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Peggy Hallam (L.D., Nottingham)

Sunday 12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptisms of Felix and Ashleigh Fay Williams

Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Gladwen Rowena Nicholson

 

Monday 31st July: St Ignatius Loyola: Exodus 32, 15-34; Psalm 105; Matthew 13, 31-35

11.00 am: Crabwall Hall N.H.: Service for Residents and Visitors

1.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Requiem Mass for Pauline Barr, late of Waverton

 

Tuesday 1st August: St Alphonsus Liguori: Exodus 33,7 – 34,28; Psalm 102; Matthew 13, 36-43

8.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Special Intention

 

Wednesday 2nd August: Ferial: Exodus 34, 29-35; Psalm 98; Matthew 13, 44-46

11.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Justina

12.40 pm: Blacon: Funeral Service for James Michael Jones

 

Thursday 3rd August: St Oswald: Exodus 40, 16-38; Psalm 83; Matthew 13, 47-53

12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Memorial Mass for Sheila Wilson

 

Friday 4th August: St John Vianney: Leviticus 23, 1-37; Psalm 80; Matthew 13, 54-58

12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Thanksgiving Mass for Peter Meredith’s 100th Birthday

 

Saturday 5th August: Ferial: Leviticus 25, 1-17; Psalm 66; Matthew 14, 1-12

9.30 am – 11.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Confessions

12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Wedding Service for Daniel Daly and Elizabeth Anderson

6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Syd Jones (Birthday Remembrance)

 

 

SUNDAY 6th AUGUST 2023: THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD (YEAR A)

Daniel 7, 9-14; Psalm 96; II Peter 1, 16-19; Matthew 17, 1-9

Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Syd Jones (Birthday Remembrance)

Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Jean Hewson (Anniversary)

Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Pauline Pitt (L.D., Alderley Edge)

Sunday 12.30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Lucas Oliver Williamson

Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: John Gornall

 

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 Jim Jones; and for all those whose anniversaries occur about this time: Rose Sutherland, William McDermott, Anthony Smith, Michael Roberts, Gerard Walsh, Ethel Ellis, Leslie Barlow, Mary Kelly, Hugh Connolly, Denis Twohig, Ted Lugg, Peter Ratchford, Chris Meys, Norah O’Connell, Elaine Wood, Peggy O’Dea, Paul Cubitt, Bert Paddock, Peter Shaw, Joseph Higgins, Jean O’Boyle, Clyda Jones, Elizabeth Morrissey, Bernard Carter, Bridget Friend, Stanislaus Sulek, John Brierley, Rita Bowyer, Jean Hewson and Colin Watson.

 

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

 

 

Live Streaming – We’re Almost There!

After so many hurdles, delays and obstacles, we are almost there: all the tekkie stuff is now in place and early tests suggest it’s working fine. But now we have to decide how we want to use it and when. The company running it (and for many other parishes in the Diocese) have sent us an instruction manual and are offering an on-line tutorial for us. Do we have any parishioners who’d like to help me on this one?

 

Parish Renewal: Where Are We Up To?

Lots turned up for the Catering and Welcome Open Meetings last Wednesday for which enormous thanks. Some good, positive feedback after both meetings: we welcome all feedback, both positive and negative, needless to say!

 

Catering: we rarely need to meet as a group, just to have your name on the list for when we need some in-house catering, which might be just a plate of sandwiches and a cake, or a full-blown meal. Think you might be able to help out, on a very occasional basis? Send your name in, we’ll bite your arm off.

 

Welcomers: really beginning to come together now, teams of six or eight for the two Sunday Morning Masses starting to form. The two Evening Masses already have good welcomers, but we do need to put both on a more formal basis for times when anyone’s away or can’t come for whatever. Rowton’s in hand, and Sunday Evening will be when Mr Reebok returns from his little gad and gallivant up at the Open…

 

Gardening Group: Next two sessions are Saturday 29th July and Tuesday 1st August, both at 4.00 pm. Just come along if you’d like to be part of this happy team. No great gardening expertise expected!

 

Look out for Volunteer Notice Boards in the Church Porch very soon and…

 

YOUTH! That’s our next focus, our youngsters, the Church of tomorrow and…

 

Werbie Welcome Wednesdays

A new initiative. Don’t you love that alliteration, everyone?

[No, not particularly. Ed]

 

Peter Meredith Reaches His Century!

Bernice writes: “On Friday 4th August, the 12.15 pm Mass will be in Thanksgiving for Peter as he celebrates his 100th birthday. Fr Bede OSB, our great friend from Ampleforth, will be joining us and Concelebrating. We extend the invitation to all St Werburgh's parishioners who have so enriched Peter's life and welcomed him into the family of God.”

Thanks, Peter and Bernice, for all you both do for us!

 

Synod Document: Open Parish Meeting on 31st July

Do please have a good look at the Synod Agenda Document, on our parish website. It sets out the themes to be discussed in the international Synod of Bishops in October. It makes for fascinating reading. Do please read as much of it as you can, and come along on Monday 31st July, 7.00 pm, if you’d like to be part of a Parish Discussion. This week the Synod Delegates were named: from England and Wales, it’s Archbishop John Wilson (Southwark), Bishop Marcus Stock (Leeds), Bishop Nick Hudson (Auxiliary in Westminster), Professor Anna Rowlands (Durham University) and Rev Timothy Radcliffe OP, from Blackfriars, Oxford.

 

On the Free Table – For One More Week Only!

  • More of the A3 paper, blank one side and old newsletters the other.
  • Good selection of religious books – a few left.
  • Covid Tester Kits. Sadly, Covid is still with us, and if you’d like a Tester Kit, please help yourself.

Donations for any of the above, if you’d like to make one, for Caritas, please, in the bowl.

 

Children’s Liturgy at 10.45 Mass

Finishing now and starting up again on Sunday 10th September. Big vote of thanks to the Team who organise this, and if you’d like to join them, please let any of them (or FP) know.

 

Support the Primary School – Vote at Tesco

StW&StC Primary School is bidding for up to £1,500 from a Tesco Community Grant. The project is our Gardening and Wellbeing Club. Voting is open now in these Tesco stores: Chester Pepper St; Chester Delamere St; Chester Sealand Road CH1; Chester Weston Grove; Chester Broughton. Voting closes at the end of September. Customers vote using tokens at the check-out each time they shop.

 

Summer Clergy Moves

Two moves in our Deanery: farewell to Fr Emeka from St Clare’s, taking on the new responsibility of three Runcorn Parishes (Palace Fields, Murdishaw and Castlefields), now grouped together as The Parish of the Divine Saviour. In his place, we welcome Fr Bernard Forshaw. Farewell also to Fr Humphrey, leaving the Ellesmere Port Pastoral Area to move up the Wirral to Christ the King, Bromborough. Welcome to Fr Bernard, and all best wishes to Frs Emeka and Fr Humphrey, with grateful thanks to all they have done for our Deanery.

 

Mass Diary for 2024

Next year’s Diary opens the first weekend in September, as soon as I’m back from hols. Then you can send me all your requests for 2024. Never too soon to get those important Mass dates!

 

Eucharistic Ministers September Review Meetings

  • Tuesday 12th at 11.00 am
  • Wed 13th at 2.00 pm
  • Tuesday 19th at 7.00 pm
  • Thursday 21st at 10.00 am.

 

Next Year’s First Sacraments Programme

If you have a child who will be in Year 3 or above in September who does not attend our Catholic Primary School, please contact Fr Paul preferably by email. The classes begin in November with First Forgiveness in January and First Holy Communions in May. The closing date for enrolment is Sunday 3rd September 2023. (NB, if you think you’ve already sent names in, please send them again so we are 100% certain we have not missed anyone)

 

FP’s Holiday Dates

I shall be away from Friday 18th August to Friday 1st September, sadly not in Italy this year but staying in England. Grateful thanks to Denise, Fr Neill and Fr Colin, who will be minding the shop. Not long to go!

 

Photo of the Week: Lutheran Church in Norway

At Ulvik, a small village at the top of Hardangerfjord. Built in 1711, the altarpiece, depicting the Deposition from the Cross, was painted in 1876. Mange takk, Tony, Pat and Joe Baxter! (As they say in German).