Parish Newsletter

Peter Meredith’s 100^th Birthday Celebration

Thanks to everyone who turned up in such wonderful numbers to thank God for Peter’s amazing life and to wish him a very Happy Birthday for 18^th August. It was so good to welcome our dear friend Fr Bede OSB from Ampleforth, with his sister Anne, Fr Bede joining Fr Neill and myself to concelebrate the Mass. Bernice and Peter write: “We would like to thank everyone for enriching our lives by making Peter’s Thanksgiving Mass on Friday such a special day, and such a blessing for both of us. The love of God is always so visible in our church, and especially in the amazing gift of a Blessing from Pope Francis for Peter on this special day. May God bless you all for giving us both such a wonderful time of togetherness.”

Live Streaming – We’re Almost There!

I’m still looking for someone to give me a hand in mastering all the editorial detail of this new venture. Someone who knows more about this than I do, which wouldn’t be difficult! 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. Who’d like to go through it all with me, preferably before I go on hols?

Tekkie Team Update

All best wishes to Tekkie One (Brian McMahon) as he and BC set off for their trip down under to visit Brian, Edwina, Junior and all the family in Australia. Have a great time in Sydney, everyone!

Then Tekkie Two has been ennobled! Well, almost… Huge congratulations to Peter Penson on his promotion to Professor of Pharmacy Practice. Wow! Professor Pete Penson – dontcha lurve that alliteration? (The only reason he got the promotion.) Warmest congratulations to Pete – and do you have anything for a ticklish cough?

Tekkie Three – Chris Proudfoot – has just come back from his cruise (we must be paying him too much!) and Tekkie Four, James Bainbridge is due back from Hols, in France sometime soon.

Best wishes to all the team, and hearty thanks for all they do for us.

Parish Renewal: Where Are We Up To?

• New ‘Welcomers Rota’ starts during August, with the full Rota swinging into action in September – thanks, everyone!
• Parish Library, in the back corner on the organ side, is going to re-open one Monday Morning a month from Mid-September, with some Library Activities to show off what we have on offer.
• We are working on the Welcome Pack for New Parishioners and for Wizziters and hope to have both out during September.
• Focus for September is Youth, so what this space, everyone!

Sacred Heart Messengers and Days by Days

July, August and September copies on the Newsstand, £1 each. Past copies are on the Free Table if you’d like to take one to see if they might be for you.

Synod Document: Open Parish Meeting on 31^st July

Twenty of you turned out last Monday for an excellent open discussion on the Instrumentum Laboris (working document) for the International Synod taking place in Rome in October. It’s still on our website (home page) if you haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. Many thanks to Anne and Zosia for kick-starting the session with their five-minute presentations, and to everyone who contributed to such a lively and positive sharing of ideas. That process – listening to others and sharing our own thoughts with them – is at the heart of Synodality.

One of our Students writes…

“I will be moving out of my current accommodation on the 2^nd of September and will not be moving into my new accommodation until the 9^th of September. This means that I will have a week without any accommodation. I would require somewhere to stay for that week and if possible, some help with finding somewhere to store my belongings. Any help that can be provided will be immensely appreciated”. Anyone able to help out with suggestions for accommodation or for somewhere to store things?

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.

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 12^th at 11.00 am; Wed 13^th at 2.00 pm;
• Tuesday 19^th at 7.00 pm; Thursday 21^st 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 3^rd 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 18^th August to Friday 1^st September. Grateful thanks to Denise, Fr Neill and Fr Colin, who will be minding the shop. Not long to go!

Photo of the Week: Michael and Caroline Barry

You will all remember the wonderful Barry family, and Caroline’s brother Paddy Power, married to Eily. Michael and Caroline’s daughter Angela left Chester a few months ago, to move nearer her sister, Christine, in Yorkshire. They have now sent us this lovely photo of their parents’ family grave in Waterford, mentioning the Chester connection. Thanks, girls, and best wishes from all of us in St Werburgh’s!