Parish Newsletter

Returning to the Chalice: Your Views Wanted

Thanks to the four excellent Eucharistic Ministers Review Meetings, we are now ready to consult the Parish on returning to the Chalice for the congregation at Sunday Masses. Remember, this has always been your choice, and remains your choice still. Remember also our unchanging Faith in the Real Presence, that Christ is fully present, body, blood, soul and divinity in the Eucharist. The Catechism puts this clearly and beautifully: "The mode of Christ’s presence under the Eucharistic species is unique... In the most blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, ‘the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore the whole Christ is truly, really and substantially contained’ (Council of Trent). §1374"

Readers Needed for Sunday Evening Mass

If you’d like to join the rota, please drop Marian McCarthy a note: marian.mccarthy@btinternet.com and if you can, come along to one of the two remaining Reader Training sessions.

Catholic Women’s League - Monday 9th October

2.00 pm in the Newman Room at St Columba’s: a talk by Gerry Tighe on Thomas Brassey and the Railways of Chester. All welcome, regulars and visitors!

Two Bedroom House in Caldy Valley Available

Still looking for a tenant, it’s been recently refurbished to a very high standard, and it’s a highly efficient little house. Let FP know if interested - and no, I’m not the Landlord!

Healing Mass: Sunday 15th October, 2.30 pm

"Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11). An invitation to pray, meditate and reflect. Stay and chat after Mass - refreshments will be provided by the SVP.

Ursuline Sisters Centenary and Book

The sisters who taught for many years in Chester are celebrating the centenary of the Roman Union of Ursuline Convents in England. They have written a book called "Roots and Shoots". If you would like to order a copy, please go to Ursulines - Roman Union, England (ursulinesuk.org)

Second Collection - Church Students

We are committed to only seven Second Collections each year: two for SVP, two for flowers, one Mission Appeal, one for Church Students and one for Retired Priests. This weekend, it’s the Church Students, helping to train the Priests of tomorrow.

Deans Meeting on Tuesday with Bishop Mark

Bishop Mark raised four points with us for discussion in our Parishes and at our forthcoming Deanery Conferences:

• Deanery Boundaries - are they the most efficient groupings of Parishes? (We are Chester and Ellesmere Port).
• Preparation for the great Jubilee Year of 2025, and Pope Francis’s Year of Prayer in 2024.
• The new Lectionary in Advent 2024.
• Changes in Funeral practice and our response.

House Mass on Tuesday 24th October

7.00 pm: Who’d like to Host?

Parish Renewal Update

I cannot thank everyone enough for the amazing way they’ve thrown themselves into this Parish Renewal since its launch in June. On Friday, you blitzed the Day Chapel, ready for our Open Meeting and discussion with the Diocesan Architect. Then the Artwork that has come in for the Children’s Competition has been outstanding. What are we trying to achieve with this whole programme? Three aims: firstly, renewing and refreshing every one of our parish activities together on the back of the Covid lockdowns. Secondly, making our Parish as welcoming a community as we can, both to new faces and to established Werbies who might want to get more involved with what we do here. (And, boy, have they! The number of new faces joining our activities has been phenomenal.) Thirdly, getting on board with Pope Francis’s Synod, starting last week in Rome, and his call for every Parish to become as "synodal" as possible - welcoming, collaborative, listening, evangelising, friendly and supportive.

Church Library Re-Launch

Great "open morning" last Monday, welcoming a party from the High School. Give the library a browse today and find a book you might fancy reading.

CathSoc Movie Night Tonight

Do come and join us, starting in the Church at 7.00 pm, after Evening Mass. Mystery Movie Night - and no, it’s not Ken and Barbie!

Concert Next Friday in St Werburgh’s

Concert by the Advent Singers with Organ and Vocal Solos - "A Musical Journey Round the World" - Conductor Stewart Smith, Organist Henry Smith - Friday 13th October 7.30 pm. Also two guest sopranos, Emily Burnett and Olivia Hunt. Cakes and biscuits from the different nationalities also provided, so another 2.00 am in the kitchen for me...

SVP Sponsored Walk: Sunday 8th October

Starting from the Catholic High School at 1.00 pm (parking available). 2.3 or 3.7 miles. Contact Marco on bububaba05@icloud.com

Day Chapel Refurbishment

Open Meeting: Wednesday 11th October, 7.00 pm

Ministry of the Word (Readers) Review Meetings

Tuesday 10th October at 11.00 am
Monday 23rd October at 7.00 pm
New Readers also very warmly welcome!

Friday 10th November 7.45 pm at St Werburgh’s 'Music for a Remembrance and Reflection'

Chester Cathedral Nave Choir will be singing a concert of Remembrance-themed music.

Catholic Enquiry Course 2023-24

Launch Meeting Monday 9th October at 7.00 pm.

Photo of the Week: The Cathedral in Pistoia, Italy

Dating from the twelfth and fourteen centuries and dedicated to Saint Zeno. Keep’em coming everyone!