Parish Newsletter

 Annual Financial Return: 2023-24

• Total Income: £135,101
• Total Expenditure: £104,683
• Annual Surplus: £30,418

Where did that income come from? £27,524 came from your Envelopes; £39,436 from Standing Orders and £43,711 from Loose Plate. We had Donations of £6,430, and Legacies of £6,600: and the rest were bits and bobs. Thank you all very much indeed!

 

Parish Admin Assistant: New Appointment!

If you were unfortunate enough to wander into the office, you’d find plentiful evidence of a retirement-age man spectacularly going to seed. Send him an email and it’s potluck if you get a reply… No, I now urgently need someone to help me get on top of the office, principally the 100 or so emails I receive every day and the non-stop telephone. Six hours a week, probably over two mornings. Full details on the website. Thanks to the Renewal Steering Group for launching this recruitment process.

 

Syd Jones Memorial Music Workshop

After much thought and consultation with Denise, we have agreed on a fitting memorial for a wonderful servant of our Parish, Parish Secretary and much more besides. Syd loved music, listening to it, playing it (guitar) and singing (choir and music group) and leading the music group. His talents weren’t restricted to our Parish but shared with churches and organisations all over Chester. And so in Syd’s memory, we are introducing the annual Syd Jones Memorial Music Workshop. All are welcome… The annual workshop is open to all Parishioners and friends of St Werburgh's, This year we are delighted to welcome Damian O’Keefe to lead the workshop, a Baritone who began his musical career as a Choral Scholar at St John’s College Cambridge and is a well-known voice coach. Tom, our music director, and Damian will put together a great workshop. Please put the date in your diary, come and join us, no experience necessary. Saturday July 13^th 12 noon -4.00 pm. Further details nearer the time.

 

Welcome Wednesdays This Week and Last

Back by popular demand, as they say: another Flower arranging Demo from Marie “Constance Spry” Cunniff. Marie gave us a super presentation, and I sat there with a warm glow of satisfaction, knowing that I had taught her all she knew… Next week, Ann Marie and the Parish History Group.

 

Parish Renewal: Our New Parish Council

Six “Portfolio Members” (Buildings & Maintenance, Finance, Housekeeping & Hospitality, Liturgy, Social and Outreach) and three elected members without specific responsibilities at this stage. We’ll have these proposals for Pentecost Sunday, followed by an Open Parish Meeting for you all to give us your reactions and responses. Elections and the new Parish Council having its first get-together in July, to be ready for our first Business Meeting in September.

 

SVP Spring Mass

All are invited to the SVP Spring Mass, Sunday 5^th May 2.30 pm here in church. If you'd like to attend, please let Madeleine madeleinemorrin@aol.com 

 

St Francis Parish Retreat: Friday/Saturday

Great to be with our Franciscan friends over this 24 hour period, yesterday and the day before, and thank you very much for inviting us.

 

Coming Up: Repository Pre-Loved Sale

We will be having our popular Sale of pre-loved items on Sunday 12^th May. Donations welcome! You’ll find on the stall our usual holy relics, a bit battered, past their best, but still with some useful life in them.

But enough about Paula and Bernice…

 

SVP Second Collection: 11^th / 12^th May

To support the work of the Holiday Home at Talacre.

 

Calling all Gardeners: Come and Join us!

Thursday Afternoons Our amazing team of gardeners would welcome some extra help. Just one or two hours a week to keep our gardens looking beautiful.  Let FP or the team know if interested.

 

Sunday Mass Welcomers

Please sign up on the new rota at the back of Church.

 

Caritas Donations 2023/24

Caritas would like to thank all Box Collection Holders for your support and generous total of £1,366.66 raised in the past 12 months. If you’d like to become box holder, to set up a standing order or a gift aid mandate, contact Dominique on 07757518312. For information about Caritas: caritasshrewbury.org.uk.

 

The Grass has been Cut!

Thanks to the Garden Gnome for scything down the six-foot-high grass – and to Olive for making the Pygmy Encampment we discovered at the bottom of the lawn so welcome. She has already introduced them to the joys of Southern Comfort. Thanks, GG and Olive!

 

Pentecost Sunday Evening Youth Mass

We’d like to celebrate our diverse Parish on the Feast of Pentecost by asking children with two languages to take part in the  prayers of Intercession. All children at the Mass will take part with the offertory procession, singing or playing instruments. 6.00 pm May 19^th. Please put child’s name and parents contact details on the sheet at the back of Church.

 

Bodnant Gardens & Llandudno: Tuesday 25^th June

All places now taken: thank you very much! Now the hard part: payment!!! £15-00 if you are member of the National Trust, £30-00 if not. Cash or Cheques (payable to St Werburgh’s Church) to FP, please. But don’t give him loose cash or notes, as the auld eejit never remembers what it’s for. Put it in an envelope with your name and “Bodnant” clearly on the front.

 

Welcome to all our New Parishioners!

Fantastic open meeting last Friday night, eight Newbies and six Werbies really getting to know each other. In either category, come along to the next one?

 

Photo of the Week: St Laurence’s Forres

Geoff and Jill have been gadding and gallivanting again, this time up to the north of Scotland and Findhorn, this remarkable view taken from Findhorn by telephoto lens, some five miles away. You have all been warned, folks! Thanks, G&J!