Saturday 6:00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Gerry Cummins – Christmas Remembrance
Sunday 9:00 am: St. Werburgh’s: Alex Mathewson (R.D.)
Sunday 10:45 am: St. Werburgh’s: For the people of the Parish.
Sunday 6:00 pm: St. Werburgh’s: Ana & Leo Gasparini (21st wedding anniversary)
Monday 29th December: Fifth Day of the Christmas Octave (St Thomas Becket): Colossians 1:24-29; Psalm 22; Luke 22:24-30
11-12 - Holy Hour in church
12:15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Betty Foley (Intentions)
Tuesday 30th December: Sixth Day of the Christmas Octave: 1 John 2:12-17; Psalm 95; Luke 2:36-40
12 noon: St Werburgh’s: The wedding of Craig McGregor and Laura Callaghan
Wednesday 31st December: Seventh Day of the Christmas Octave: 1 John 2:18-21; Ps. 95; John 1:1-18
11-12 - Holy Hour in church
12:15 pm: St. Werburgh’s: Michael Foley (RIP) At the end of Mass, we will sing the Te Deum.
Thursday 1st January: The Octave Day of Christmas SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD:
Num. 6:22-27; Ps. 67; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21
Friday 2nd January: Ss Basil The Great & Gregory Nazianzen: 1 John 2:22-28; Psalm 97; John 1:19-28
12:15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Deceased of the Marmion family
Saturday 3rd January: the Holy Name of Jesus: 1 John 2:29-3:6; Psalm 97; John 1:29-34
9 am: St. Werburgh’s: Intentions of the Carmelite Monastery, Birkenhead
6:00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Eileen Jones (RIP)
SUNDAY 4th JANUARY 2026: SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS
Ecclesiasticus 24:1-2, 8-12; Psalm 147; Ephesians 1:3-6, 15-18; John 1:1-18
Saturday 6:00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Eileen Jones (RIP)
Sunday 9:00 am: St. Werburgh’s: Peter McCabe (2nd Anniversary) and Philip McCabe
Sunday 10:45 am: St. Werburgh’s: Mariangel Salazar Duque (+) and Jairo Sáchica (+)
Sunday 12:30 pm: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of River Fillingham
Sunday 6:00 pm: St. Werburgh’s: For the people of the Parish.
Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: Jimmy McCahy, Kath Stanton, Brian Boardman Jnr, Bill Hackett, Stuart Clark, Ruth O’Kane, Adele Vance and Kevin Maguire, and for all the sick of the Parish. We also remember our beloved dead, particularly those who have died recently, including Mark Fuller, Marie Therese Bentley (née Kellett), Esther Burgess, Antonia Daniel, Harry Huxley, Wendy O’Brien, Mary Bannon, Manuel Cernada León, Brendan Dillistone, Sam Marsden, Melody Shanahan-Kluth, Elizabeth Kathryn Skupski, Margaret Tudor and those whose anniversaries occur about this time, including Stanley Korn, Anne Weston, Kevin Ford, Tony Larkin, Theresa Sellers, Patrick Vallely, Florence Ratchford, Joan Hudson, Harry Graham, Mary Hughes, June Stoddart, Meg Ormsby-Knox, Margaret Davis, Pat Lloyd, Lilian Coathupe, Johanna Sheedy, Helen Woodworth, Brenda Blackwell, John Winder, Magda Kenworthy, Carol, Josephine Page, Margaret Doman, Agnes Cartwright, Mary Walsh, May Hogan, William Costello, Evelyn Weston, David Mooney, Michael Murphy, Ann Carruthers, Ralph Sherwin, Bernard Healey, Zygmunt Dowicz, Eileen Witter, Geoffrey Hargreaves, Helen Cadden, Robin Francis, John Moore, George Tomlins, Ronald Heveran, Peter Chesterman, Anne Teague, Edward Moloney, Tony Kane, Mary Jane Burgess, Peter McCabe, Valerie Poutiainen, Bob Pollard, Sheila Hainey, Pam Corkerton, Rt Rev William Eric Grasar, 8th Bishop of Shrewsbury, Rev Paul Glendinning, Rev David Austin Smith and Canon Francis McGowan.
*May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace*
Live Streaming Link: www.churchservices.tv/stwerburghchester
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: safeguarding@stwerburghchester.co.uk Liz Aiello: 07813743723 and Chris Proudfoot: 0771149507
Fr David writes… Dear brothers and sisters, here’s wishing you and all your loved ones abundant blessings throughout the octave of Christmas, and yes, it’s more than a wish, it is Christmas every day ‘til January 1st, and so there’s still time for me to write some of the lovely cards I bought! On the subject of Christmas cards, thank you to those of you who kindly sent cards and gifts my way. It is very humbling and I am deeply grateful for these expressions of warmth, welcome and affection. Several of the cards received mentioned my first Christmas in the parish, there have been many firsts! It reminds me of something one finds in the sacristy of all the chapels of the Missionaries of Charity around the world. In my previous three postings, I regularly celebrated Mass for the sisters, founded, as many will know, by St Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997), it reads: “O priest of Jesus Christ, celebrate this Mass as though it were your first Mass, your last Mass, your only Mass”. The mystery is indeed so great that it is always new, while being so familiar, and because it is a mystery of love, we can never grow accustomed to it. Let us pray that a fruit of my first Christmas here is that we can all rediscover the beauty of holy Mass and grow in love for Jesus in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is Christ’s thanksgiving to the Father, which the Church makes her own, and I would invite those who can, to come along on Wednesday 31 December, the last day of the year, to give thanks, together, as a parish family, for all the blessings and graces received during 2025. There will be a Holy Hour from 11 till 12, followed by Mass at the usual time of 12:15 p.m., at the end of which, we will the sing the great hymn of praise the Te Deum Laudamus, using the familiar “Holy God, we praise thy name”. In a similar spirit, we will gather again on January 1, for Holy Mass on the octave day of Christmas to honour Mary, the Mother of God and invoke the help and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with the singing of the Veni Creator Spiritus, Come, Creator Spirit come. Mass will be celebrated on Jan 1 at the slightly earlier time of 11 am., to allow revellers to attend, if they wish, while still giving walkers and others the chance to make the most of the Bank Holiday. Allow me here to reiterate my thanks to those who helped to embellish the liturgies we celebrated at Christmas: the musicians, servers, readers and ministers, and those who ensured a warm welcome and were on the lookout to keep us all safe. God bless you all! While not noticeable to everyone, I am indebted to Bernadette and Stella for the beautiful white altar cloths they have made, as well as to the handiwork of Kate and Vera. The banner nearest to the font tells the Christmas story. Do show your young children! A great opportunity to familiarise them, as you bring them to pray before the crib…
Crib offerings for CARITAS Shrewsbury. You can make a donation on-line or using the card machines or the baskets provided close to the crib, at the foot of the altar.
Safeguarding Training - Chris and Liz will deliver Safeguarding Training at 7.00 pm on Tuesday 13th January in the Parish Meeting Room. Attendees will gain an understanding of safeguarding issues and how to respond to any disclosures. Any volunteers who are DBS cleared and have not attended previous training sessions are required to attend. In addition, we invite any Parishioners who wish to increase their understanding of Safeguarding. This is part of our mission to develop a Safeguarding Culture within the Parish and will help ensure that our parish is a safe and welcoming place.
St Werburgh’s and St Columba’s Catholic Primary School. We recently bade a fond farewell to Mrs Kathryn Oates and thanked her for long association with and dedication to the parish primary school. We wish her every blessing for a long and happy retirement.
Copies of The “St Werburgh’s Church 1875 to 2025” & “St Werburgh and the Mystery Box” - a fictional story based on our patroness, are available from the back of church. Please consider using the card machine to make your donation. The suggested offering is £7 and £5 respectively.
The Bereavement and Loss Group will meet in the Day Chapel on Wednesday, Jan 14th from 1:15 pm to 2:45 pm
Reaching the Unreached – Fr Anthony has written to thank St Werburgh’s Parishioners for the continuing support you give to the charity Reaching the Unreached.
For more details, please see the notice board at the back of Church or their website www.rtu.org.uk
Photo of the week: Pluscarden Abbey, courtesy of Geoff Taylor (2024). The Abbey was founded in 1230 by Alexander II for the Valliscaulian Order. In 1454, following a merger with the priory of Urquhart, Pluscarden Priory became a Benedictine house. It fell into decline after the Scottish Reformation, and by 1680 it was in a ruinous condition. In 1948, it became a house of the Subiaco congregation of Benedictines, and restoration began at the hands of monks from Prinknash Abbey. It was elevated to Abbatial status in 1974.

