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 1^st, 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 14^th 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.