Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this first Sunday of Lent, we have a Pastoral Letter, from our Bishop, on our being ready to receive those coming into full communion with the Catholic Church, which will be read at all masses and will be made available on the website. The numbers showing interest in the faith should fill us with joy and encourage us to live with greater fidelity to the call we have all received, “as we come closer to the season which is specially marked by the mysteries of our redemption” (Pope St Leo the Great). I have also had uploaded to the website Pope Leo XIV’s Message for Lent, the first of His Pontificate, to which I referred on Ash Wednesday. It’s certainly worth pondering and I am sure you will all agree that His words are very timely “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence, the Holy Father writes, that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbour. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking il of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.” As I said before, make good use of the Lenten practices, and pray for those who are considering joining the Church. With every good wish and blessing, Fr David +

Welcome Wednesday. 25^th February 10 am to 12 noon. We look forward to the return of Geoff Taylor to tell us more about “Taylor’s Boat-Building Heritage”. All are welcome. Come along for a cuppa & a chat. The Parish prayer book was launched at the last meeting, available for a donation of £5, (option available on the card readers) with all proceeds going to the charity Mary’s Meals. www.marysmeals.org.uk . An additional £52 was raised by WW regulars with a raffle at the launch introduced by Fr David, with a short time of prayer led by Lyn Williams.

The Parish History Group will be meeting on Wednesday 25^th Feb at 6:00 pm in the Presbytery.

Lead, Kindly Light – The Journey in Faith. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 25^th February at 7 p.m., when Fr David will share with the group on the theme of Divine Revelation “The God who speaks”. There is still time to join us, however, we will soon finalise the calendar of meetings for those who wish to commit to this journey.

Hospice fundraising – read all about it! Please see the information sheet at the back of church for details of monies raised during the 150^th anniversary year.

CAFOD Family Fast Day this Friday 27^th February. Please help yourself to an envelope and prayer card and/or visit cafod.org.uk/livelent for further resources and information.

Faith Stories Christleton Churches Together has organised a series of informal talks, with members of various traditions sharing their faith stories. There will be an opportunity for questions and refreshments afterwards. Meetings will take place at Christleton Methodist Chapel: 7:00 pm on 25th February, 4th March, 11th March and 25th March.

The Repository will reopen Sunday 1st March commencing with the sale of our popular low-cost Easter cards.

Shakespeare In Love – performed this year by the Bebington Dramatic Society - Tuesday 4th March at 7:30 pm in Port Sunlight. Tickets are £12 and all the money goes towards the SVP Holiday Home in Talacre. Please contact Marco on svpchester@gmail.com or mobile 07778 392816 for tickets and information.

World Day of Prayer Service, International, Ecumenical, Women-led, All Are Welcome Friday 6^th March 10.30 am, At St John the Baptist Church, Vicarage Lane, Chester CH1 1QX

On Friday, 6th March, 10:00 –11:00 am, St Werburgh’s & St Columba’s will be hosting a Pop-Up Play Village session for toddlers and young children. Whether you are a member of our parish looking for a friendly community activity, or you are beginning to explore school options for 2026/27, you are warmly invited to go along! This fun, imaginative play session offers a lovely opportunity for families to meet one another. The new Headteacher, Mrs Jevons will be available to meet parents and carers during the event. If you’d like to join us, please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/Play-session

Philip Chidell Mother’s Day Concert with live orchestra - Sunday 15^th March 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm Chester Town Hall. Tickets - £30 www.PhilipChidell.com or 07471 646375 or from Visitor Centre by the Town Hall

Jubilee Holy Year for St Francis. Maria Fryer from St John’s Parish on the Wirral is organising a special pilgrimage to Assisi on 28th June to 3rd July. The cost is £995 and 20 people are required to make the pilgrimage viable. If you would like to know more, please telephone Maria on 07576-243-343.

Photo of the week: Thanks to Heather Johnson for this photo of Pope Leo XIV arriving at Papal Audience on 26 November. On the trip Heather had the chance to go through the four holy doors and kept the parishioners of St Werburgh’s in her prayers.