Come, Holy Spirit! This is our fervent prayer during this Novena in preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost, which is the last word of the great celebration of Easter, as the wonderful gift of God’s love and the fruit of Christ’s sacrifice fills the whole world and shapes the Church to become the bearer of his message. The Spirit is, at the same time, the first word of evangelisation, which is the primary mission of the Church in the world.

In a particular way, as a parish community, here at St Werburgh’s, we make this prayer with and on behalf of those who will join us through the grace of baptism and the other sacraments of Christian initiation; this will certainly be a moment of great joy for us all.

The same prayer should be on our lips and rise from our hearts at the beginning of each day and before the various activities we undertake to help us live a truly spiritual life. We call on the same Spirit to enlighten the young people taking exams and finishing papers and projects, and we ask the Holy Spirit to bring healing and wholeness into lives where there is brokenness and pain and his glorious light where there is darkness and confusion.

This coming Friday, at the Catholic High School the leavers from years 11 and 13 will gather to give thanks to God for their time at the school. Do please pray for them as they set out in new directions…

In these days, like the Apostles in the Upper Room, we wait with our Lady. Let us stay close to Mary, the well-beloved Spouse of the Holy Spirit who can show us how to live as faithful missionary disciples of her Son. May God bless us and may the Spirit unite us to make of our life a hymn of praise and a sign to others of God’s love. Fr David +

Parish Database To support Parish Governance and Health & Safety (H&S), we plan to create a database of Parish volunteers, which will include name, role, and contact details. It will also track any H&S training, etc, delivered by the Parish. Please can leaders of parish groups submit a list of volunteers in such groups to the Parish office (admin@stwerbughchester.co.uk). If individuals do not want their information stored in this way, please let us know.

A big thank you to everyone who kindly donated £1,382.50 for the work of the Holy Family Sisters, after Sr Mary Lucy’s appeal and £846.82 for the Holy Places on Good Friday and in the days that followed.

Welcome Wednesday we are immensely grateful to Cllr Sherin Akhtar, the Lord Mayor of Chester for her genuine, very moving and superb talk, which many enjoyed last week. This coming Wednesday, 20^th May at 10:30 am all are welcome to join for chat, tea/coffee and dominoes.

A day of Reflection on Saturday 23rd May at Shrewsbury Cathedral Chapter House. The day will include reflections from Father Sean Henry and Dr Kieran Moriarty for members and friends of Shrewsbury Lourdes Hospitality. Please confirm your attendance to secretary@teamshrewsbury.co.uk

Pentecost at the Cross Sunday 24^th May 5 pm – A gathering for all Christians in the area to express our desire for unity as we worship and pray for the City of Chester and our region. For more information email parishadmin@chesterstpeters.org.uk 

On Tuesday 26^th May, we welcome the visit of the relics of St Gerard Majella (see poster in the porch), in this 300^th anniversary year of his birth. The church will remain open in the afternoon, after the 12:15 Mass, for private prayer, with adoration and confessions available. The visit will conclude with Mass at 7pm, with Fr Royston Price, C.Ss.R., please spread the word and bring a friend. St Gerard is often invoked by expectant mothers.

Road Closures Please be aware of the Chester Triathalon on Sunday 7^th June. Parishioners may need to allow extra time for any journey or arrange alternative methods of transport. Grosvenor Park Rd and Union St will be closed between 6 am and 1 pm. https://bit.ly/ChesterTriathlonRoadClosures

Parish Outing to the World of Wedgwood – 17th June. Last chance to join us by signing the sheet at the back of Church and putting £35 in an envelope marked with your name and ‘World of Wedgwood’ to be handed into the presbytery by 27^th May. So far, we’ve had a great response and look forward to a great day out!

Heart to Heart women's retreat, 19 - 22 June 2026 - A three-day retreat for women (whether single, married or religious), based on principles of Ignatian spirituality. Guided by Fr Bernard Murphy, CFR and Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal, the retreat will seek to draw participants closer to the Lord through a greater attentiveness to His will. https://christianheritagecentre.com/events/heart-to-heart-retreat/

Wheelchair access to the church. Please remember, when parking in front of the Church, to allow access to the wheelchair ramp. Recently, cars have blocked access to the ramp which has prevented wheelchair/mobility scooter users from entering and leaving the building.

The Church Repository has some new gift items available, including cards for First Holy Communion, Confirmation and Welcome to the Church.

Welcomers for Sunday Mass – the Rota for May is now at the back of the church. We are grateful to our regular welcomers but could use a little more help. If you feel you could do this once a month, please contact Pat Floate, or email admin@stwerburghchester.co.uk

The Mother and the Magdalene The Chester Theological Society is organising a lecture on ‘The Marys in Jesus films’ given by Dr Siohhan Jolley, Lecturer in Christian Studies at the University of Manchester. Wednesday 27^th May 7:30 pm at Hollybank, Chester University, Liverpool Rd. Cost is £5 and includes glass of wine/soft drink.

Photo of the week: Thank you to Yana Laszcziw for sending in this photo of the Basilica of Sacré Cœur in Paris is situated at the summit of Montmartre. It was built between 1875 and 1914, and was formally consecrated in 1919 after World War I.