My dear brothers and sisters, last Sunday we reflected on St John Plessington, a man who acknowledged Jesus before others. Such witness is required in every generation, perhaps not to the shedding of one’s blood for the sake of the Gospel, but nevertheless, the words of Jesus have eternal value, and are addressed to you and me. So we ask ourselves: when was the last time I bore witness to Jesus and to the truth of our faith? Do I use my words and actions to promote the Gospel? Have I grappled with the thorny moral issues of the day, do I try to understand these and indeed the Church’s position and her social teaching, which is imbued by the spirit of the Gospel? And when these are challenged or even ridiculed, do I merely go with the flow, to avoid being singled out, or I am prepared to take a stand at the risk of unpopularity? The prophetic vocation which is ours from baptism is not easy, and at times can be very challenging to live out. Fear not! Christ tells us. Like Jeremiah, we commit our cause to the Lord, and we seek the help of the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, but also to enlighten our minds, as we seek to learn more about our faith to live it with greater conviction and coherence.

Next Sunday, we will celebrate the Solemnity of SS Peter and Paul; a special opportunity to pray for the mission of the Pope as universal Pastor of the flock entrusted to him by our Lord. We will take up the Peter’s Pence collection, which allows Catholics, the world over, to contribute to supporting the Holy Father in his mission, which includes, among other things, charitable works, but more generally supports the running costs of the Holy See both in Rome and across the world. Thank you for your generosity. We will leave the option on the card machine throughout July and if anyone should wish to leave a donation outside of mass times, you can place your offering in an envelope marked Peter’s pence and leave it at the presbytery. Grazie mille!

The end of June also coincides with priestly ordinations in the diocese and across the world. Next Saturday, June 27, Deacon Gerard Connett will be ordained as a priest, followed by Deacon Kevin Hogan, on July 4, meanwhile, Henri Lajouanie, the son of two dear friends of mine, will be ordained next Sunday afternoon for the Diocese of Pontoise, France. It will be a joy for me to attend a couple of these celebrations in a spirit of priestly fraternity. Please do pray for them and the communities in which they will be sent to serve. May God bless you all! Fr  David +

A prayer in Assisi for your intentions two dear parishioners Andrée and Maureen are travelling to Assisi at the end of the month and have promised to pray for us all at the tomb of St Francis. If anyone has a specific intention, please write them down and put them in an envelope marked ‘ASSISI’, which you can leave at the presbytery or in the sacristy before June 25^th.

LAST CALL! Parish Database Please can leaders of parish groups, who have not yet done so, submit a list of volunteers in their groups as well as contact details to the Parish office (admin@stwerbughchester.co.uk).

Applications are now being accepted for children from the parish wishing to join next year's First Holy Communion Group. If your child is in year three or above in September and not attending the parish primary school, please contact Fr David at parishpriest@stwerburghchester.co.uk and Louise Robertshaw at robertshaw499@btinternet.com before 1^st  September. This week, Fr David will meet with some of the catechists from the deanery, as well as those involved in first sacraments preparation at school for a discussion, with the help and support of the Diocesan Catechist, Mrs Natalie Orefice, to take stock and see how we can best support the children and their families at this important time of faith formation. Please keep this initiative in your prayers!

Welcome Wednesday - ‘Life as a Franciscan Monk’: We look forward this week to welcoming Brother Loarne, OFM. Cap., who will speak about his life as a Franciscan Monk. His talk will begin at 10.45 am. All are welcome to join us for tea/coffee and chat from 10.00 am onwards.

The Dementia and Carers’ Group looks forward to getting together on Thursday 25th May at 10.45 am,  for a special time of prayer and a sharing of experiences over a cup of coffee. All are welcome.

St Werburgh’s & St Columba’s primary school is pleased to invite members of the parish to its Summer Fair on Friday 3rd July from 4 pm to 6 pm at the school on Lightfoot Street. Entrance is £1 per adult/child. There will be a BBQ, bar, lots of games, tombolas and a cake stall. Also if any bakers could bake a cake for the fair this would be much appreciated. Please bring to the school office before 3 pm on the day and write a list of all ingredients for allergy reasons! All money raised is used to fund school’s projects. In 2025 this included the new Prayer Garden. Raffle tickets will be on sale between morning masses on Sunday 28 June.

St Werburgh’s Young Adults’ Prayer Group – You’re invited! Join us on Friday, July 3^rd, from 6:30 pm onwards at St Werburgh’s (meeting room) If you’re aged 18+, you are very welcome, this is a relaxed and supportive space to connect, pray, and grow together in faith. We’ll have a time of praise and worship, sharing, games and light refreshments. Meanwhile, the group is organizing a summer walk/hike to Moel Famau on Saturday, August 1^st The day will start with Holy Mass at 9:00 am, followed by the journey and hike. Why not join for a day of fun, friendship, and faith, with moments of reflection and sharing led by Fr David and other members of the group. A great opportunity to connect with other young adults and grow in faith together. All (18+) are warmly welcome! If interested, please contact Nithin Kuncheria & Diya Denny: +44 7587891623 / munnapalakunnel@gmail.com / diyadenny123@gmail.com For more details please visit: https://forms.gle/gVyjWao4QkPUUGo1A

To mark the 175th Anniversary of the Diocese of Shrewsbury, a new website has been launched: why not take a look by clicking on:  https://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/

Free Will & Grace, 28 - 31 August 2026: Join us for a theological and philosophical deep dive on one of the great themes of the Christian Faith: human freedom and Divine grace. With lectures and workshops building on St Thomas Aquinas' writings, the course will also explore questions of conscience and the problem of evil. This year's guest speaker will be Rev. Dr Simon Gaine, OP. https://christianheritagecentre.com/events/free-will-grace-course/

Photo of the week: Thank you to Jane Hallas for sending in this photo of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, St George's, Grenada, in the West Indies. Fully restored after storm damage during Hurricane Ivan in September 2004.