My dear brothers and sisters, in the Gospel today, Jesus puts Peter in his place! It is, of course, our place, the place of all disciples: behind Jesus. As we, like Peter, profess our faith in Christ, he entrusts us with a mission and calls us to follow him in a life of love and self-giving. Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush. God’s love is fully revealed when Jesus lays down his life for us, thus we are called to lose our life for the sake of the Gospel. Put quite quite simply, we are called to love. How great is our need for conversion to love in a genuine and selfless way! St Paul tells us that for this to become a reality, we should not be conformed to this world, but rather transformed by the renewal of our mind, and this will happen when we set our minds on the things of God, which is Jesus’ invitation to Peter, and today is addressed to you and me.

The much-awaited transformation of the former day chapel into a fully functional meeting room will begin on Tuesday 1^st of September. Please be advised that the area is to be considered out of bounds, for reasons of safety and security, for the duration of the works. Thank you for your cooperation! We will update you regarding progress as the weeks go by.

I am sure you will offer a very warm welcome to Fr John Feeny and Fr Robert Dykes who will join us, along with our own Fr Neill Robb, for the celebration of Sunday Mass. We are most grateful for their support. May God bless you all, most especially all young people and children, along with teachers and support staff gearing up for a new term. Fr David +

During the month of September, the Holy Father asks us to pray for the care of water. Let us prayer for the just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

Assist us to live, NOT to die. If you haven’t already picked up one of these postcards at the back of Church, please do so. It is important that as many people as possible ask their MP to vote against this bill at second reading on 11^th September.

First Sacraments This is the last chance for parents of children living in the parish and not attending the parish primary school, to add their child’s name to the list by emailing Fr David parishpriest@stwerburghchester.co.uk and Louise Robertshaw at robertshaw499@btinternet.com

Exploring the Catholic faith.  There will be an enquiry evening on Wednesday September 23^rd at 7 pm, in church, for those interested in preparing to receive the sacraments of new life next Easter. This is for adults who have never been baptised, or indeed for those who were baptised either in the Catholic Church or in another Christian Tradition and who now wish to enter full communion through confirmation and the Blessed Eucharist. Do spread the word and let any family members or friends know whom you think such a journey might interest. Please contact Fr David for further details.

Open Minds 2026 – please see the poster in the porch or visit https://events.humanitix.com/openmindsart2026 for more information regarding this two-day event to support Chester’s Platform for Life mental health charity through art and creativity.

MISSIO Red Box Holders Please note the collection for 2026 will be the weekend of 17^th & 18^th October, Bernie, our parish representative will be at all the masses. Please can red box holders bring their box or donations in a bag clearly labelled with their name.  

The Dimensions of Love To mark ten years of priestly ministry, Fr Tom Cunnah, PP of Neston and Judicial Vicar will undertake a nine-day, 130-mile thanksgiving pilgrimage across the Diocese of Shrewsbury, from West Kirby to Ludlow and Shining Tor, beginning on 3 September. Along the way, he will be praying for vocations and raising awareness and funds for the work of Caritas supporting families in need. Parishioners can follow his journey on Caritas social media and also support the appeal in various ways see www.caritasshrewsbury.org.uk along with information in the porch.

The parish St Vincent de Paul Conference (SVP) warmly invites you to an afternoon tea in the presbytery garden (entrance from Bath Street) on Saturday 5th September, from 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm. Come along and enjoy tea, coffee, ice cream and other goodies in good company. Everyone is very welcome! If you would like to attend, please contact svpchester@gmail.com or call Marco on 07778 392816.

Free Holiday Home Weeks at Talacre SVP St Werburgh has some free holiday weeks available at the Holiday Home in Talacre on 29.08 to 05.09, on 24.10 to 31.10 and 31.10 to 07.11. If you know someone who could benefit from a week’s holiday, or if you would like to apply for this opportunity yourself, please speak to Fr David or contact Marco at svpchester@gmail.com

Welcome Wednesday will be back on the 9^th of September to host a coffee morning at the back of the church in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Charity. If anyone would be kind enough to donate cakes for this event, we would be very grateful.  There is a sign-up sheet at the back. All are most welcome to support us and join us for tea, coffee and cake anytime from 10 am to 12 noon.

Aid to the Church in Need. We will welcome Rachel Buckley to all masses on the weekend of 12^th &13^th September to speak to us briefly about the remarkable work of this wonderful charity. Please be advised that this will not be a financial appeal, but Rachel will have some of ACN’s products and gifts available for purchase.

Eucharistic Springtime. On Wednesday 16^th of September, from 7- 8:30 pm, Fr Sean Davidson will join us, here in church, and offer a catechesis as part of the ongoing formation for new Catholics. Those who currently serve as extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion, and those considering this service in the parish, are encouraged to attend, as Fr Sean will help us to focus on the mystery at the heart of our Catholic faith. The presentation will conclude with a short time of Eucharistic Adoration.

Annual Benediction in honour of St Therese of Lisieux to be held at the Carmelite Monastery, 12 Grosvenor Place, Birkenhead, CH43 1UA on Sunday 27^th September at 3:00 pm. All are welcome; however, the beautiful chapel is quite small, so early arrival is advised for seating. Please see https://carmelitesbirkenhead.org.uk

Run for your money: Rowton regular & reader, Anne Rushton & Lina Salim are running the Chester Metric Marathon on October 11^th. They are accepting donations for the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, as sponsorship. All donations can be made via the parish (an envelope clearly marked on Sunday or left at the presbytery) and will be forwarded after the completion of the race.

Jesus Christ Superstar Palace Theatre Manchester:  On Tuesday 16^th February 2027: 40 places will be available, with transport and entrance. More details and costs to follow. Watch this space!  

CAFOD school volunteers needed! Could you visit your local Catholic school to talk about the work of CAFOD? We are looking for volunteers to deliver school assemblies and workshops  and inspire children and young people to make a difference. For further information please contact Anna Letizia on 07710 094449 or email aletizia@cafod.org.uk

Please take a copy of Day by Day for September &/or the Sacred Heart Messenger, leaving your contribution in the black box. 

Community Volunteer Car Scheme - Drivers needed “Many charities like ours organise and fund wonderful activities for our members, but our main difficulty is always transport. Before my diagnosis of Parkinson’s I was a volunteer driver for Lache Day Centre and more recently for MacMillan and I found both very rewarding. If you are a driver, with your own car and have some time to spare, you might be interested in volunteering for https://www.changing-lives-together.org.uk/ who are trying to set up a car scheme for the most vulnerable in our community. If you are interested, please email: Sarah.Jolliffe@changing-lives-together.org.uk

Congratulations to Pat Baxter, the winner of the St Werburgh’s Church bookmark, who spotted that last week’s newsletter photo was of St Paul, not St Peter. St Paul is usually depicted holding a sword and scroll, whereas St Peter, of course, holds the keys.

Photo of the week: Thank you to Francesca Owen for these photos of the soaring elegance of St Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, in both busy exterior & interior environments.