Parish Newsletter

Liturgical

Acts 2, 14-41; Psalm 22; I Peter 2, 20-25; John 10, 1-10

Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: Frank Hawley (L.D., Warrington)
Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Jean Hewson
Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Justina
Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Ray O’Brien (13th Anniversary)

Monday 1st May: St Joseph the Worker: Acts 11, 1-8; Psalm 125; John 15, 18-21
10.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Birthday Intentions – Canon Bernard Lordan

Tuesday 2nd May: St Athanasius: Acts 11, 19-26; Psalm 86; John 10, 22-30
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Alan Kilfoyle (10th Anniversary)

Wednesday 3rd May: SS Philip and James: I Corinthians 15, 1-8; Psalm 18; John 14, 6-14
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Allan Marsh (L.D., Hull)
7.00 pm: St Francis: Confirmation Rehearsal

Thursday 4th May: The English Martyrs: Acts 7, 55-60; Psalm 30; Matthew 10, 17-20
12.15 pm: St Werburgh’s: Elaine Rigg

Friday 5th May: Ferial: Acts 13, 26-33; Psalm 2; John 14, 1-6
9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Exam Intentions
12.00 Noon: St Werburgh’s: Wedding Service for Sean Barker and Rachael Doran
1.05 pm: High School: Weekly Voluntary Mass

Saturday 6th May: Ferial: Acts 13, 44-52; Psalm 97; John 14, 1-6
10.30 am – 12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Confessions
12.00 noon: St Werburgh’s: Baptism of Rory Matthew Barnes
6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: John Gornall (L.D.)

SUNDAY 7th MAY 2023: FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER (YEAR A)
Acts 6, 1-7; Psalm 32; I Peter 2, 4-9; John 14, 1-12
Saturday 6.00 pm: Rowton Methodists: John Gornall (L.D.)
Sunday 9.00 am: St Werburgh’s: Intentions of Sheila Braidwood
Sunday 10.45 am: St Werburgh’s: Bob Delap (6th Anniversary)
Sunday 6.00 pm: St Werburgh’s: Ethel Tierney (L.D.)

Prayer Intentions

Your prayers are asked for the following who are sick: Kath Stanton, Brian Boardman Jnr, James Convey, Bill Hackett, Laura Chadwick, Stuart Clark, Keith Hayes, Ruth O’Kane, and Kevin Maguire and for all the sick of the Parish; and for those who have died recently, especially Clare Graham and Michael Finney; and for those whose anniversaries occur about this time: Bridget O’Hara, Apolonia Marano, Sally Dunne, Margaret Holland, John McShane, Philomena Kenyon, Maureen Moran, Margaret Haslam, Richard Spencer, Thomas Clisham, Janina Ratomski, Alan Kilfoyle, John Martinez, Terry Walshe, John Moore, Dorothy Arcari, Daisy Moran, Catherine Watkins, Christina Maguire, Bernard Gallagher, Kathleen Pickersgill, Thomas Kidd, Margaret Price, John Spencer, Thomas Raftery, Angela Lloyd, Humphrey Broad-Davies, Henry Joyce, Cora McHugh, Bernard Dodd, Bishop Joseph Gray, Denis Duckers, Eileen Briton, Mo Massey and Paddy Scanlan.

May they all Rest in Peace.

Parish Information and Contacts

SVP: svpchester@gmail.com Countess of Chester Chaplaincy: 01244 364543.
St Werburgh’s is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury: Registered Charity No 234025.
Safeguarding Reps: Liz Aiello (email: elizabeth.aiello20@btinternet.com, tel: 07813743723) and
Chris Proudfoot (email: chrisproudfoot.stwerbughs@btinternet.com, tel; 07711495070)

Parish events

Confirmation – Wednesday 10th May 2023

Penitential Service for our youngsters last Wednesday, at the conclusion of which we had the Baptism of Sofia, one of our lovely teenagers who hadn’t been Baptised as a baby and was now embracing the Sacrament as a young adult. Our opening Class was the link between Baptism and Confirmation, so good to finish our classes with an actual Baptism for all the other youngsters to witness. For the adult group, I have been seeing them one-to-one this week to talk about the course and see if they wish to proceed to the Sacrament. Then their one-to-one Confessions, all building towards the Rehearsal at St Francis on Wednesday 3rd May and the Confirmation Celebration with Bishop Mark a week later. Exciting times!

Parish Renewal Programme

Delighted that three new members are joining the Steering Group, our first meeting this coming Friday morning. We’ll see what we’ve achieved to date, and what we need to do next as we put every aspect of our life together under the post-Covid microscope.

Christ and Creation: Four Talks & Discussions

One of the requests you made in the first phase of the Renewal Programme last autumn was for more talks about the faith and different aspects of our Catholic Theology. Delighted now to be able to advertise our first response to your request, four sessions led by Dr Claire Egan on Christ and Creation. Claire is a wonderful Werbie, mother of Matthew and Philippa, two of our ace Altar Servers. She read Theology at university, and then went on to do her Doctorate on the Book of Job. She now teaches Theology full time. This course looks at the startling but ancient truth that Jesus Christ as the Second Person of the Trinity has co-existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning of time and has a central role in the work of Creation. The four talks are on Wednesday evenings at 7.30 pm, starting 17th May, the first two here and the second two at the Cathedral. Flyers out today giving full details. This is a course not to be missed for all of us who want to deepen our faith and understand more about the Mystery of the Lord Jesus Christ, God Made Man.

The Coronation of HM King Charles III

The Bishops have produced a special prayer card, at the back of church today. Monday is a Bank Holiday, so Mass on that day will be at 10.00 am. A word of warning: Forest Court are planning a day-long party on their Roof Top Bar, Olive and Fifi on the beer pumps. So do please be careful walking along Forest Street and Union Street, as they dispose of their empty glasses in their usual way.

Church Cleaning on Wednesday Mornings

Many thanks to everyone who signed up before Christmas. We’ve been contacting you during the week to see if you’re still available. Another list is at the back of church if you’d like to be a Mrs Mopp!

MISSIO Red Box Holders

St Werburgh's gave a total of £3,747.67 for 2022 which is made up contributions from the red box donations, direct debit or on-line payments and gift aid. Thank you so much. If you’d like a red box, please contact our secretary, Bernie on 340768.

Monday 1st May St Joseph the Worker Bank Holiday

Feast of St Joseph the Worker on a Bank Holiday?
You couldn’t make it up, could you?

SVP Second Collection 13/14th May

To provide financial support to families who may not otherwise have a holiday, to have a week in the Holiday Home at Talacre or a family day out, and to fund a Summer Lunch outing for the elderly and housebound. Also for families in need for school trips and various school holiday club activities. SVP could not provide this support without your help which is very much appreciated.

SVP Celebration Mass

You are all cordially invited to the Celebration Mass that will take place on Sunday 30th April at 2.30 pm in the Catholic Primary School. Please get in touch with Fran fran.waldie@gmail.com if you need a lift to get there. All warmly welcome!

Shrewsbury Diocesan Caritas

The next Caritas box collection will take place this weekend (29th/30th April) at all Masses.
Please empty the content of your box into a strong plastic bag or envelope, clearly labelled with your name. No foreign coins please. Gift Aid and Standing Order forms will be available. New Box Holders welcome. Caritas would like to thank you all most sincerely for £1,121.88 raised in the last financial year. Well done, everyone!

The Catholic High School 50th Anniversary Mass

You are warmly invited to join the CHS celebration Mass on Friday 9th of June, 11.00 am at Chester Cathedral. If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Mallon by email at mallonk@christofidelis.org.uk. There are a limited number of spaces available – tickets going well!

Parish Renewal: Renewing our Web Site

Good to start the process in the week of putting our excellent web site under the Renewal Spotlight. It’s done sterling service over the last dozen years. Now it needs some refreshing, both of its content and of its format. Initial meeting with Tekkie One in the week, with the whole group coming together on 11th May, welcoming some new members. If you have any suggestions for renewal of content or format, please email them in.

Financial Year End

We aim every year for income of about £120,00 and expenditure of about £100,000. This year has seen such a sharp spike in the Cost of Living, especially in fuel. Heating a church of this size is not easy, as you can imagine, and far from cheap. But the headline figures of 2022-23 are reassuringly in line with expectations:

• Annual Income: £130,808.37
• Annual Expenditure: £103, 637.19

Photo of the Week: Mustard Man on his Travels

The Cathedral at Syracuse, towards the southern tip of Sicily, looking out over the Med to Libya and North Africa. Originally a Greek Doric Temple dating back to the 5th Century BC, it’s now a magnificent Catholic Cathedral. Thanks, JO’S! If you’ve never visited Sicily, I can’t recommend it too strongly. An amazing island!