Parish Newsletter

 

Financial Statement: Last Year’s Gift Aid

An amazing total of £66,000 was given to the Parish last year, through your Gift Aided Weekly Offertories and other charitable donations. So, that will be roughly the size of our GA claim, qualifying for a 25% rebate coming back to the Parish. There’ll be a few deductions for Diocesan Admin, but we can expect approximately £16,000 to come to St Werburgh’s from the Government – and all for just a signature, if you are a taxpayer! Where does that money go to? Straight into our Central Fund (Deposit Account) with the Diocese which helps pay for capital projects, like the Church Emergency Lighting. A huge thanks to everyone, and especially to Denise Jones, our amazing GA organiser.  

 

Huw Williams’ Funeral on Monday

Deacon Lawrence and I will be conducting a Graveside Funeral Service for Huw at Sacred Heart, Ainsdale on Monday. This is a very private service for immediate family only: but do please keep Mary and Steve, Sarah, Ewan and Eva in your prayers at this sad time.

May Huw rest in peace. Amen.

 

Chester Heritage Festival in June

After a 3-year Covid break the above festival will be up and running 17^th–27^th June 2022 (google “Chester Heritage Festival 2022”). We have been asked to participate, by resurrecting our plans for a walk and talk about “A Tale of Two Architects”, John Douglas and Edmund Kirby, two good friends. Edmund Kirby designed St Werburgh’s Church and John Douglas designed most of the rest of Victorian Chester. These two events will take place on Sunday 19^th June. The walk will start at 2.15 pm at Dee House and will pass Douglas and Kirby buildings, reaching St. Werburgh’s around 2.50 pm. The talk, at St Werburgh’s, will start at 3.00 pm and last about one hour. The whole process will be “choreographed” by Gerry Tighe and Ann Marie Curtis and will include some fairly newly discovered information. It would be great if as many as possible could attend one or both events and give support during this post-Covid period.

 

Diocesan IT In-House Support

The Diocese is seeking to employ a full time IT In-House Support member at the Curial Office in Birkenhead. For more information, please see our website http://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/about-us/curia/vacancies Completed CV’s to be sent to Pauline  recruitment@dioceseofshrewsbury.org 

Closing date Friday 17^th June 2022.

 

Platinum Jubilee Floral Celebration

Holy Ascension Church, Upton: Thursday 2^nd–Saturday 4^th June, 10.00–4.00 pm. Sunday 5^th June, 2.00-4.00 pm. Come and enjoy the flowers and refreshments, in aid of the church and the Hospice.

 

Experience of Scaffolding Towers?

The saga of the safe way to access the Organ Loft rumbles on. If we hired a Scaffolding Tower, does anyone have experience of assembling one?

 

On the Free Table today: A3 sheets of Paper

Newsletter blanks from the lockdown period – printed on one side but blank on the other. Anyone want?

 

Tattenhall House Masses Starting This Week!

They will be on the FIRST THURSDAY of each month, at 10.30 am, For venue, please contact FP.

 

Preparing for Pentecost

A small group of parishioners would like to invite you all to join them on Tuesday 31^st May for two hours of prayer and reflection in our Day Chapel as a preparation for the great Feast of Pentecost. Meeting at 9.45 for a 10.00 start and finishing with Mass at 12.15 pm. Refreshments provided. Fifteen places available: please sign up asap.

 

SVP Theatre Night Wed 8^th June: The Vicar of Dibley

All our allocated tickets now sold! Well done, everyone! But you can still turn up, if you would like to do so, and buy a ticket at the Box Office on the night.  

 

Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railway: Only 5 Places left!

Monday 19^th September

An amazing bargain basement price for this day out of £65, including all transport and lunch. The commercial price is nearer £90. 45 places gone: just 5 left!!

 

Message from Bishop Mark

“The Relics of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes will be with us at the Cathedral from 1.00 pm on Tuesday 13^th September until 9.00 am on Wednesday 14^th September, when the Relic will travel to Saint Werburgh’s, Chester until 4.00 pm that same afternoon. A Diocesan programme is being drawn up and the complete schedule for the visit will be available soon. The visit is already awakening much public interest and I hope this pilgrimage will be an especially blessed moment of prayer and new evangelisation.”

 

Official Prayer for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

“Almighty God, we pray, that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen, who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm, may continue to grow in every virtue, that, imbued with your heavenly grace, she may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil and, being blessed with your favour may, with the royal family, come at last into your presence, through Christ, who is the way, the truth and the life and who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen”

 

“Chester and the Crown” Exhibition at the Cathedral

Wednesday 1^st–Thursday 30^th June: 10.00 am-6.00 pm

https://chestercathedral.com/event/chester-and-the-crown/Join Chester Cathedral throughout June in celebrating HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with our exciting upcoming exhibition, “Chester and the Crown”. Chester and the Crown is a vibrant journey through our city’s relationship with the monarchy. Learn new things, see never-before-seen objects, and join in with the Jubilee celebrations! Entry by donation.

 

Next Year’s First Sacraments Programme

The programme runs from September to June each year. So, if you have a child in Year 3 or above who does not attend our Catholic Primary School, please contact Fr Paul, preferably by email. The classes begin in October, with First Forgiveness in January and First Holy Communions in May. The closing date for enrolment is Sunday 4^th September 2022.

 

Photo of the Week: St Mary’s Melmount, Strabane

An amazing church, in Co Tyrone, seating 1,200 people, with spacious aisles radiating from the altar to join a wide processional area at the back. Thanks, Michigan Monsters, for a super photo! And an even better one is on its way from the MM’s, one of them back home in the Great Lake State, visiting Steve Snr…