Parish Social -  Friday 28th February 7.00 pm

Do come and join us in our Brook St Club for our usual very enjoyable annual Parish Social. John lays on a super buffet, your free ticket entitles you to your first drink free (the other ten you have to pay for) and there’s the usual stupid FP quiz. Children & families very welcome. See you all there, to toast St Werburgh. 

 

Chester Uni CathSoc Welcome Keele Uni CathSoc

Delighted to welcome our good friends from Keele University for Evening Mass tonight and a social evening with our own students afterwards. Their Chaplain, Neill, was a student here back in the day, and it’s so good to keep the friendship between the two CathSocs going.  

 

New Tax Year Weekly Offertory Envelopes

The 2025/26 envelopes are available at the back of church, starting Sunday 6th April. If you use envelopes, please collect yours as soon as possible. Thank you.

 

(Women’s) World Day of Prayer 2025 Service

Come and support this women-led, ecumenical and international service. Salvation Army, St Anne Street, Chester, 10.30 am, Friday 7th March. All welcome. 

 

Reclaiming Expenses

If you make a purchase, however small, on behalf of St Werburgh’s, you should claim those expenses back using our new expenses claim form (with instructions) which you can find in a plastic folder on the sacristy window ledge. Once the claim is in, you’ll receive a cheque.

 

National Marriage Week 2025

7th-14th February. Please pray for all marriages during this week.  You will find some resources on the diocesan website, in particular a novena for marriage week and prayer. There is also a link to the Bishops Conference.

 

Shrewsbury Lourdes Hospitality Meeting

St Columba's, Saturday 1st March at 2.00 pm.  Please forward any apologies, or items to be discussed under AOB, to secretary@teamshrewsbury.co.uk

 

Volunteer Diocesan SVP Secretary and Treasurer

No need for this appointee to be involved with the wider work of the SVP and each role would require 3-4 hours input per month. If interested, call Stephen on 07775-781-204 or stephen.perry12@btopenworld.com.

 

Parish Secretary Vacancy at St Clare’s Chester

4 hours per week @ £14 per hour. For further details, please see the Diocesan Website https://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/latest-vacancies/  CV and covering letter should be sent to recruitment@dioceseofshrewsbury.org by 28th Feb.

 

Highlight from the High School – 2025 Jubilee Year

CHS would like to hear from you about ideas on how the school could bring hope to our community. Any ideas, please email Ana to gasparinia@christofidelis.org.uk. Thank you to those who already emailed fantastic ideas!

Lent Stations of the Cross: Two Spare Slots

Every Friday evening during Lent, 7.00 pm: 

1. 7th March – Any volunteers?
2. 14th March – Any volunteers?
3. 21st March – FP  and Thomas Burke’s POW Paintings
4. 28th March – Ana and High School’s Living Stations
5. 4th April – Liz and Lampedusa
6. 11th April – Tom and Choir

Welcome Wednesday: Last Week and Next

We wish Tony Barbet a speedy recovery from his bad fall on the ice that meant that he had to postpone his "£10 Pom Talk” We welcomed our largest number yet and filled the gap by sharing our far ranging reminisces about people travelling and immigrating from one continent to another. Next Wednesday the Domino Group will prepare their proposal to put forward to the 150th Anniversary Group - a Domino Marathon to raise funds for our Hospice Anniversary Project. (A Domino Run right round church?) Meanwhile the non-doms will continue the Recipe Book and start their Bunny and Chick project (eh?). See you all there!

 

Last Sunday’s Youth Mass

A big thank you from the Youth Team to our super Readers, Welcomers, Musicians and Singers and all those taking part and supporting the joyful Mass.

 

150th Anniversary Next Meeting: 27th February

Thursday 27th February, 7.30 pm. Each proposal comes in three stages: VISION, your concept or dream; PROVISION, how that idea can be translated into reality, the feasibility study, costings, timings manpower; then DECISION, as a group we agree to press the button and make it happen! New ideas this week: a Lego Model of Church for the children; an Open Week of Faith, Church and Creativity; a WW 150,000 domino run right round church (seriously??)…

 

Vacancy in the Diocesan Youth Mission Team

Details can be found on the Diocesan website Latest Vacancies - Diocese  Completed applications to be sent to recruitment@dioceseofshrewsbury.org by 21/2.

 

February Review Month for our Parish Website

During next week, you’ll see a link on the website. There will be a blank proforma which you can complete  and an example of a completed one. Please complete one for your group.  Remember: “Explain, Welcome, Engage!” Help available if you need it!

 

Work on the Porch – The Finished Job!

Last touch yesterday, the splashbacks for the Holy Water stoups. Now for a professional carpet clean.  

 

Repository Reopening: Preloved Sale

On for another couple of weeks. Some amazing old relics on display. But enough about Bernice & Paula…

 

Advent Singers Concert – Friday 21st February

It’s a Charity Concert in aid of Parkinson’s Research UK, and is full of wonderful Popular Choral Classics, from Sixteenth Century Motets to Twentieth Century Songs from the Shows. Some very talented youngsters will also be performing, Henry with Bach unaccompanied Viola, and Adam with the Saint-Saens Clarinet Sonata. Something for all! 

 

Healing Mass: Sunday 9th February at 2.30 pm

Its theme will be “Come to me, all you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest”. We hope to see you all there, whoever seeks healing. (All of us?)

 

Photo of the Week: Our Lady’s Warwick Street

Originally part of the Portuguese Embassy in London, and so beyond Henry VIII’s power during the Reformation. Today it is the HQ of the Ordinariate. Many thanks to Martin O’B for snapping and sending!