The month of August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
NINETEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
10 August 2025
| Sat 9 Aug | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Enid Mason | |
| Sun 10 Aug | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Nicola Lewis’s Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Carol & Mark Traynor | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite | ||
| Mon 11 Aug | St Clare, V. Mem. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Anne Patey RIP | |
| Tue 12 Aug | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Special Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| Wed 13 Aug | |||
| St. Theresa’s | All those receiving exam results | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Enid Mason | ||
| Thu 14 Aug | St Maximilian Mary Kolbe, P, M. Mem. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Margaret Murray RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | 7.00pm Vigil Mass |
Ian Bullough RIP |
|
| Fri 15 Aug | The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Solemn. Holyday of Obligation |
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| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Roy Gent RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 16 Aug | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Community Mass | |
| 5.00pm | Joe Blundell RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Avondale Williams | |
| Sun 17 Aug | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | David Mark McLoughin RIP (AM) | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite |
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS
Mass will be streamed at St Theresa’s on Sunday 10 August at 9a.m.
Cover is needed at St Columba’s for occasions when Tim is unavailable. (St Theresa’s have a volunteer) The only requirement is you need to have an iPhone. If you would be willing to help with this, please contact one of the church offices. Thank you.
www.facebook.com/thecatholicparishofstcolumbaandsttheresa
RECENTLY DECEASED
Please remember in your prayers: Mary Ibel and Anthony Walsh. Anthony (Tony) Walsh’s Requiem Mass is on Tuesday 19 August at 12pm at St Columba’s.
May the Lord console their families and friends.
ANNIVERSARIES
Michael Paziuk, Margaret Mary Murray, Roy Gent.
MASS INTENTIONS (ST THERESA’S)
If you would like a Mass saying, please put the name of the person the Mass is for and the date you would like it in an envelope along with the donation. Please also put your name and a telephone number so that we can contact you if the date you requested is unavailable. Thank You.
POPE’S AUGUST PRAYER INTENTIONS
For mutual coexistence. Let us pray that societies where coexistence seems more difficult might not succumb to the temptation of confrontation for ethnic, political, religious or ideological reasons.
CONFESSIONS
There will be Confessions after each weekday Mass until 11.30a.m.
St Columba’s: From 6p.m. before the 6.30p.m. Saturday evening Mass.
St Theresa’s: From 4.30p.m. before 5p.m. Saturday evening Mass.
WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS AND FUNERALS
Please contact one of the Parish Offices to make your arrangements.
FR WILLIAM
Fr William will be away until the end of August. We hope he has a well-earned rest.
PARISH OFFERTORY
Loose Plate: £558.30; Planned Giving: £211.35; Average weekly SO £718.15. Candles: £27.43.
Apostleship of the Sea collection: St Theresa’s: £146.40, St Columba’s: £225
Thank you for your generosity.
PRAYING TOGETHER
- Pray for the residents of Caughall Road, Acorn Court, The Acorns, Rosedene Close, Endsleigh Gardens, Endsleigh Close, Venable’s Road, St Chad’s Road, Church Hall Close and Cedar Mews.
- For the PCC Members, Elders and all who hold Office in the Church.
- For strong leadership by those elected and appointed.
ST COLUMBA’S OFFICE
There will be a change of the office hours at St Columba’s from 8.00am to 2.15pm, Monday to Thursday. Office will be closed: 13-14 and 21 August and 1 September. When the office is closed, urgent matters will be dealt with through the kind services of Carol Galvin, Monday to Friday 9.00a.m to 12.00pm.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA
The coffee rota is on the noticeboard in St Columba’s Hall. Just write your name, charity and phone number on the calendar. If you can’t access the hall, leave a message on Margaret Curtis’s answerphone on 01244 318424 with your name and date(s) and she will add you to the rota.
10 August Lyn Coyle, Friendship Group
17 August volunteers please
24 August volunteers please
FAITH EXPLORATION AND SHARING
For any parishioner not yet in full communion with the Church but interested in exploring a way to that, beginning in September the parish will be running the Sycamore course explaining the Catholic faith. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact deacon Lawrence for more details. If you know someone you think might be interested why not offer some words of encouragement.
READER WANTED
The next Upton Churches Fifth Sunday Service is at the United Reformed Church in Heath Road at 4.30 p.m. on Sunday 31 August. We have been asked to deliver one of the Readings. If you would like to do this, then please contact David Savage 01244 380626.
ST COLUMBA’S RED MISSION BOX HOLDERS
There are three Red Mission boxes collections during the year: March, July and November. To have your box emptied, please leave it in the sacristy before the end of July, then pick up your empty, relabelled box from the rear porch.
ST THERESA’S RED BOXES
Please leave your boxes in the sacristy to be counted. Thank you.
FISH AND CHIP BABIES KNITTING PROJECT
If you have any double-knitting wool to spare, we now need more for the babies in NE Africa. Please arrange to hand it to Margaret Curtis, thank you.
ST WERBURGH AND ST COLUMBA’S PRIMARY SCHOOL
St Werburgh’s and St Columba’s Catholic Primary School. Our much-loved Headteacher is due to retire in December 2025, and we are looking to appoint a new Headteacher for our happy, vibrant, and successful Primary school. The Governors are looking to appoint a committed and practicing Catholic, an ambitious, dynamic, and inspirational leader who has the vision to continue to drive the school forward. If you are interested in this position, please click here for more information and the application pack.
ST. WERBURGH’S 150th ANNIVERSARY
This will be celebrated in December this year. Details of events in the coming week are on the notice board in both churches.
PARISH YOUTUBE CHANNEL
The Pastoral Council would like to offer Mass live streamed on our YouTube channel. To do this, at no cost to us, we need a minimum of 50 subscribers, we have 26 so far. We would be very grateful if parishioners could subscribe to the channel which can be found on YouTube as: St Columba and Theresa RC Church Chester. Even if you are unlikely to use the service, please do subscribe to benefit others.
FOOD BANK DONATIONS – MORE NEEDED
Donated food is taken to the West Cheshire Foodbank at Ellesmere Port every fortnight. The warehouse is usually fairly full but recently the crates have been half empty. The volunteers confirmed that they have had to buy in supplies out of their limited resources. The donation receipt book shows our parish donation weighing 20.6 kgs but another entry showed that 403kgs of food had to be purchased at Costco. If you can, please give as generously as possible, especially UHT milk, Longlife juice, curry sauce, tinned spaghetti and chocolate A look at the Foodbank website (westcheshirefoodbank.org.uk) indicates where there is a need for particular items. Thank you so much. Your generosity makes all the difference.
VJ DAY SERVICE
Organised by Holy Trinity Church, on VJ Day, Friday 15 August at 9.30am there will be a short service of commemoration and prayers with wreath laying at the war memorial in Blacon Cemetery. The Lord Mayor will be attending. All are welcome.
ST COLUMBA’S CHURCH & HALL BOOKINGS
To arrange meetings etc. in either the Church, Newman Room, or the Iona Chapel, please book through Magdalena Bukowska, St. Columba’s Church Office, phone: 01244 624019, email: stcolumbaschurch2016@outlook.com. Office hours Monday to Thursday 8a.m. to 2.15p.m.
Hall availability can be checked by looking at St Columba’s Church website – section for Church Hall gives a calendar of events in the Hall. Then contact Magdalena Bukowska on 01244 624019 for enquires within the office hours stated above or email columbashallbookings@gmail.com to arrange booking.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“We have a saying in Tibet: If a problem can be solved, there is no use worrying about it. If it can’t be solved, worrying will do no good.” – Heinrich Harrer
PARISH WEBSITE
If anyone has an item that they would like to have on the website, please contact Lyn Coyle, who is the parish liaison with the website manager. These items must be about parish-based events or information. marilyn.coyle44@gmail.com
WELCOME TO OUR PARISH
If you are NEW TO THE PARISH, please complete a Parish Registration Form and send (or bring) it to either parish office to let us know that you are here and enable us to welcome you. Forms can be found in the front porches of both churches and on the website: www.sscolumbaandtheresa.co.uk under the “I’m New” tab. Thank you.
MARRIAGE HELP
Retrouvaille helps couples find hope and healing for their marriage. Next date: 17-19 Oct. www.retrouvaille.org.uk Tel: 0788 7296983
SUNSET CAFÉ PROJECT
Chester Townhouse, the Hospitality Hero and Soul Kitchen Chester have launched the Sunset Cafe inside the Chester Townhouse Hotel, Lower Bridge Street from 11a.m. to 3p.m. every Friday until the end of September. This is a live training cafe aiming to educate, train and support individuals stepping back into employment. We would be delighted if any parishioners or visitors in town on a Friday were able to visit the cafe to support this project.
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
Cheshire libraries are worth looking at, with the summer reading challenge, family games, story club and plenty of other activities https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/residents/libraries/events.
Also check out the Cheshire West and Chester Council web site for further activities and availability as well as Edsential for holiday activities and food programme https://edsential.com/haf/
WIN A TRIP TO MEDJUGORJE
Medjugorje Irish Centre Free Prize draw. Prize for one person includes 7 nights B&B, return airport transfer and flights up to €300. To enter go to prize draw page on
Website: www.med-irishcentre.com
Tel. 07860 465386
Email reservations@med-irishcentre.com
WhatsApp No: 00387 63 630 604
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
Sunday 17 August edition will be compiled by Eileen Irwin Phone: 01244 371660 or email: st.theresas@btinternet.com. Please include a phone number in case of queries, and please ensure that notices are also emailed to st.theresas@btinternet.com or phoned to the compiler by 9.00 a.m. on WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST 2025