SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
11TH FEBRUARY 2024
World Day of Prayer for the Sick
Day of Special Prayer for the Unemployed
| Sat 10 Feb | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Tony McHugh RIP | |
| Enrolment Mass for First Holy Comunion candidates | |||
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | The Parish | |
| Sun 11 Feb | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Margaret Parry RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Peter Duffy (SH) | |
| Mon 12 Feb | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Sean McCabe | |
| Tue 13 Feb | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| Wed 14 Feb` | ASH WEDNESDAY | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | NO DEVOTIONS TODAY | ||
| 10.30am | Private Intentions | ||
| 7.00pm | Frederick Hercules RIP | ||
| Thu 15 Feb | Thursday after Ash Wednesday | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Eileen Mary Thornber RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | Diane Blago RIP | ||
| Fri 16 Feb | Friday after Ash Wednesday | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Stations of the Cross | |
| 10.00am | David Kluth’s Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 17 Feb | Saturday after Ash Wednesday | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Brian Haslam RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Brian Haslam RIP | |
| Sun 18 Feb | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Muriel Haligan RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Felicity Hughes RIP |
Please note if there is no time next to Mass it means there is no Mass for parishioners to attend that day but the Priests will say Mass privately.
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS:
Mass will be streamed from St Columba’s at 11a.m. this Sunday 11th February 2024
www.facebook.com/thecatholicparishofstcolumbaandsttheresa
HEARING LOOP SYSTEM
Please note that both Churches operate a hearing loop system if you need it.
Pope’s Prayer Intentions For February – for the terminally ill – Let us pray that the sick who are in the final stages of life, and their families, receive the necessary medical and human care and accompaniment.
ANNIVERSARIES:
Eileen Mary Thornber, Charles Edward Davis, George Thomas Noden, Michael S. Sanderson-Miller, Martin Leigh, Lynda Taylor, David Joseph Whitby.
WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS AND FUNERALS:
Please contact one of the Parish Offices to make your arrangements.
CONFESSIONS:
There will be Confessions after each weekday Mass until 11.30am.
St Columba’s: From 6pm before the 6.30pm Saturday evening Mass.
St Theresa’s: From 4.30pm before 5pm Saturday evening Mass.
OFFERTORY:
St Columba’s: Loose plate £TBC; Planned Giving £102.50 Average Weekly SO – £574.00; Candles £34.50
St Theresa’s: Loose plate £264.11; Planned Giving TBC; Average weekly SO – £161.00.
THANK YOU for all your generous support.
LENTEN MESSAGE
As we begin our Lenten Season with the sign of Ashes, we are called to redouble our efforts to prayer, alms giving and fasting and all works of corporal acts of mercy. Fr William and Fr Desmond wish everyone a happy Lenten season.
ENROLMENT MASS FOR FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Today we welcome the children from St Theresa’s Primary school who will be enrolled at the 9.30am Mass. Please remember them in your prayers.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA
The 2024 coffee rota is on the noticeboard at St Columba’s Hall, so please enter your name and good cause against your preferred dates. You could make £30-£50 for your chosen cause.
11th Feb – volunteers please
18th Feb – Margaret Curtis, fish & chip babies
25th Feb – Volunteers please
What are Fish & Chip Babies?
This charity initiative provides knitted hats and jumpers for newborn infants in Africa, particularly Swaziland, who would otherwise go home wrapped in newspaper. Any money raised at the coffee morning on 18th Feb will go to posting the parish’s knitted garments to the shipment hub in Northamptonshire. A huge thank you to all the knitters… keep going!
I am a parishioner at St Columba’s Church Hall.
RED BOXES – ST THERESA’S
Please leave your box in the sacristy to be counted.
UGANDA ORPHANAGES
This Sunday 11th February there is a cake sale after 11am in aid of two Orphanages in Uganda. Home of Peace in Jinja and Christ Heart in Kampala. We desperately need funds to send around 60 children to school.
Highlight from the High: The students at the CHS are rehearsing for the ‘Living Stations of the Cross’ performance which will take place in the school hall on Tuesday 26th March at 10am. Parishioners are invited to come and watch the play. Tickets free of charge. Limited places! To book your seat, please email shawk@christofidelis.org.uk
PRAYING TOGETHER
We pray for:
- the residents of Shepherds Lane, Thornton Drive, The Beeches, Windermere Avenue, Milton Road, Crabwell Place, Byron Close & Thomas Close.
- For the growth Action Planning in our Churches, Commitment for Life, Vision4Life and Fresh Expressions
PARISH YOUTH GROUP:
The next youth group is on Monday 12th February, starting at 7pm, at St. Columba’s. All young parishioners, school year 5 or older, are warmly welcome to join our happy friendly group.
LENT AND EASTER:
ASH WEDNESDAY – 14th February
Ash Wednesday is a Day of Fasting and Abstinence. There will be Mass at 9.30am at St Theresa’s and Mass at 10.30am and 7pm at St Columba’s.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
During Lent there will be Stations of the Cross every week. Monday at 10am at St Columba’s and Friday at 9.30am at St Theresa’s.
SERVICE TIMES
Leaflets are available with the service and Mass times for Lent and Easter. Please do take one with you.
PASTORAL COUNCIL
Your Pastoral Council met on 22nd January in St Theresa’s. The main item of discussion focused on the next phase of “volunteer recruitment” which will now be introduced to the parish on the weekend of 24th/25th February. Also discussed was the compilation of a welcoming pack for new parishioners. A date for your diaries – the Pastoral Council AGM, 4th March in St Theresa’s.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION:
The next Chester Parishes Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will be on Friday 8th November 2024 at St. Columba’s. Anyone currently at high school may be Confirmed,
no upper age limit. More information will follow in this newsletter in a few weeks.
LOURDES BY JUMBULANCE 2024:
Wirral and Chester Across Groups are taking sick and disabled pilgrims to Lourdes on Thursday 30th May – Saturday 9th June and Thursday 15th – 24th August. A Jumbulance has beds on board, spacious seating, an accessible toilet and kitchen. We stay in a four star hotel with excellent facilities to care for them and recruit a team of nurses and helpers to do so. We all do a DBS. Everyone must be COVID vaccinated. The cost is £1,095. Half price for nurses and young people under 25 in FTE. We do fund raising to help support those who cannot afford the full amount. Travel Insurance for the sick is available at just £65. www.across.org.uk/?s=AJ. For further information, contact Tony Murphy on 07881-656-974 or tonymurphy2002@yahoo.co.uk.
PROPOSED WALSINGHAM PILGRIMAGE 8th -11th APRIL
Fr William has given his blessing to organising a pilgrimage to Our Lady’s National Shrine. The cost (assuming 30 on pilgrimage) would be approximately £400 per person including coach travel, accommodation in en-suite single or double/twin rooms, with breakfast and evening meal, in Elmham House, Walsingham. To register your interest in joining the pilgrimage, please add your name and contact details to one of the lists in the church porches, or contact one of our parish secretaries.
DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES:
Brochures and booking forms are now available on the pilgrimage website www.shrewsburypilgrimage.co.uk or by ringing 07773 324264, or if you are aged 16 – 22 please email youth@dioceseofshrewsbury.org for an application form to join the youth section of our pilgrimage. This year our pilgrimage dates are: by air is from Friday 26 July to Thursday 1 August, by coach Thursday 25 July to Friday 2 August and for our young people Wednesday 24 July to Friday 2 August. If you are a first time pilgrim or a returning pilgrim we look forward to you joining us in Lourdes this year.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – Saint Teresa of Avila described the extraordinary gift of prayer as “Nothing else than a close sharing between friends”
WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: As we approach Lent, we consider its start, “Shrove Tuesday”. “This comes from the word “shrive,” which means to confess one’s sins and receive absolution from a priest. It’s a day for Christians to prepare their hearts and souls for the penitential season of Lent. The tradition of making pancakes on this day is believed to have originated in medieval England as a way to use up ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar before Lenten fasting began”. (awarenessdays.com) How do you take your pancakes? Wishing you all a good beginning to your Lenten observances.
RESOURCES : If you are struggling with low mood, anxiety, long term conditions, stress or depression , West & Central Cheshire Talking Therapies run by the NHS can help you. You can self refer, contact details 0151 488 8348 or www.talkingtherapies.cwp.nhs.uk Don’t struggle in silence. There are people waiting to hear from you. And to help you.
CAFOD:
“The Church relies on people getting involved. Our parish, our community, our world needs you. Could your New Year’s resolution be getting more involved in the life of our church? Could you give a bit of time to help our parish flourish? CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, is looking for people to give just a little time and join them in their mission. Could you help in our parish, to build a better world. They also need people to visit our local schools: Training & support provided. See cafod.org.uk/Volunteer for more information or contact shrewsbury@cafod.org.uk Or could you take part in The Big Lent Walk? cafod.org.uk/walk “
DIOCESAN CHOIR FESTIVAL – ‘SING A NEW SONG’:
You are invited to come along and sing as part of a diocesan choir. Learn music throughout the day and lead the singing for Mass at 5pm. We will learn Schutz: Praise to you Lord Jesus, Schubert: Mass in G and more, on Saturday 24th February, 10.30a.m.-4.30p.m. with Mass beginning at 5p.m. At St Anthony’s, Dunkery Road, Woodhouse Park, Wythenshawe, M22 0WR. Refreshments and registration from 10.30am, rehearsals begin at 11am. Tea and coffee will be provided, please being a packed lunch. The cost is £5 per person, payable on the day. Book by completing the form at HTTP://TINYURL.COM/DIOCESANCHOIRFESTIVAL The deadline for bookings is Friday 16th February. For more information contact reception@dioceseofshrewsbury.org.
ST COLUMBA’S CHURCH & HALL BOOKINGS
To arrange meetings etc. in either the Church, Newman Room or the Iona Chapel, please book through Carol Galvin, St. Columba’s Church Office, phone: 01244 624019, email: stcolumbaschurch2016@outlook.com. Office hours Monday to Friday 9.00am to 1.00pm
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 Sue Carr on 07553 114531 or email columbashallbookings@gmail.com to arrange booking.
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER:
11th February edition will be compiled by Alison Wrigglesworth, phone: 07708 304246; or email: a.wrigglesworth@outlook.com. Please include a phone number in case of queries, and please ensure that items are emailed or phoned to the compiler by 9.00a.m. on WEDNESDAY 14th FEBRUARY 2024