The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Pity
TWENTY FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
13 SEPTEMBER 2026
Sat 12 Sep
St. Theresa’s
5.00pm Mark Buggy
St. Columba’s
6.30pm Georgina Goodyear – Wedding Anniv.
Sun 13 Sep
– Day of Special Prayer for Education
St. Theresa’s
9.30am Peter Cunniff RIP
St. Columba’s
11.00am Margaret Patino Pan RIP (MW)
2.00pm Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite
Mon 14 Sep
– Exaltation of the Holy Cross; Feast
St. Theresa’s
Priests’ Intentions
St. Columba’s
10.30am Margaret Patino Pan RIP (EW)
Tue 15 Sep
– Our Lady of Sorrows. Mem.
St. Theresa’s
6.30pm Parishioners’ Intentions
St. Columba’s
Parishioners’ Intentions. No Mass at St Columba’s
Wed 16 Sep
– Ss Cornelius, P, M & Cyprian, B, M. Mem.
St. Theresa’s
Special Intention
St. Columba’s
9.30am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
10.15am Novena Prayers
10.30am Margaret Patino Pan RIP (MJ)
Thu 17 Sep
St. Theresa’s
Private Intentions
St. Columba’s
Priests’ Intentions
Fri 18 Sep
St. Theresa’s
10.00am Joan Woods RIP
St. Columba’s
The Parish
Sat 19 Sep
St. Theresa’s
9.30am Malankara Jacobite Syriac Community
5.00pm Mae Dunne RIP
St. Columba’s
6.30pm Margaret Patino Pan RIP (EH)
Sun 20 Sep
– Home Mission Sunday
St. Theresa’s
9.30am Parishioners’ Intentions
St. Columba’s
11.00am Margaret Patino Pan RIP (MW)
2.00pm Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS – Mass will be streamed at St Theresa’s on Sunday 13 September at 9.30a.m.
ANNIVERSARIES – Kathleen Teresa Baxter, Janet Marie Heath Jones, Joan Margaret Mary Woods.
POPE’S PRAYER INTENTION FOR SEPTEMBER –For the care of water. Let us prayfor a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.
CONFESSIONS – After each weekday Mass until 11.30a.m. On Saturdays: St Columba’s 6.00p.m. – 6.25p.m. St Theresa’s 4.30p.m. – 4.55p.m.
WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS & FUNERALS – Please contact one of the Parish Offices to make your arrangements.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY – The Children’s Liturgy normally happens at the 11a.m. service at St Columba’s on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. See the parish website under the Family tab.
PARISH OFFERTORY – Loose Plate: £529.04; Planned Giving: £227.10; Average weekly SO £734.72. (St Columba’s) Dona Stations: August: £464; Last week: £97. Candles £48.70. Thank you for your generosity.
RETIRING COLLECTION – next weekend (19/20 September) there will be a retiring collection for Home Missions.
MONDAY MASS – 14 SEPTEMBER – We have managed to get a priest to say Mass on Monday 14 September at 10.30 am at St Columba’s.
ST THERESA’S ANNIVERSARY – Tuesday 15 September is the 70th anniversary of the first priest being appointed to oversee the creation of St Theresa’s parish. The 6.30 p.m.Mass on 15 September will therefore be at St Theresa’s, not St Columba’s. If anyone would like to donate towards flowers to decorate the church, please put your donation in an envelope marked flowers and place in the offertory basket. Many thanks.
ST THERESA’S ANNIVERSARY – To celebrate the 70th anniversary, there will be cream tea after 9.30a.m. Mass on Sunday 13 September. A bigger celebration to mark the building of the church will take place in 2028. If anyone has any photos or information they would like to share with the parish, please let us know. Please write your name and tel. no. on them so that the items can be returned. Thank you.
ST THERESA’S CLUB EVENT – Classical guitar duo concert at 11am on Monday 14 September. All welcome.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – “Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can.” Douglas Pagels
PRAYING TOGETHER FOR –
The residents of St Christopher’s Close, Dale Drive, Heath Road, Sumner Road, Fisher Road, Stamford Road, and Church Way.
The Treasurers, Finance Organisers and the Gift Aid Recorders.
Those who are responsible for the financial affairs of our Churches.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA – We need volunteers every Sunday after 11:00 Mass. To raise money for your good cause, please put your details on the sheet and let Margaret Curtis know on 01244 318424 or marg.curtis@outlook.com 13 Sept – Lyn Coyle for Friendship Group 20 Sept – volunteers please 27 Sept – MacMillan Coffee Morning
MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING – It’s nearly time for our annual MacMillan fund raiser, on 27 Sept. We would welcome any donated cakes which can be sold after the Saturday Mass at 6:30pm 26 Sept in the Newman Room and after the Sunday Mass, 11:00am 27 Sept, in St Columba’s Hall. Thank you
FRIENDSHIP THURSDAY IS BACK! – Beginning again this Thursday, Sept 17 from2-4 pm in the Church Hall. We will meet on the 3rd Thursday of every month until July 2027. There are sometimes guest speakers or interesting activities, but the main purpose is to meet other people for coffee, chat and friendship. It’s very informal and friendly; anyone is welcome, so do come along. This week there will be a raffle, cakes, and a free book table with a new selection of books. We ask for £2 towards running costs please. For information see posters in the church porches or contact Lyn Coyle: 37745574397 or marilyn.coyle44@gmail,com
PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING – The next meeting is on Tuesday 22 September at St Theresa’s at 7.00 p.m. If you have any matters you wish to raise, please put your request in writing to the parish secretary by Monday 14th September. Apologies for short notice. May we remind you that Suggestion Boxes are available at the front of church; please include contact details when using them. Thank you, Anne McCarthy, Pauline Rourke.
CHANGES TO BAPTISM ARRANGEMENTS – Parents are asked to note that, in future,Baptisms will be carried out in groups on a Sunday designated by Fr William. Individual Baptisms will no longer be offered.
The next Baptism Sunday will be on 29 November at 12.30 pm, preceded by a meeting with parents on 24 November at 4.30 pm in the Newman Room. Baptism forms will be available in the front and back porches. Please submit the form to the Parish Office by 19 November. The following Baptism Sunday will be on 27 December at 12.30 pm. Parents’ Meeting: 21 December. Deadline for submission of the forms: 16 December.
FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION CLASSES – These classes are for children who come to either St Columba’s or St Theresa’s churches but do not attend one of the RC Primary Schools. They are held in the Newman Room at St Columba’s on Wednesday evenings in term time from 5pm to 6pm. The classes will begin on Wednesday 23rd Sept. If you have a child in Year 3 or above who would like to enrol to join these classes to prepare for First Forgiveness and First Holy Communion this school year, or if you would like any further information, please contact Pauline Payne by email: pauline.payne4@btinternet.com
COME AND VISIT OUR SCHOOL – St Werburgh’s and St Columba’s Catholic Primary School. Families considering a school place for September 2027 are warmly invited to visit us and discover what makes our school such a welcoming and special place to learn. Each open day will include a tour of the school with our headteacher, giving prospective parents and carers an opportunity to see the school in action, meet members of our community and ask any questions they may have. Open-day dates
MASS IN SPANISH – 19 September, 4 p.m., at St Clare’s Church, Downsfield Rd, Chester, CH4 8HH. This Mass takes place once a month and is a beautiful opportunity to come together in faith, prayer and community, in Spanish. Tea and coffee will be served after mass. TODOS SON BIENVENIDOS! Lina
FR WILLIAM is available to meet with parishioners after 10.30a.m. Mass on Mondays and Wednesdays or can be contacted at St Theresa’s presbytery (details on top of Newsletter). Thursday is his day off.
FASHION SHOW FOR CHARITY – Wednesday 30 September, 2–4.30 p.m., £5, includes Bren Brews drink and cake; Hoole URC Church Hall, Hoole Road, in aid of Chifundo, women’s Malawi charity. Tickets call/email 01244 381 490, satflynn7@gmail.com
SAVE THE DATE – 16 OCTOBER – There will be a family fun evening in St Theresa’s centre starting at 7 p.m. Watch this space for more details.
HERITAGE OPEN DOORS FESTIVAL, CHESTER – St. Werburgh’s Parish History Group will be holding a display, showing the building of St. Werburgh’s and what parish life was like 100 years ago. The church will be open to visitors Mon 14 – Fri 18 Sep inclusive, from 1.00 – 3.00pm. In addition there will be a talk on Wed 16 Sep at 2.00pm, explaining these topics in further detail. Come and see how many people/events you remember.
SVP APPEAL – We are currently supporting a lady and her one-year-old boy who have recently moved from homelessness to a new home. She needs furnishings for the house, particularly curtains and curtain poles. She also needs some furniture to store clothes etc. for her child’s bedroom. Does anyone have a child’s chest of drawers or wardrobe, in good condition, to donate? Please contact Sue McCarthy, Mark Traynor or any SVP member. 07515491251. Thank you.
FEMALE NANNY WANTED – A family based in Chester are looking for a female after-school nanny to help with childcare for their 3 school-aged children twice a week with some overnight stays too. If you would like to have a chat, please contact 07507190242.
PARISH WEBSITE AGAIN – We apologise for some ongoing issues with the website. Our two volunteers are spending many hours trying to make changes and publish items each week, despite constant “error” messages and we are most grateful to them. We are awaiting software updates to be processed by the website company to carry out maintenance to the website. It is a matter of urgency to achieve this. Please bear with us and thank you for your patience. Lyn Coyle.
CAFOD PETITION SIGNING – CANCEL THE DEBT – Our petition signatures have been collected alongside many other parishes and CAFOD will communicate the results with the government at the end of the year as they take over the presidency of the G20. As the UK is hosting the G20 it gives us a special opportunity to push for urgent action.
DIOCESAN VACANCIES have arisen within the Shrewsbury Youth Mission Team (SYMT), based in Stockport & the Curial office based in Birkenhead. Further details for all vacancies can be found on the Diocesan website: https://dioceseofshrewsbury.org/careers. Closing date: 18 September.
THE DIMENSIONS OF LOVE – FR TOM’S PILGRIMAGE – To mark ten years of priestly ministry, Fr Tom Cunnah will undertake a nine-day, 130-mile thanksgiving pilgrimage across the Diocese of Shrewsbury, from West Kirby to Ludlow and Shining Tor, beginning on 3 September. Along the way, he will be praying for vocations and raising awareness and funds for the work of Caritas supporting families in need. Parishioners can follow his journey on Caritas social media.
FAITH EXPLORATION AND SHARING (OCIA) – For anyone not yet in full communion with the Church but interested in exploring a way toward that, beginning at the end of September the parish will be running the Sycamore course explaining the Catholic faith. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Parish Office for more details. If you know someone you think might be interested why not offer some words of encouragement.
ST COLUMBA’S CHURCH & HALL BOOKINGS – To book the Church, Newman Room or Iona Chapel, contact Magdalena Bukowska at the Church Office, 01244 624019, email Stcolumbaschurch2016@outlook.com. Office hours Mon-Fri 9a.m. to 2p.m. To check Hall availability, visit the Church Hall calendar on the St Columba’s website, then contact Magdalena during office hours or email: Columbashallbookings@gmail.com
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER – Sunday 20 September to be complied by Magdalena Bukowska, phone: 01244 624019, email: stcolumbaschurch2016@outlook.com. Deadline: Wednesday 16 September 9.00 A.M. Please include a contact number with your notice and also email a copy to Fr William at st.theresas@btinternet.com