The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows
EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
14 September 2025
| Sat 13 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Rosemary McRoberts Anniv. | |
| Sun 14 Sep | Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Day of Special Prayer for Education |
||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Joan Woods RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Tony Walsh RIP | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite | ||
| Mon 15 Sep | Our Lady of Sorrows. Mem. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Mary Ible RIP | |
| Tue 16Sep | Ss Cornelius, P, M & Cyprian, B, Mem. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Private Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Brian Hemsworth RIP | ||
| Wed 17 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Special Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Tony Walsh RIP (Wednesday Attenders) | ||
| Thu 18 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Eileen Mapp’s Intention | ||
| St. Columba’s | 7.00pm | Jubilee Mass | |
| Fri 19 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Joan Woods RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 20 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Winifred McGlown RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Cristiano Alesina da Silva RIP | |
| Sun 21 Sep | Evangelii Gaudium | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Janet Wells RIP | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite |
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS
Mass will be streamed at St Theresa’s on Sunday 14 September at 9.30 a.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
ANNUAL MASS COUNT
The annual mass count will take place this week in both Churches and for the next four weekends.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY
The Children’s Liturgy normally happens at the 11a.m. at St Columba’s on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. For further details, see the parish website under the Family tab.
ANNIVERSARIES
Kenneth Kilcoyne, Jim Mason.
POPE’S SEPTEMBER PRAYER INTENTIONS
FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF CREATION Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.
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.
PRAYING TOGETHER:
- Pray for the residents of St Christopher’s Close. Dale Drive , Heath Road, Sumner Road, Fisher Road, Stamford Road, and Church Way.
- For the Treasurers, Finance Organisers and the Gift Aid Recorders.
- For those who are responsible for the financial affairs of our Churches.
PARISH OFFERTORY
Loose Plate: £501.64; Planned Giving: £277.69; Average weekly SO £718.15; Candles £45.53.
ST THERESA’S FEAST DAY FLOWERS
If you would like to contribute towards the flowers for St Theresa’s Feast Day (1 October) please put your donation in an envelope marked “St Theresa’s Flowers” and place it in the offertory basket. Many thanks.
14 – 21 SEPTEMBER WORLD WEEK OF PRAYER FOR PEACE IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
Light a candle each evening at 6pm , or any time convenient for you, and pray for an end to
the war and justice for all in the Holy Land.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA
The coffee rota is on the noticeboard in St Columba’s all. Just write your name, charity and phone number on the calendar. But 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.
14 September Sue McCarthy, SVP
21 September volunteers please
28 September volunteers please
YOUTH GROUP
Our next Youth Group meeting is on Monday 15 September at 7pm until 8.30pm at St Columba’s. Young people in school Year 5 or above are very welcome to join us for faith, fun, friendship…and biscuits! If you need a lift, or more information, please call Denise Lusk (01244 379742), Richard Curtis (+44 7787 782255) or Ann McCarthy (+44 7751 970388)
THE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL OPEN EVENING – Thursday 18 September 6-8pm
This is a great opportunity for prospective students and their parents to come and see the school. Interactive activities, school tour, meet the teachers! All welcome, no booking required. For more information visit: Www.christofidelis.org.uk email: welcometo@christofidelis.org.uk.
YEAR OF THE JUBILEE 2025 MASS
Pope Francis gave this year’s Jubilee the theme of ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ and invited Catholics everywhere to renew our hope and discover a vision that can “restore access to the fruits of the earth to everyone”. A special Mass to celebrate our faith and renew our hope for the future is to be held in St Columba’s church on Thursday 18 September at 7p.m. followed by refreshments in the hall. All parishioners are encouraged to attend.
In the words of Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster “May our prayer in this Jubilee Year be robust and heartfelt: that God will guide our poor efforts here, enabling us to contribute to the harmony of the world and all its people”.
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 24 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
DIOCESAN JUBILEE EVENTS
Jubilee for Catechists with Bishop Mark Davies, the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph and Natalie Orefice, Diocesan Director of Evangelisation and Catechesis. On Saturday 15 November at St Joseph’s Eucharistic Shrine, Tatton St, Stockport SK1 1EJ. Book a free place here: https://bit.ly/Jubilee-for-Catechists
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.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“Peace does not mean an absence of conflicts; differences will always be there. Peace means solving these differences through peaceful means; through dialogue, education, knowledge; and through humane ways.” — The 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet, born 1935
CHILDREN’S CHOIR OF ST COLUMBA’S RECRUITMENT
If you like singing, learning something new, finding new friends, and using your talent to praise the Lord, you can join the little choir of St Columba. The Little Choir is looking for young children from year 3 and above. You do not need to know the music or be able to sing. We will help you to learn to sing and be a member of a choir. We also support young guitarists and percussionists to play for the choir and the Mass service.
We practise on Tuesday at 6.45p.m. for one hour (starting on the 16 of September) and we play for the community every second Sunday of the month (school term only). Mass and practice are in St Columba’s Church (entrance at the back door).
Participation is free. If you or your parents/guardians want any clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Giovanna or the director of the choir Mark, at the end of 11.00a.m.
INSTRUMENT REQUEST FOR ST COLUMBA’S LITTLE CHOIR
The Little Choir would like to develop the precision session. If you have any snare drum, bongo drum, djembe drum, cajon drum, or generic drum that you do not use and would like to donate to the choir , please contact Giovanna and/or Mark after the 11:00 mass on the left of the altar. Thanks for your help.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:
QUIZ
This popular quiz organised by CTU will be on Friday October 10 in our Church Hall at 7.00 p.m. Teams of no more than eight. Please bring your own drinks and glasses. Table nibbles will be provided and there will be a raffle. Profits in aid of the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.
BIBLE FESTIVAL OPEN AFTERNOON
Throughout October, a Bible Festival is taking place throughout churches in Chester. We have been invited to take part and are putting on an Open Afternoon from on Saturday 18 October 1-4 pm, entitled Catholics and the Bible. More details next week but keep this date free, especially readers and welcomers at church as we would like to involve some of you in this project. Contact Lyn Coyle for further information marilyn.coyle44@gmail.com
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 kg but another entry showed that 403kg of food had to be purchased at Costco. If you can, please give as generously as possible, especially UHT milk, Long-life 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.
LOOKING FOR OLD LAPTOPS
Do you have an old laptop that you no longer use? They are much in need for asylum seekers and refugees who cannot afford to buy one. City of Sanctuary is a charity that aims to support them and raise awareness of their difficulties while waiting for a decision. The charity has an IT expert who will ensure that each laptop donated is entirely free of personal information before it is passed on. The laptops are highly beneficial for English language and training courses necessary to equip sanctuary seekers (asylum seekers and refugees) for life and work in the UK. Any help you can give is immensely valuable. FFI and to donate, contact Lyn Coyle marilyn.coyle44@gmail.com. Please include a telephone number.
MARRIAGE & FAMILY LIFE MINISTRY RETREAT DAY
Calling all those interested in supporting the vocation of marriage and family to join Jane Deegan Director of Marriage and Family Life Vocation for a Retreat Day to find out more about this important work and the various different ways that help is needed. There will also be presentations from representatives of some of the apostolates already working in the diocese in support of marriage and family.
When: 11 October 2025 9.30a.m.- 4.00p.m.
Where: Parish Room Shrewsbury Cathedral – Entrance Address: Town Walls Shrewsbury SY1 1UE (Above the Cafe). Parking is limited but public car parks are available nearby.
To Register and for More Information please contact:
Monika at monika.golembiewska@dioceseofshrewsbury.org Mobile: 07549226794 or
Jane at jane.deegan@dioceseofshrewsbury.org Mobile: 07517 906435
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 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.
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 https://sscolumbaandtheresa.co.uk/i-am-new/. Thank you.
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.
MARRIAGE HELP
Retrouvaille helps couples find hope and healing for their marriage. Next date: 17-19 October. 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.
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 9a.m. to 2.00p.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.
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
Sunday 21 September edition will be compiled by Eileen Irwin Phone: 01244 371660 or email: st.theresas@btinternet.com by 9.00 a.m. on WEDNESDAY 17 September 2025. Please include a phone number in case of queries, and please ensure that notices are also emailed to Fr William at st.theresas@btinternet.com.