The month of December is dedicated to The Immaculate Conception
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
25 December 2025
| Wed 24 Dec | CHRISTMAS EVE | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 4.30pm | Carols | |
| 5.00pm | Vigil Mass John Lloyd RIP |
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| St. Columba’s | 4.30pm | Children’s Nativity Mass | |
| 7.00pm | Vigil Mass Kevin, Francis & Martin Connolly |
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| Thu 25 Dec | THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Christmas Day Mass Parishioners’ Intentions |
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| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Christmas Day Mass Parishioners’ Intentions |
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| Fri 26 Dec | St Stephen, M. Feast | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Paul Murphy RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 27 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | John James Tobin RIP 1st Anniversary | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Lorraine Probert RIP | |
| Sun 28 Dec | The Holy Family. Feast | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Michael Dunne RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite |
CHRISTMAS MASS TIMES – A leaflet containing all Mass times is available in the porches of each church. It is also on the website under Our Parish > Mass times.
CONFESSIONS – After each weekday Mass until 11.30am.
Saturdays:
St Columba’s 6.00 – 6.25pm
St Theresa’s 4.30 – 4.55pm
WEDDINGS, BAPTISMS & FUNERALS – Please contact one of the Parish Offices to make your arrangements.
POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS for December – for Christians in areas of conflict. Let us pray that Christians living in areas of war or conflict, especially in the Middle East, might be seeds of peace, reconciliation, and hope.
RECENTLY DECEASED – Please remember in your prayers Michael Hayden, who died recently, and also his family and friends.
ANNIVERSARIES – Muriel Halligan, Michael Gerrard Dunne.
CHILDREN’S LITURGY – The Children’s Liturgy normally happens at the 11am service at St Columba’s on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. See the parish website under the Family tab.
CHRISTMAS OFFERINGS – The offertory collection at the Christmas Masses is for the parish. Anyone wishing to give to either Fr William or Fr Peter personally should put their offering in an envelope marked “personal” with their name on and put in the Offertory basket.Thank you.
CLERGY EDUCATION & TRAINING FUND
Many thanks for the amount of £190.39 which was collected recently for this.
PRAYERS – please pray for
- all residents of Blacon, Chester and Upton — for our churches, parishioners and wider communities.
- We remember especially those who cannot be with us this Christmas time, those who feel lonely, and all who are suffering in body, mind or spirit.
- We hold in our hearts those who are in hospital or receiving care, asking that they may know comfort, strength and hope.
- May God’s peace surround each one of us.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach”. Charles Dickens
CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS – As we celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth, we wish you all a very happy and holy Christmas. May the light and peace of the newborn Saviour fill your hearts and homes with hope, love, and gratitude. We also pray that the coming New Year brings you every blessing, good health, and a deepening of faith. With our prayers and best wishes,
Fr William, Fr Peter and Deacon Lawrence
CHRISTMAS MEMORY TREE – A time to remember those who will not be with us this year. There will be a tree and cards on side Altar at St. Columba’s (near the back door) to write your memories and hang on the tree. The memory is the important thing, but if anyone wishes to make a donation, there will be a basket with donations going to the Parish Third World Group.
UPTON CHURCHES CRIB – The CTU Crib has been erected in the rear porch at St Columba’s together with, for the first time, its backdrop.
HEATING AT ST COLUMBA’S CHURCH – Most of the heaters have now been fixed. A friendly reminder, however: please do not turn off any radiators or interfere with the heating system in any way. Thank you.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA – We would like to thank all who volunteered their time to help with tea and coffee after the 11:00am Mass.
28 Dec volunteers please
04 Jan volunteers please
11 Jan volunteers please
ALTAR SERVERS – we need you! An appeal for altar servers at both St Columba’s and St Theresa’s churches please. At the moment, we have no active altar servers at St Theresa’s. If you or your children are interested in altar serving at either church, please contact Richard Curtis (07787782255 / rich.curtis89@yahoo.co.uk). Training can be flexible around your availability, often focusing in 15-30 minutes sessions after Mass for convenience.
FRIENDSHIP THURSDAY – We had a very enjoyable Christmas Afternoon, and thanks are owed to our helpers and to Upton Community Choir who sang to (and with) us. It was a shame that many of our usual attendees were unable to come and I hope that they have recovered from any illnesses and will be back on 8 January 2026.
SENIOR PARISHIONERS & VOLUNTEERS CHRISTMAS PARTY – Thanks to those who went along to this – I’m sure you enjoyed it. A special thanks to those who organised the event and who helped in any way.
PRO-LIFE UPDATE – 2025 has been one of the most challenging and busiest years ever for the pro-life movement in the UK, with the biggest battles on abortion and assisted suicide in over 50 years. Thanks to the support of our parish, there has been a strong, coordinated response in Parliament, in the media and among the wider public. The 2025 Right To Life UK Year in Review sets out some of the key areas in which significant progress has been made this year. Please visit http://righttolife.org.uk/2025 to read the Year in Review to find out more about what we have achieved together for life this year.
FOOD BANK DONATIONS – Urgently Needed – The Food Bank is asking for tinned meat, fish, veg, fruit, tomatoes, spaghetti, puddings, curry sauce, Smash, pasta & sauce, UHT/powdered milk, long-life juice, custard, jams, spreads, and coffee. See westcheshirefoodbank.org.uk for up-to-date needs. Thank you for your support!
STAY SAFE FROM SCAMS – Scammers may know your details, don’t assume they’re genuine. Always think twice. Never share your PIN or passwords. Ignore emails or calls about computer viruses. Delete suspicious emails and mark them as spam. Be safe. If unsure, contact companies using official numbers. Dial 159 to safely reach your bank. Report scams to Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040 or online. Free guide and tips: Age UK Scam Advice the Booklet is available at the back of both churches – please return after reading.
**CHRISTMAS QUIZ**
1 What gifts did the Wise Men bring to Jesus?
2 What did the angel say to the shepherds first?
A. “Glory to God in the highest!”
B. “Do not be afraid.”
C. “The Saviour is born.”
D. “Peace be with you.”
3. Who brought the news to Mary that she would have a baby?
A. Michael
B. Raphael
C. Gabriel
D. Uriel
4. Why don’t Christmas trees knit?
5 Why did Santa go to music school?
PARISH WEBSITE – Items for the website must be about parish-based events and should be sent to Lyn Coyle, who is the parish liaison with the website manager:marilyn.coyle44@gmail.com
PARISH OFFICE CLOSURES
St Columba’s office will be closed from Tue 23 Dec & will re-open on Fri 2 Jan. Carol Galvin will be in the office for emergencies from 9am – 12noon during this time.
St Theresa’s office will be closed from 24 Dec until Fri 2 Jan. The office answer machine is available for messages to be left.
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 2.00p.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.
| NEWSLETTER Deadlines: Due to the printers’ holiday closures over Christmas and New Year the newsletters covering Sunday 21 Dec through to 4 January have now been printed. If you have an urgent item that needs to be announced over Christmas or New Year, please ring St Theresa’s number with the details 01244 371660. Thank you. |
**Quiz Answers**
1 Gold, frankincense and myrrh – the gifts of the Wise Men carried deep meaning. Gold recognised Jesus as King, frankincense honoured Him as God, and myrrh pointed to His future sacrifice.
2 B “Do not be afraid.”
3 C. Gabriel
4 Because they always drop their needles!
5 So he could improve his “wrapping” skills!