The month of December is dedicated to The Immaculate Conception
THE HOLY FAMILY SUNDAY
28 December 2025
| 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 | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Michael Dunne RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Mary & Horace Walpole RIP | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite | ||
| Mon 29 Dec | St Thomas Becket, B, M. Feast. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Joe Clifford | |
| Tue 30 Dec | Sixth Day of Christmas Octave | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| Wed 31 Dec | Seventh Day of Christmas Octave | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Pamela Dobson RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Sr Anne Morris | ||
| 9.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite | ||
| Thu 1 Jan | Mary Mother of God. Solemnity | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Bridget Williams RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | New Year’s Mass Mary & Mike Kiernan |
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| Fri 2 Jan | SS Basil the Great, P, D & Gregory Nazianzen, B, D. Mem. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Joseph Russell RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 3 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Muriel & Jim Halligan RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Roy Burns RIP | |
| Sun 4 Jan | Second Sunday After Christmas | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Kevin Campbell RIP Intentions | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite |
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS – Mass will be streamed at St Columba’s on Sunday 28 December at 11.00a.m.
CONFESSIONS – After each weekday Mass until 11.30am.
Saturdays:
St Columba’s 6.00 – 6.25p.m.
St Theresa’s 4.30 – 4.55p.m.
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 & Roger John Warburton, who died recently, and also their families and friends.
ANNIVERSARIES – Jean Barbara Mary Blake, Sheila Patricia Hainey, Kathleen Lawlor.
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.
PARISH OFFERTORY – Loose Plate: £438.22; Planned Giving: £256.50; Average weekly SO £718.15; Candles: £44.54.
CLERGY EDUCATION & TRAINING FUND – Many thanks for the amount of £190.39 which was collected recently for this.
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.
PRAYERS – please pray for
- The residents of Dorset Road, Shipbrook Road, Mannings Lane South, Peckforton Way, Sumner Road, Fisher Road, Stamford Road & Church Way.
- The way of Churches Together in Upton and Churches Together in Chester & Praying for Blacon.
- All the Churches in Upton & Blacon.
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.
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.
FRIENDSHIP THURSDAY 8 JANUARY– Our first meeting of 2026, from 2-4p.m. in the Hall. Let’s start the New Year in friendly fashion over coffee and biscuits. If you can bring a small donation, we may have a raffle to raise funds for the group.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA – We would like to thank all who volunteered their time to help with tea and coffee after the 11:00a.m. Mass.
28 December – volunteers please
04 January – volunteers please
11 January – volunteers please
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.
PARISH OFFICE CLOSURES
St Columba’s office will be closed from Tuesday 23 December to Thursday 1 January and will re-open on Friday 2 January. Carol Galvin will be in the office for emergencies from 9a.m. – 12noon during this time.
St Theresa’s office will be closed from Thursday 24 December to Friday 2 January. The office answer machine is available for messages to be left.
CHESTER CATHEDRAL CHRISTMAS TREES – Enjoy over 80 trees decorated in the theme of Christmas Around the World. Booking required. However, no booking or entry fee on Sundays.
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. The figures will follow in due course.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK – “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow” – Albert Einstein
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.
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 Deadline – Due to the printers’ holiday closures over Christmas and New Year, the newsletters covering Sunday 21 December through to 4 January have now been printed. If you have an urgent item that needs announced over Christmas or New Year, please ring St Theresa’s (01244 371660) with the details. Thank you.