FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
28TH JANUARY 2024
| Sat 20 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Alison Carbert RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | The Parish | |
| Sun 21 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Kathleen Maguire RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Carole & Dave Roberts | |
| Mon 22 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Special Intention | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Richard John Murphy RIP | |
| Tue 23 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| Wed 24 Jan | St John Boscoe, P, R | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Katherine Gannon RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Sr Anne Morris | ||
| Thu 25 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Private Intention | ||
| Fri 26 Jan | The Presentation of The Lord | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Sean, Sarah & Rebecca’s Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | Private Intentions | ||
| Sat 27 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Alexander James McKeegan RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | The Parish | |
| Sun 14 Jan | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Davis Klutch Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Cath Carter (SH) |
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 Theresa’s at 9.30a.m. this Sunday 28th January 2024
www.facebook.com/thecatholicparishofstcolumbaandsttheresa
Pope’s Prayer Intentions for January – For the gift of diversity in the church – Let us pray that the Spirit help us to recognize the gift of different charisms within the Christian community, and to discover the richness of different ritual traditions in the heart of the Catholic Church.
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.
RECENTLY DECEASED:
Please remember in your prayers Brian Haslam, Muriel Halligan, Terence Smith and Stephen Phillips, who died recently. May the Lord console their families and friends.
Frederick Hercules funeral service is on Wednesday 31 January at 3.20pm at Chester crematorium.
ANNIVERSARIES:
Michael Booth, John Francis McNeill, Elizabeth (Betty) Allingham, Josephine Margaret Watts, Teresa Gibson, Terry Keogh, Margaret Parry, Rev. Francis Gabriel Bligh, Veronica Mary Joyce, Alexander James Keegan,.
OFFERTORY:
St Columba’s: Loose plate £311.66; Planned Giving £160 Average Weekly SO – £574.00, candles £31.45;
St Theresa’s: Loose plate ££240.50; Planned Giving TBC; Average weekly SO – £161.00.
THANK YOU for all your generous support.
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.
28th Jan – Sue Carr, parish
4th Feb – Sue McCarthy, SVP
11th Feb – volunteers please
18th Feb – Margaret Curtis, fish & chip babies
PRAYING TOGETHER
We pray for:
- Pray for the residents of Whitton Drive, Sutton Drive, Bidston Close, Greenfield Lane, Cleves Close, Roman Drive, Cavalier Drive and Hadrian Drive.
- For Sunshine Tots, iPraise & Play and for all the leaders.
- For young families.
ST COLUMBA’S CAR PARK
The re-surfacing is finished. The area nearest to the hall has been completely re-surfaced but the area nearer the church was in better condition so has had potholes and uneven surfaces top dressed. As some have observed, the car park might have looked even better if it had all been re-surfaced but it would have been a lot more expensive. The new parking spaces are a little wider than the original ones to account for the larger cars which are common nowadays.
Would parishioners please note the new No Parking signs alongside the church and refrain from parking there. We have been advised that there should be a 5 metre space available behind parked cars to enable them to get out safely and if cars are parked in the No Parking space that is not possible. Thanks for your assistance. Pauline Rourke
SPECIAL YEAR OF PRAYER:
2024 has been named by Pope Francis as a special year of prayer and as part of our response to that, following 11a.m. Mass (and tea and coffee) on Sunday 28th January, we invite you back into church at 1pm for a short period of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Adoration will be introduced and led in a child accessible way but we would love for you all to be present. If you are new to this way of praying with the Lord it will provide a good introduction and if you are a regular attendee at adoration it would be wonderful if you could help us share this way of praying with our younger members of the parish. We look forward to joining together with you in prayer on that day.
RETREAT DAY ON PRAYER:
The year 2025 is the next Jubilee Year in the Church. Pope Francis has asked the Church to prepare well. In order to help us do so, (beginning from advent 2023), Pope Francis has called 2023/2024 “A Year of Prayer.” In response, the Shrewsbury Diocese Team for Evangelisation and Mission will be running a Retreat Day on Prayer for parishes in the Chester area in February 2024: Date: Saturday the 3rd of February 2024 Time: 10.00am-3.00pm. Place: St Columbas Parish Hall Plas Newton Lane Chester CH2 1SA. See posters in our porches and website. All are welcome. Please bring a packed lunch.
FIRST FORGIVENESS CELEBRATION:
On Saturday 27th January, 13 children from St Columba’s and St Theresa’s parish will receive the Sacrament of First Forgiveness in a special service of celebration at 10.00a.m. Please pray for the children and their families at this special time in their faith journeys.
MASS IS TO BE CELEBRATED ON 1ST FEBRUARY 2024 AT 12.15 PM:
Mass will be celebrated in the Countess of Chester Hospital and this month Fr Bernard Forshaw is joining us. This Mass is for all the staff, patients, patient families, volunteers and parishioners of our area. If you are able to attend, we would love to welcome you to Holy Mass once a month in the GOCH chapel.May God bless you all, and your families. Deacon Antony Nuttall.
FOUNDATION GOVERNOR VACANCY:
St Werburgh’s & St Columba’s Primary School is currently recruiting a Catholic Church Foundation Governor to join our Governing Body. The vacancy must be filled by community member affiliated with the Catholic Church, who are not related to any children within our school. The role would suit someone with an interest in serving our community and supporting the needs of our school children and who has a financial background. The role of a School Governing Body is:
- Ensuring clarity of vision, ethos, and direction of the school.
- Holding the headteacher to account for the educational performance of the school and its pupils.
- Overseeing the financial performance of the school and making sure its money is well spent.
If you are interested in finding out more about the role, please contact the school in the first instance to arrange an informal chat. Telephone Sarah on 01244 478954 or email admin@lovelearnlaugh.org.uk. Please note that for the protection of children, all governor appointments are subject to an identity check. Information of this vacancy can be found on the notice board at the back and front porch of the Church.
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 seven 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. The experience for younger helpers is good for the CV, especially those considering a career in health or social care. 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. Visit our website and read Bev’s story. www.across.org.uk/?s=AJ. For further information, contact Tony Murphy on 07881-656-974 or tonymurphy2002@yahoo.co.uk.
PRIESTS RETIREMENT FUND COLLECTION:
Priests Retirement Fund collection will take place on the week-end of 3rd/4th February.
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.
‘THANK YOU’ FROM DEACON LAWRENCE:
To Fr William and well-wishers, for the kind thoughts and greetings received marking my recent ’significant’ birthday; all very much appreciated. With love and prayers, Lawrence and Eileen.
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 “
ADVENT JOURNEY 2023:
Thank you again to all those who offered accommodation to Mary, Joseph and the donkey during Advent. A map of the route taken plus some short stories on their travels can be seen at thefront of St Theresa’s and in the back porch at St Columba’s.
APPEAL FOR KNITTERS:
St Theresa’s Catholic Primary School Council would like to sell knitted Easter chicks, which will be filled with a chocolate egg. We are appealing for knitters who would be able to produce the little chicks. We can supply the wool and a knitting pattern if you can provide the talent! Please contact Anne Ellis aellis@st-theresas.cheshire.sch.uk if you would be willing to help.
“RETROUVAILLE”- A LIFELINE FOR MARRIED COUPLES:
The primary goal of Retrouvaille is to provide help for couples who live in the disappointment and pain of marriage problems. They offer A Virtual programme commencing with a weekend on Thursday 8th to Sunday 11th Feb 2024. For more information access www.retrouvaille.org.uk or see the church notice board.
Thought for the week: Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. Anthony J D’Angelo
We’re all in this together: So what storm name will it be next, and what weather will be thrown at us. We seem to have had it all over the last few weeks. It reflects life, storms and then calms; some storms come together, like the buses (as they say), and others are widely spaced apart. But life has its ups and downs. There are many references to storms and calms in the Bible, an example is Psalm 107:29-30 “He calmed the storm and its waves quieted down. So they rejoiced that the waves became quiet, and he led them to their desired haven.” If we are able to put our faith in God, he will see us through whatever storm we are experiencing. Keep safe and have a lovely week.
Resources: This winter’s NHS flu vaccination programme ends on 31 January, if you haven’t had it yet and are eligible contact you GP. Residents are also urged to check that they and their families are up-to-date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccines. Young children are offered the vaccine by their GP as part of the UK national vaccination programme. They are offered two doses of the vaccine – the first following their first birthday and the second before they start school, when they are around three years and four months old. To check if you or your family are up-to-date with their vaccines, contact your GP.
Please note that both Churches operate a hearing loop system if you need it.
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 ensuite 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. Thanks.
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:
4th February edition will be compiled by Amy O’Donnell, phone: 07854 290897 or email: amyod@hotmail.co.uk. 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 31ST JANUARY 2024