SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
5 MAY 2024
| Sat 4 May | The English Martyrs | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Margaret Turnbull’s Ints | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | The Parish | |
| Sun 5 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Special Intentions | |
| Mon 6 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Priests’ Intentions | |
| Tue 7 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Special Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Private Intentions | ||
| Wed 8 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Private Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | James & Ann Traynor RIP | ||
| Thu 9 May | The Ascension of the Lord – Holyday of Obligation | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Anthony Baker RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 7.00pm | John Ray Green | |
| Fri 10 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Sarah Russell RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 11 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Fr Prin’s Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Anthony Wall RIP | |
| Sun 12 May | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Thanksgiving Mass |
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 Columba’s at 6.30p.m. this Saturday 4th May 2024
www.facebook.com/thecatholicparishofstcolumbaandsttheresa
THE ASCENSION OF THE LORD – 9th MAY:
The Ascension is a Holyday of Obligation and Mass will be at St Theresa’s at 10am and at St Columba’s at 7pm.
POPE’S PRAYER INTENTIONS – For May
for the formation of men and women religious, and seminarians – Let us pray that men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel
ANNIVERSARIES:
John Bond, Michael Thornber, Carol Anne Murray, Brian Peter Kelly, Michael Patrick Murray, Thomas William Groom, Mary Lally.
CONFESSIONS:
There will be Confessions after each weekday Mass until 11.30a.m.
St Columba’s: From 6pm 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.
PARISH OFFERTORY:
Loose Plate £604; Planned Giving £263.80; Average weekly SO £735.00; Candles £30.30;
Many thanks for your generous support.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA
The coffee rota is on the noticeboard in St Columba’s Hall. Please enter your name and good cause against your preferred dates. You could make £30-£50 for your chosen cause.
5th May – Giovanne for Little Choir, music books
12th May – volunteers please
19th May – Pentecost
BISHOPS VISITATION
The Bishop will visit St Columba’s on Sunday 26th May2024 and St Theresa’s on Sunday 14th July 2024
CHESTER HALF MARATHON – SUNDAY 19th MAY
Various roads around Blacon will be closed until lunch time. Please check the route to see if it will affect you coming to the 9.30am Mass at St Theresa’s on that day.
ST COLUMBA’S LITTLE CHOIR
Today, Sunday 5th May there will be coffee and cake after Mass at St Columba’s to raise funds to support the the Little Choir. The Little Choir leads the musical liturgy every 1st Sunday of the month but we do need new music books and other items so your support would be greatly appreciated.
DIOCESAN MARRIAGE MASS:
The Annual Diocesan Marriage Mass will take place here at St Columba’s Church on Saturday 8th June 2024. If you have a special anniversary this year, please get in touch with the Diocese of Shrewsbury, Curial Offices, 2 Park Road South, Prenton, CH43 4UX or telephone 0151-652-9855. Many thanks.
PENTECOST APPEAL FOR THE SPIRITANS:
19th MAY
The Holy Ghost Fathers, Spiritans (the Religious Order of Frs.William and Desmond) will be having a mission appeal in both churches in aid of their mission here in the UK and abroad, on Pentecost Sunday.-19th May. Spiritan students: Caliel from Cameroon and Valentine from Nigeria will preachthe appeals. Parishioners are encouraged to contribute generously insupport of the Spiritan missions. Your donations make a lot of positiveimpact on the lives of your Christian brothers and sisters in need. For more information there are leaflets and envelopes available at the back of church.
PRAYING TOGETHER:
We pray for:
- the residents of Churchward Close, The Wien, Mickle Trafford, Woodside Road, Oakfield Road & Foxcote Close.
- the hospitals in this area: the Countess & Wirral Cheshire Trust.
- For doctors and nurses and all who work in the NHS.
- For the patients and those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, or who are mentally ill. Also for those we know at this time who are ill.
- We pray for all those involved in the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Chaplaincy.
FIRST HOLY COMMUNIONS – St Columba’s
Today we have our first family celebrations of First Holy Communions so the central pews will be reserved for the children and their families. We welcome you all and pray for and congratulate these children. Brielle Juma. Noella Juma, Ella Nancollas, Adam Papp, Jeanelle Rivera, Alphonsa Roy and Aron Roy.
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION – INFORMATION MEETING:
The next Chester Parishes Sacrament of Confirmation will be on 8th November 2024. Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation will be led by St. Columba and St. Theresa’s Confirmation team.
An information meeting will be held on Thursday 23rd May, at 7pm in St. Columbas church. If you wish to be Confirmed next November please email stcolumbatheresaconfirmation@hotmail.co.uk to register, before the meeting, stating your school year, or if you are over 18 and wish to join the adult preparation group. If you are not sure about being Confirmed then please come along to the meeting anyway to find out more. To to be eligible to be Confirmed you must be at high school now, or older (no upper age limit). For more information please call Denise Lusk on 01244 379742.
CONFIRMATION CATECHISTS
If you are already Confirmed, would you like to join our team who prepares our young parishioners to be Confirmed? It is a rewarding and enjoyable thing to do. For more information, or to volunteer, please call Denise Lusk on 01244 379742 or email stcolumbatheresaconfirmation@hotmail.co.uk
THOUGH FOR THE WEEK: “Don’t let your age control your life. Let your life control your age.”
― Anthony Douglas Williams
CHURCHES TOGETHER IN UPTON:
The Annual Coach Outing will be held on Wednesday 29th May and will be to the church of Our Lady and St. Nicholas in Liverpool.See the Notice Boards for more details.
RIGHT TO LIFE (UK): Ask your MP to support the abortion time limit reduction amendment
Support an amendment to reduce our abortion time limit from 24 weeks to 22 weeks. Research indicates that a significant number of babies born at 22 or 23 weeks can now survive outside the womb, leaving a contradiction in our abortion law. Take action: Collect a postcard today from the back of the church and post it to your MP urgently in support of this amendment! Our MP is Samantha Dixon.
ZUMBATHON – 18th May
There will be another Zumbathon for the HOME OF PEACE & CHRIST’S HEART CHILDREN ORPHANAGES in Uganda, from 11am-1pm in St Columba’s Hall. This Zumbathon is to able to keep the children at school for another term. It helps us to pay school fees and feed the children in the two Orphanages I support and I am a trustee. Tickets are: Adults £10 & Children 6+ £5. Will have a Raffle and Dance to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!! Lina Greig
CONTINUING SUPPORT FOR NEWBORN BABIES IN EAST AFRICA
A request for unwanted sewing patterns for young children’s clothing, please. As part of our ongoing support for children in French Soailand.we would like to make a variety of clothing for them, please arrange a handover with Margaret on 01244 318424.
TOMATO PLANTS – St Columba’s
Alicante, Gardener’s Delight, Moneymaker and Tumbling Tom varieties of tomato plants will be on sale in the hall after the 11.00am Mass next week at 30p each or ring Pauline Payne on 01244 350323 to order. All proceeds to our parish Third World project, the OAKS school in Bo, Sierra Leone.
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 8.30a.m. to 12.30p.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 Sue Carr on 07553 114531 or email columbashallbookings@gmail.com to arrange booking.
RED BOXES (St Theresa’s):
The boxes are available at the back of Church for you to collect. Thank you for your donations.
CAFOD – CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN THE HOLY LAND:
Thousands of people have been killed across Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory as the region witnesses the deadliest days in recent history. CAFOD unequivocally condemns this shocking killing and kidnapping of civilians. But we know more violence is never the answer.
The scale of the Israeli government’s violent retaliation is causing more civilian deaths and injuries. The decision to withhold food, water and fuel from reaching the two million inhabitants of Gaza – half of whom are children – will inevitably lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. Will you email the Foreign Secretary to urge the UK to play its part in upholding international law, ensuring humanitarian aid can reach people in need, and works with other world leaders to secure a lasting peace for the region? Go to cafod.org.uk for more details of what to email. In addition we could all consider doing what we can personally to make our views known to those in authority, our MPs for instance. Copies of a CAFOD’s prayer for peace in Israel and Gaza are available in the church porches.
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER: 5 May edition will be compiled by Alison Wrigglesworth, phone: 07708 304246 or email: a.wrigglesworth@outlook.com. Please include a phone number in case of queries, and please ensure that items are emailed or phoned to thecompiler by 9.00A.M. on WEDNESDAY, 8th MAY 2024.