The month of September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows
TWENTY THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
7 SEPTEMBER 2025
| Sat 6 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Kathleen Baxter RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Mary Ible RIP (M&G C) | |
| Sun 7 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Tony Walsh RIP | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite | ||
| Mon 8 Sep | Nativity of the B V M | ||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Mary Ible | |
| St. Columba’s | 12 noon | Requiem Mass Mary Ible | |
| Tue 9 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Winifred McGowan RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | Private Intentions | ||
| Wed 10 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Private Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Joseph Francis | ||
| Thu 11 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Special Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| Fri 12 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Fr. Jim Kennedy’s Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| Sat 13 Sep | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Malankara Jacobite Syriac Orthodox Community Mass | |
| 5.00pm | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Rosemary McRoberts Ann. | |
| Sun 14 Sep | Exaltation of The Holy Cross | ||
| 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 |
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS
Mass will be streamed at St Columba’s on Sunday 7 September at 11.00 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
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.
RECENTLY DECEASED
Please remember in your prayers: Mary Ible. Mary Ible’s Requiem Mass is on Monday 8 September at 12 noon at St Columba’s. May the Lord console her families and friends.
ANNIVERSARIES
James Donnelly, Brian Francis Kelly.
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.
TONY WALSH RIP
I would like to thank Fr. Peter and all the Parishioners who attended Tony’s Mass and for all the Mass cards and friends at the Church. They were a great comfort and helped me with the loss of Tony.
Ronnie Walsh.
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 Daleside, Meadowsway, Queensway, Cleaveland Road, Stratford Road, Walton Place, and Downham Place.
- For our junior and Infant schools: Acresfield, Upton Heath, Mill View, Westlea, Dorin Park and St Werburgh’s & St Columba’s and St Theresa’s. Also, schools in Newton, Guilden Sutton and Mickle Trafford.
- For the teachers and pupils that they will be open to the Christian teaching they receive.
- For our local clergy as they lead assemblies.
FR WILLIAM
We welcome back Fr William who is due to return this weekend.
PARISH OFFERTORY
Two Sunday collections: Loose Plate: £841.68; Planned Giving: £400.77; Average weekly SO £718.15; Candles £67.51.
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.
07 September volunteers please
14 September Sue McCarthy, SVP
21 September volunteers please
CHURCHES TOGETHER AGM
Churches Together in Upton AGM will be held on next Wednesday 10 September at 2p.m. the United Reformed Church in Heath Road. This is an important meeting at which the Officers for the forthcoming year will be appointed. You are cordially invited to attend.
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 18th 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 Evangelisation Event Sharing Hope with a Broken World with guest speaker Mark Saunders on Saturday 13 September 10.30am-2.15pm at St Joseph’s Eucharistic Shrine, Tatton St, Stockport SK1 1EJ. To book email: natalie.orefice@dioceseofshrewsbury.org
Jubilee for Catechists with Bishop Mark Davies, the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph and Natalie Orefice, Diocesan Director of Evangelisation and Catechesis. On Saturday 15th 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.
THE MARTYR-SAINTS OF THE NORTH-WEST, 12-14 SEPTEMBER
Join us for this weekend studying some of the Reformation-era martyrs of England’s recusant North-West region. Part-retreat, part-biographical, the weekend will be led by Mgr John Allen of Salford Diocese, who has recently published a history of the diocese with a foreword by Eamon Duffy. Extend your stay at Stonyhurst with a discount on accommodation for extra nights.
For more information and to book: https://christianheritagecentre.com/events/the-martyr-saints-of-the-north-west/
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
“Education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein
AT THE START OF A NEW EDUCATIONAL YEAR
With schools, colleges and universities going back over the following weeks, we wish all our students the very best for the new term and the year ahead, and wish all staff involved in our education establishments all the very best. Our prayers and support are with you all. Here’s to a successful and fulfilling year ahead for you all.
URGENT – THE TERMINALLY ILL ADULTS (END OF LIFE) BILL is being debated in the House of Lords on 12 September. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop John Sherrington, Bishop Mark and others have written to us to highlight the serious concerns that this Bill raises, warning it risks the lives of vulnerable patients, threatens palliative care, and undermines the role of hospices and medical professionals. Please:
- Contact members of the House of Lords. For paper letters, the address is simply: [Name of Peer], House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW. A full list of Peers can be found at https://members.parliament.uk/members/lords
- Speak up for quality end-of-life care & Pray for the protection of life.
Further information can be found on our church noticeboards, and on our website.
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.
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 9th 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. Mass on the left of the altar.
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.
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.
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.
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
Sunday 14 September edition will be compiled by Amy O’Donnell Phone: 07854 290897 or email: amyod@hotmail.co.uk by 9.00 a.m. on WEDNESDAY 10 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.
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 Friday 9.00a.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.