THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
8 DECEMBER 2024
| Sat 7 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Frank & Gertrude Buddery | |
| Sun 8 Dec | Second Sunday of Advent | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Edward (Eddie)Mapp RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | John O’Boyle RIP | |
| Mon 9 Dec | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Solemnity | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 7.00pm | Chris Steele RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 10.30am | Monica Jenkins RIP | |
| Tue 10 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Stephen Dale RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | Private Intentions | ||
| Wed 11 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Mary Walpole RIP | ||
| Thu 12 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Irene Williams RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| Fri 13 Dec | St Lucy, V, M. Mem. | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 10.00am | Joseph Russell RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 14 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Maureen & Michael Chester RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | John Black RIP | |
| Sun 15 Dec | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Muriel & Jim Halligan RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Parishioners’ Intentions |
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.
FEAST OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Monday 9 December is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, Mass at St Columba’s is at 10.30am and at St Theresa’s at 7pm.
POPE’S DECMBER PRAYER INTENTIONS
We pray that this Jubilee Year strengthen our faith, helping us to recognise the Risen Christ in our daily lives, and that it may transform us into pilgrims of Christian hope.
RECENTLY DESEASED
Please remember in your prayers Evan Rothwell, Catherine Winifred Bond, Ann Massey and Joseph Blundell, as well as their family and friends. Joe’s funeral will be held in St. Theresa’s at 12.45 on Monday 23rd of December. A memorial service for Evan Rothwell will be held in St. Werburgh’s at 11.00a.m. on Saturday 14th of December.
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 11.30a.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.
ANNIVERSARIES
Christina (Chrissie) Harrison, Irene Patricia Williams
LIVE STREAMING OF MASS
Mass will be streamed at St Theresa’s this Sunday 8th December 2024.
www.facebook.com/thecatholicparishofstcolumbaandsttheresa
PARISH OFFERTORY
Loose Plate: £555.66; Planned Giving £225.38; Average weekly SO £555.00. Candles £17.63
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.
8 Dec volunteers please
15 Dec Lina Greig, Hopeful Ugandan Hearts
22 Dec volunteers please
PRAYING TOGETHER
Pray for:
- Pray for the residents of Glastonbury Avenue, Tewkesbury Close, Marlowe Avenue, Cairns Crescent, Hobart Way, Auckland Road and Wyndham Road.
- For those who are bereaved and those who provide support.
WALK WITH ME – £1
There are copies of this Advent booklet price £1 available at the back of church.
ADVENT JOURNEY OF OUR KNITTED MARY, JOSEPH & DONKEY FIGURES
Our Holy Family have begun their Bethlehem journey to St. Theresa’s crib. Parish families are hosting them nightly, and they will be stopping to visit the schools of St. Werburgh and St. Columba’s and St. Theresa’s on their way.
CHRISTMAS SERVICES LEAFLET
Copies will then be available in the porches during Advent. Do take it home and use it as reference to the many Advent and Christmas Services. Please note that the Parish Carol service is on Friday 20th December at 6.30p.m.
CHRISTMAS FLOWERS
There will be a collection after Mass on 14th & 15th December, at St. Columba’s, to decorate the Church over the Festive Season. Thank you in advance for your continued support.
CHRISTMAS EVE MASS – ST COLUMBA’S
We are looking for children of all ages to help with the 4.30pm Christmas Eve Mass at St Columba’s.
If you are a budding actor, reader, sheep, shepherd, King or Angel etc. and would like to be part of the service please contact Gillian Blatch gh.settle@gmail.com
UPTON CHURCHES CRIB
This crib is on display during Advent in the rear porch at St Columba’s. There is an explanation of what we know of its history on display beside it.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
The Christmas Party for senior members of the Parish and all volunteers will be held on the Saturday 14th December starting at 2 p.m. in St Columba’s parish hall. If anyone from St Theresa’s would like a lift, please put your name on the list at the back of church.
The Parish Carol service is on Friday 20th December at 6.30p.m. – more details to follow.
SOUND SYSTEM AT ST THERESA’S
The new sound system is being installed over the next few days. Apologies for last weekend as only the microphone on the pulpit was working.
THE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS FAIR
Will be held onThursday12th December between 4 – 6:15pm. £1 entrance fee on the evening. Fabulous stalls, Santa’s Grotto, food, music and more! All welcome!
CHRISTMAS CARDS
Christmas cards are on sale in the Piety Shop. If anyone would like any other religious items, please ring Janet on 01244 329469 as I have a catalogue and can order the item or see Carol after Sunday morning Mass at St Theresa’s.
CHESTER AID TO THE HOMELESS
To all those in the Parish who donated clothing items to the charity, thank you so very much. They are all much appreciated.
NEW PRAYER GROUP – LECTIO DIVINA
There will be two more sessions of this quiet prayer group which will take place on Thursday Dec 12th and Thursday Dec 19th, both at 11.a.m in the Iona Chapel. If you have not been before, you are most welcome to join us. For information contact Lyn Coyle on marilyn.coyle44@gmail.com or 07735574397
NEW TO THE PARISH? WELCOME!
We have a New Parish Registration Form to be completed and sent to either parish office to let us know that you are here and enable us to welcome you to the parish. The form can be completed and submitted online or downloaded and printed out. Instructions are on the form, which can also be found in the front porches of both churches. You will find it on the I’m New tab of the website.
BAPTISMAL CANDLES AND CERTIFICATES
Irene Queenan is going to retire soon from the art of preparing Baptismal Candles and Certificates. If anyone would like to take over this role, please contact the office.
RED MISSION BOXES, ST COLUMBA’S
If you are a red Missio box holder, please leave your box in the sacristy for counting and pick up your emptied box, with your name on, from the table in the rear porch of St Columba’s.
ROMAN CATHOLIC HOSPITAL MASS
Will be celebrated on Thursday 12th December 2023 at 12.15pm in the Countess of Chester Hospital Chapel. 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 COCH chapel.
CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
The Catholic High School is thrilled to share with you the outcome of the recent inspection for Catholic Schools. We are proud to announce that the overall quality of Catholic Education provided by the school is Good, having achieved an Outstanding Catholic Life and Mission, Good Religious Education, and Outstanding Collective Worship. This can only happen thanks to the dedicated work of Mrs. McKeagney, our headteacher, Mrs. Johnson, Chair of Governors, and all the team members, including the RE department, chaplaincy and the unconditional support from Fr. Paul Shaw. A huge thanks to all the CHS staff members, our students, governors, parents, Parishes and parishioners for contributing to this excellent outcome. To read the full report, please visit our school website: Catholic-Schools-Inspectorate-Report-2024-CHSC.pdf
Thought for the week: In the midst of the seasonal rush, prioritizing quiet moments allows us all to recentre our focus on the spiritual significance and true meaning of Christmas. “Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern.” – St. Mother Teresa
PASTORAL COUNCIL MEETING 11 NOVEMBER 2024
The parish’s involvement with the Pope’s invitation to the consultation process of the Synod took place during 2021 and 2022. The parish held a series of meetings with parishioners and invited written contributions in relation to desirable changes, within the church as a whole and in particular to our parish. Over 70 parishioners attended the meetings and over 200 written responses were received.
On behalf of the parish the Pastoral Council used all this information to submit a response to Bishop Mark in April 2022 regarding the parish’s thoughts on changes to the whole church. That matter then left our hands and contributed to the response from the bishop to the Bishops Conference of England and Wales.
The Pastoral Council then used your suggestions about changes to be made to the parish to draw up a Parish Development Plan. This was completed in summer 2022 and is available on the church web site. Putting that plan into practice has formed the focus of much activity in the parish over the last two years.
The Pastoral Council evaluated the implementation of the plan and identified priorities for activity for next year, 2025. These will be available on our website after formal agreement.
The overall conclusion was that a number of priorities for action had been achieved, including a regular children’s liturgy at St Columba’s; a re-vamp of the notice boards and a major revision to our website to make it easier to navigate and be more informative; the involvement of more parishioners in a variety of parish ministries. Further developments in these areas and others will focus our activities next year.
Pauline Rourke, Ann McCarthy, co –chairs Pastoral Council
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 9a.m. to 2p.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.
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
Sunday 15th December edition will be compiled by Muriel Green. Phone: 01244 383836, or email: muriel.green1@btinternet.com. Please include a phone number in case of queries, and please ensure that items are also emailed to Fr William or phoned to the compiler by 9.00a.m. on WEDNESDAY 11 December 2024