The month of March is dedicated to St Joseph
FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
9 MARCH 2025
| Sat 8 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | John Slinger | |
| Sun 9 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Kay Daly’s Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Eddie George RIP | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite | ||
| Mon 10 Mar` | |||
| St. Theresa’s | All those making their First Holy Communion this year | ||
| St. Columba’s | 10.00am | Stations of the Cross | |
| 10.30am | Lucienne Francis | ||
| Tue 11 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Patricia Harrop RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | Parishioners’ Intentions | ||
| Wed 12 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | John & Susan McCarney RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | 9.30am | Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament | |
| 10.15am | Novena Prayers | ||
| 10.30am | Jagna Bukowska | ||
| Thu 13 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | Chris Hotchkiss Intentions | ||
| St. Columba’s | Priests’ Intentions | ||
| Fri 14 Mar | Special Day of Prayer for the Needy and Hungry of the World | ||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Stations of the Cross | |
| 10.00am | Kazia Krawiec RIP | ||
| St. Columba’s | The Parish | ||
| Sat 15 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 5.00pm | Joe Blundell RIP | |
| St. Columba’s | 6.30pm | Tony Laydon | |
| Sun 16 Mar | |||
| St. Theresa’s | 9.30am | Parishioners’ Intentions | |
| St. Columba’s | 11.00am | Aquiles Paras RIP | |
| 2.00pm | Kerala Catholic Community Mass in Syro-Malabar Rite |
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 at St Theresa’s on Saturday 8 March at 5.00p.m. Cover is needed at both churches for occasions when Tim is unavailable. 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
RECENTLY DECEASED
Please remember in your prayers Bernadette Shaw. Rosezalia Damah, Glenys Martin, Colette Johnson and Michael Craven, as well as their families and friends. Requiem Masses will be held for Bernadette at St Columba’s on 11 March at 12.30p.m. and for Colette at St Theresa’s on Monday 17 March at 12.15p.m. Requiem Mass for Michael will be held at St Columba’s on 31 March at 12p.m.
ANNIVERSARIES
Florence Southall, James John McCafferty, Agnes Jones, Mavis Gibson, Charles Buckley, John James Tully, Doreen Brenda Grainger, Jean Alice Hickman.
POPE’S MARCH PRAYER INTENTIONS
For families in crisis. Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.
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.
CHURCH NEWS:
The Pope on Church Unity
In January, Pope Francis noted that the Nicene Creed, which we say most Sundays “is a common profession of faith that transcends all the divisions that have riven the Body of Christ over the centuries “Let us rediscover the common roots of the faith. Let us preserve unity!”
” Dear brothers and sisters, this is the time to find in Christ Jesus the way to unity… let us never grow tired of bearing witness, before all peoples, to the only-begotten Son of God, the source of all our hope.”
Through Churches Together in Upton (CTU), we try to work towards unity with our fellow Christians in Holy Ascension Anglican Church and the United Reformed Church, both our near neighbours.
On March 30 at 4.30pm we will celebrate “With Christ to Calvary” at St Columba’s, with our CTU friends. This Way of the Cross will be a memorable Lenten prayer for unity. Please try to come. The service will last about 30 minutes with refreshments to follow.
PRAYING TOGETHER
Pray:
- For the residents of Kingsway West, Rutland Place, Kent Road, Meynell Place, Marlowe Close, Palgrave Close and Tennyson Walk.
- For the Growth Groups, Bible Study Groups and nurturing groups.
- For a deepening of faith and awareness of Christ in us all
RECONCILIATION SERVICE
There will be a Reconciliation Service on Tuesday 18 March at 7p.m. at St Columba’s. If anyone requires a lift from St Theresa’s to St Columba’s, please put your name on the list at the back of church.
CHRISTIAN AID LENT LUNCHES
This event begins on Monday 10 March from 12 noon – 1.30p.m. at Wesley Methodist Church, St John Street. See poster in church porch for more dates and venues.
ST COLUMBA’S COFFEE ROTA
The coffee rota is on the noticeboard in St Columba’s Hall. 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.
9 March – Lina Greig, Hopeful Ugandan Hearts
16 March – Chris & Elizabeth, Tombola
23 March – volunteers please
NATIONAL NOVENA TO ST JOSEPH 10-18 MAR 2025
The National Novena to St Joseph will take place from 10-18 March 2025 at St Joseph’s Church in Maidenhead. Every year, the Mill Hill Missionaries prepare for the Feast of St Joseph, their Society Patron, with a special Novena of Masses and prayers to ask for God’s blessing on their Society’s missionary outreach, and for the intentions of all those who support their work. If you are able, and if it is possible to attend, Masses are at 10.00a.m. every day of the Novena except Sunday, when it is at 11.00a.m. These Masses will be available to follow on Zoom, via the Mill Hill website: www.millhillmissionaries.com/novena. The Novena Prayer Booklet is available on request for a suggested donation of £1 per booklet to cover costs.
You are welcome to send in your petitions and/or to request a Novena prayer booklet. Please write to the Novena Director at 6 Colby Gardens, Maidenhead, SL6 7GZ, or email novenamhm@gmail.com
YOUTH GROUP
Our next meeting will be on Monday 17 March, starting at 7p.m. in the Iona chapel and finishing at 8.30p.m. in St. Columba’s hall. The theme will be St. Patrick and St. Joseph, we will also design easter cards for the SVP, plant sunflowers as part of our year of hope, play games and eat nice snacks. All young parishioners, year 5 or older are warmly invited to join our friendly group. Please call Denise Lusk on 01244 379742 if you need a lift.
GOOD FRIDAY FAMILY STATIONS OF THE CROSS, ST COLUMBA’S
Young parishioners are invited to read and/or hold up pictures at the at 11a.m. on Good Friday morning. There are 14 stations, so at least 14 volunteers would be nice. Please see Gillian Blatch, or Denise Lusk after Mass to volunteer, or email Gillian (gh.settle@gmail.com), ideally before Tuesday 1 April, to allow for time to give out readings and have a practice.
CAFOD BIG LENT WALK IN THE JUBILEE YEAR
CAFOD invites Catholics to join their Big Lent Walk as Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year, walking over 200km over 40 days during Lent. https://walk.cafod.org.uk/
The Catholic High School is taking part in this challenging event, with walks organised in various ways, including a treadmill in school. They aim to raise £800 – thank you in advance for your generosity: https://schools.walk.cafod.org.uk/fundraising/chsc
JUBILEE PRAYER
There are copies of the Jubilee prayer available for you take a copy.
LENT & EASTER SERVICE TIMES
Copies of this year’s programme are available at the back of church. Please take one home with you.
ST COLUMBA’S RED MISSION BOX HOLDERS
There will be three Red Mission boxes collections during the year: March, July and November. To have your box emptied, please leave it in the sacristy before the end of March, then pick up your empty, relabeled box from the rear porch
CAFOD LENT APPEAL – FAMILY FAST DAY COLLECTION – 14 MARCH
Please donate to our Family Fast Day parish collection and be a pilgrim of hope with CAFOD this Jubilee Year. You’ll be supporting communities experiencing the impacts of war, poverty and climate change to find solutions and hope. Use the CAFOD envelope in church, donate online at cafod.org.uk/envelope or call us on 0303 303 3030. You can also text CAFODLENT to 70085 to donate £10.
RECRUITMENTS
1. A recruitment process for the Deputy Director of Schools is now underway, further details of which can be found via the link below: Deputy Director of Schools Advert If you would like further information or candidate pack and application form please contact Liam Dowds, our Emmaus Advising Consultant, on 01737 652 043 or email him at ldowds@emmausleadership.me
2. A vacancy has arisen for a Parish Secretary at the parishes of St Vincent’s, Knutsford and St Winefride, Lymm (Based at St Vincent’s). Hours: 12 per week. Rate of pay: £13 per hour. More details can be found via the Diocesan website https://www.dioceseofshrewsbury.org/latest-vacancies/ CV’s with a covering letter should be sent to Pauline McCulloch at recruitment@dioceseofshrewsbury.org Closing date: Monday 31 March 2025.
3. A vacancy has arisen for an Attendance Officer at the Chester Catholic High School. Full details including the application form can be found on our website Vacancies – The Chester Catholic High School
PARISH OFFERTORY
Loose Plate: £547.08; Planned Giving £234.00; Average weekly SO £555.00. Candles: £36.22; Wedneday morning badminton £200.
APPEAL BY EMPOWERING VULNERABLE CHILDREN (EVC) UGANDA – WEEKEND OF 1-2 MARCH
It was a great pleasure to make our appeals in St Columba’s and St Theresa’s. We thank you for your very warm and friendly welcome. The amount collected was £437.97, an exceptional and very generous donation. All money collected will go directly towards our projects in Uganda and will make a real and immediate difference to the education and lives of the children. Be assured of the children’s prayers. God bless, Phil and Gordon on behalf of EVC Uganda.
PARISH RETREAT
There will be a Parish retreat on Saturday 15 March from 10a.m – 1p.m. in St Columba’s Hall. All invited. This will be on: “Understanding the biblical roots of a Jubilee year and what it means for this current Jubilee of 2025”. Jane Deegan from the Diocese will lead this Retreat, which is open to all. If anyone needs a lift from St Theresa’s to St Columba’s please put your name on the list at the back of church.
MALANKARA JACOBITE SYRIAC ORTHODOX COMMUNITY CHESTER
Every other Saturday morning this group have a Mass at 9.30a.m. at St Theresa’s.
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 www.sscolumbaandtheresa.co.uk under the I’m New tab. Thank you.
VOLUNTEER DRIVERS
As part of our PDP the Pastoral Council would like to offer transport to Mass for any parishioners who may require this. Before doing so we need to gather a small team of willing volunteer drivers. Perhaps this could be a personal commitment in recognition of the Jubilee Year? It is not expected that driving duty would occur very frequently so if you think you could help please contact one of the Parish offices with your details. Thanks to all.
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARIES
If anyone has a special wedding anniversary this year, 25th, 40th, 50th or 60th please inform one of the church offices in order to receive your invitation from the Diocese to a special Mass later this year.
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.
PDP
Parish Development Plan 2022-2025. “You said. We did”
In 2022 the Pastoral Council led a whole-parish consultation on developments in the church and in our parish community. Several themes emerged about inclusivity, children and families, social action, faith outreach and improving communications – with our schools, our parishioners and the wider community.
Everyone’s views were carefully considered and consolidated into our Parish Development Plan in June 2022. The Pastoral Council reviewed progress in November 2024 and thanks to the energy and commitment of many people we are able to highlight the following achievements:
· Children’s Liturgy re-established
· Youth Group established
· Young people’s music group established
· Active participation in Churches Together
· Increased support to SVP, Foodbank and home visiting
· Parish welcomers team established
· Major overhaul to parish website
· Full programme of parish social activities – cream teas, BBQs, coach trips, Autumn fair, Christmas lunches and socials
And more!
For more details of these and priorities for 2025 please see our parish website. Choose the Our Parish tab, click on Parish Development Plan
Why not find out how you can participate? Contact any member of the Pastoral Council by emailing either of the church offices: stcolumbaschurch2016@outlook.com OR st.theresas@btinternet.com
Pauline Rourke and Ann McCarthy, Co-Chairs, Pastoral Council.
NEXT WEEK’S NEWSLETTER
Sunday 16 March edition will be compiled by Harry Sweeney. Phone: 01244 327462 or email: harrysweeney45@gmail.com. Please include a phone number in case of queries, and please ensure that are also emailed to Fr William or phoned to the compiler by 9.00 a.m. on WEDNESDAY 12 March 2025