Parish Newsletter

Parish Admin Assistant: New Appointment!

Six hours a week, over two or three days. £14 per hour. Main Job responsibilities are: responding to emails, telephone calls, letters and callers at the door; monitoring the Parish Priest’s Diary and booking appointments where appropriate; preparing the Newsletter; dealing with contractors; taking Minutes for Parish Council. You will need to have good admin skills, be a team player, know your way around a computer (Word principally), and provide references. Full details on the Parish Website, including how to apply. Closing Date: Friday 31^st May.

Annual Financial Return: 2023-24

• Total Income: £135,101
• Total Expenditure: £104,683
• Annual Surplus: £30,418

What are the big items of expenditure? From the top downwards, there’s our Parish Assessment (what we pay to the Diocese for central services) of £23,474; Heating and Light £21,243; Insurance £11,168; Our wonderful organists £7,225; Property Maintenance  £6,758; and Council Tax & Water £3,669.

Proposed Changes to the Abortion Law

Sir Liam Fox has tabled an amendment to the Government's Criminal Justice Bill, which will bring the abortion time limit for babies with Down's syndrome in line with the time limit for babies that do not have disabilities. This amendment will be put to a vote on Wednesday 15 May.

A cross-party group of 50 MPs have already signed the amendment. We now need many more to sign it ahead of the vote on 15^th May. This will help signal to all MPs that there is momentum building behind this law change and make it more likely that the amendment passes on 15^th May. You can easily contact your MP and ask them to sign the amendment through this link:

www.dontscreenusout.org/timeforchange

On the website, we have included much more information on the amendment and the case for change. This should be helpful information that you can use when you are encouraging friends and family members to also contact their MPs.

Next Chester Confirmation St Columba’s

8^th November 2024. An information meeting will be held on Thursday 23^rd May, at 7.00 pm in St. Columba’s. 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.

Christleton Churches Together AGM: 15^th May

Wednesday Evening 7.00 pm at the Methodists: do come along and hear what we’ve done over the last year and our plans for next year. All warmly welcome, with refreshments afterwards.

Welcome Wednesdays This Week and Last

Great thanks to Ann Marie for an enthralling glimpse into our Parish History and Archives. This week, we finish with the Rosary at 11.45. Bring your beads!

Parish Renewal: Our New Parish Council

Six “Portfolio Members” (Buildings & Maintenance, Finance, Housekeeping & Hospitality, Liturgy, Social and Outreach) and three elected members without specific responsibilities at this stage. We’ll have these proposals for Pentecost Sunday, followed by an Open Parish Meeting for you all to give us your reactions and responses. Elections and the new Parish Council having its first get-together in July, to be ready for our first Business Meeting in September.

SVP Spring Mass

Thanks to everyone for making this such a joyous occasion last Sunday afternoon. A lovely Mass and a Lemon Drizzle Cake to die for… My pleasure!

Job Vacancies at the Catholic High School

We have a number of teaching roles and support staff vacancies for cleaners, caretakers, office admin staff and exams officers. If you are interested or know someone who is, please look at the school website  Vacancies - The Chester Catholic High School (christofidelis.org.uk) for more details.

Our Parish Family: Promoted to Glory

We have said farewell to a number of amazing parishioners in recent weeks, four of whom in particular having a combined age of 379! Our own Kathleen Rivas was 101, and we celebrate her remarkable life here on Tuesday. Fred Crossley was 98, Chorley born and bred, so often here at weekday Mass with his wife Joan. Then two extraordinary grandparents: Steve Miller Senior (91), grandfather to Ronan and Aoife, a Korean War Vet, Promoted to Glory at home in Michigan. And finally, a dear personal friend of mine, Jean Egan (89), John’s Mum and Claire’s mother-in-law, grandmother to Hannah, Dominic, Philippa and Matthew, the latter two wonderful Altar Servers here. We will be celebrating Jean’s life at St Catherine’s Hoylake on Thursday 23^rd May. Well done, thou good and faithful servants!

Coming Up: Repository Pre-Loved Sale

We will be having our popular Sale of pre-loved items on Sunday 12^th May. You’ll find on the stall our usual holy relics, a bit battered, a few scratches but still with some useful life in them. Please do not make any offers for Paula or Bernice as a refusal often offends…

SVP Second Collection Today: 11^th / 12^th May

To support the work of the Holiday Home at Talacre.

Pentecost Sunday Evening Youth Mass

We’d like to celebrate our diverse Parish on the Feast of Pentecost by asking children with two languages to take part in the  prayers of Intercession. All children at the Mass will take part with the offertory procession, singing or playing instruments. 6.00 pm May 19^th. Please put child’s name and parents contact details on the sheet at the back of Church.

Bodnant Gardens & Llandudno: Tuesday 25^th June

All places now taken: thank you very much! Now the hard part: payment!!! £15-00 if you are member of the National Trust, £30-00 if not. Cash or Cheques (payable to St Werburgh’s Church) to FP, please.

Photo of the Week: Mount St Bernard’s Abbey

The only Cistercian Monastery in England, near Coalville in Leicestershire. Founded in 1835.