Parish Development Strategy

The Parish Development Strategy, launched in our Deanery last January, is a response to the changes we are experiencing with smaller congregations, fewer priests and reduced income.

 

The audits carried out in each parish earlier this year have highlighted the need to reduce the number of churches we have in Warrington. In short, we simply don't have enough money to maintain eight churches and associated buildings! However, this is not just about money. It’s also about proactively managing the mission entrusted to us, not least for those who will come after us. So we have to plan for the future.

 

In the spirit of synodality, the Steering Committees of each Family of Parishes have been asked to discern possible plans for moving forward. Once there is some kind of consensus, a potential plan will be shared with parishioners for further discernment - probably in the Autumn.

 

At present, there is nothing set in stone and no decisions have been made. We're very much in the first part of the discernment process - trying to work out a potential plan that we can present to parishioners.

 

I understand that there is some guesswork going on, but that's all it is. We have a strategy to follow, which was shared with parishioners earlier in the year, and is there to help us on this journey.

 

Please pray for the Steering Committees as they try to discern what our Lord may be asking of us.

 

Fr Dave Heywood

Dean of Warrington & Widnes

14 July 2026

 

To attempt to add clarity, the stage after the parish audit is 'DIscerning Proposals for the Future' and has 3 parts:

 

Part 1 - Creating proposals at Steering group level with FoP. Each steering group consists of the priests, one deacon and a rep from each church - So Fr Mark. Jim and our parish representative have attended.

 

Part 2 - Each FoP shares their proposals with the other FoP followed by a process of discernment. This is where we are up to and concludes after the Autumn session mentioned above.

 

Part 3 - Sharing the proposals with parish communities and schools and other stakeholders so they they can engage with the proposals and contribute feedback.

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Oblates of St Joseph - 2026 Mission Appeal

A Mission Appeal Sunday is scheduled in our parish for the 1st and 2nd of August,  and below is a brief introduction about their Religious Congregation.

 

The Oblates of St. Joseph is a Catholic religious institute founded on 14 March 1878 by St. Joseph Marello and dedicated to St. Joseph. The principal apostolate of the Oblates of St. Joseph is to work with the youth and the poor. However, Joseph Marello's initial plan was to have the Oblates serve in whatever capacity the local Bishop deemed necessary, so long as it was consistent with the spirituality and life of the Oblates. Presently, the Oblates serve in many different capacities, depending upon the needs of the bishops where they serve. Common apostolates include education and catechesis of the youths, parish ministry, serving the poor and underprivileged and propagating devotion to St. Joseph.

 

Fr. Stephen will tell us more of their work and make an appeal for help. Please give generously.

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You may have heard that a conservative Catholic group, the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), has been excommunicated from the Church. The group incurred excommunication because they ordained four bishops without the permission of the Pope. Bishops are appointed by the Pope. To do otherwise fragments the unity of the Church. Pope Leo pleaded with the SSPX not to go ahead with the ordinations but to continue dialogue with the Vatican. Unfortunately, the SSPX went ahead with the ordinations and so automatically incurred excommunication as outlined in Canon Law. Vatican authorities are urging faithful Catholics not to attend the SSPX’s churches, chapels and Mass centres lest they too fall under the same penalty of excommunication.

 

The SSPX is known for its celebration of the Mass and the Sacraments using the liturgical books in force prior to the Second Vatican Council. Happily, for those who are attached to the traditional Latin rites, here in the Archdiocese of Liverpool we have the FSSP (the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter), based at St Mary’s Shrine in Warrington, which was founded by Pope St John Paul II for this very purpose. The FSSP is in full communion with the Church, accepts the Second Vatican Council and, as we have seen at our most recent Deanery Mass, is very much part of the life of our local Deanery.

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Our Family of Parishes is working towards the three "Live Simply" principles. We will change to Fairtrade tea and coffee which guarantees producers a minimum price irrespective of market fluctuations.

We all know someone who no longer comes to Mass. Each person has their own reasons for absence and our Parish Council would welcome ideas on how we can bring them back to become churchgoers once again. 

 

If you do know of anyone who is missing from Mass, please do let us know so that we can endeavour to encourage them back. We know that the COVID pandemic was partly responsible for the reduction in attendance and even if it just allows us to distribute Holy Communion to these people, then it will help us, and them, to get back to their faith.

 

Any suggestions may be dropped into the Newsletter box in the porch, directly to Fr. Mark, Deacon Jim or you can just drop a note to the parish email address.

• If anyone wishes to be visited by a Eucharistic Minister to take Holy Communion please contact Fr Mark or Deacon Jim.  Alternatively, send a note to our parish email address shown in the information panel to the right.

• Do you think you could be, or want to be, a Deacon? Please read the information here and see if we can help to make up your mind.

• Want rid of your old technology - read here to see what to do with it.

• Warrington Fairtrade Borough Steering Group aims to provide schools with resources and information to help our children understand the global impacts in the way we trade. Please check out our Fairtrade page and read more about the great work they do with our schools and links to other material which shows how this programme helps to create extra income, power and support to those communities who are directly affected by unfair trading situations.

Please be vigilant - If you see anything untoward in the church or the church grounds, please let us know either directly to Deacon Jim or drop a note to the parish email address.