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Parish Pastoral Council

Meetings of the Pastoral Council take place monthly. Attendance is limited to Council members, and others by invitation only.

You may raise issues for discussion by emailing them at least 1-week in advance to the Council Secretary. Please state clearly what the issue is and what you would like the Council to do.

Members of the Parish Pastoral Council

The election for the new Parish Pastoral Council took place in May 2007. Nominations were received for 5 members and the Priest appointed 5 additional members. An election was therefore not needed. The new Parish Council was presented for approval at the Parish Annual Meeting on June 24, 2007.

Dates of Pastoral Council Meetings in 2008

Meetings are now approximately bi-monthly and normally take place at 7 pm at the Priest's House in Priory Street unless otherwise notified.

January 25, 2008

February 24, 2008    [ Parish Open Meeting ]

April 18, 2008

July 22, 2008

October 18, 2008    [ Parish Council Awayday ]

December 1,2008

December 6,2008    [ Parish Council Awayday ]

Standing Agenda for Pastoral Council Meetings

This agenda may change depending on priorities for each meeting.

1900          Opening prayer

1905          Approve minutes of the last meeting

1910          Matters arising from minutes of last meeting

1930          Evangelisation

2000          Items raised by the Parish priest

2015          Items raised by members of the Pastoral Council

2030          Items raised by members of the Parish

2050          Other Business

2100          Concluding prayer

Report of Parish Annual Meeting - June 24, 2007

The report will be put here shortly.

Report of Parish Open Meeting - October 29, 2006

Parish Open Meeting Report

Minutes of Recent Pastoral Council Meetings

July 22, 2008

May 30, 2008

April 18, 2008

January 25, 2008

November 30, 2007

October 5, 2007

September 14, 2007

July 27, 2007

June 15, 2007

February 23 to May 18, 2007

January 26, 2007

November 24, 2006

October 20, 2006

September 22, 2006

August 25, 2006

July 28, 2006

June 30, 2006

Published Guidance on the role of Parish Pastoral Councils

Article from The Tablet: Usefulness of Partnership

Pastoral Council Objectives

The Parish Pastoral Council supports our Parish Priests in their ministry. It consists of 10 members, 5 co-opted by the Parish Priest plus 5 elected by the Parish Community.

The terms of reference for the Parish Pastoral Council are documented in our new (draft) Constitution. If you have any comments on this draft constitution, please email the Council Secretary.

In summary, members serve for 3-years and cannot serve more than 2 consecutive terms. A person is eligible for selection after 1-year absence.

The current members of the Parish Council are:-

President

 

 

Father Joseph Whisstock

Father Joseph was brought up in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex. He studied for the Priesthood at Ushaw College, near Durham and was ordained on 26th October 1991. He was Assistant Priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead; November 1991 to October 1995. Then Parish Priest at St. Teresa of The Child Jesus, Rochford; November 1995 to September 1999. Then the Blessed Sacrament, Chelmsford; October 1999 to September 2005. He was appointed Parish Priest for St. James the Less and St. Helen in October 2005.

 

 

 

 

Chair

 

 

Mark Lee

Mark is a father of 4 (Abby, Imogen, Nathanael and Angharad). He is a Eucharistic Minister. Mark is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and gained a Masters Degree from The Open University. He is a Colcestrian by birth and spent his early Christian life as an Anglican. He was received into the Catholic Church in this Parish in 1987, subsequently serving as a School Governor for the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, and later as Vice Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council at St Teresa's Colchester. Mark can usually be found at Masses at Priory Street on Sunday 6:30 pm and Saturday 6:15 pm.

 

Mark serves as chair of the council.

 

Vice-Chair

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olive Newland

Olive was born and brought up in Scotland, attended university in London, lived in Oxfordshire and is now a resident of Mersea Island. Her daughter Keziah shares her appreciation of travel and has recently moved to West London. Olive has worked in education throughout her career. Her varied career path has included teaching in secondary schools, the design and delivery of school support services and consultancy work. Olive now works for Essex Local Authority as a senior manager in the Schools, Children and Families Directorate. She is also a volunteer Crisis Support Worker for the Essex Crisis Support Team and a Fellow of the RSA. As a Eucharistic Minister she enjoys the opportunity to get involved in the parish life on Mersea and is parish secretary for St Cedd and St Gregory. Olive is a Mercy Associate and values the strong and prayerful support from the Colchester group. Olive can be found at the Sunday 8.30am Mass at St Cedd and St Gregory in West Mersea.

Olive represents St. Cedd and St. Gregory-Mersea Mass centre and serves as vice-chair of the council.

 

Secretary

 

Donald Clarke

Donald was received into the Catholic Church in this Parish in 2005. He was born and has lived all his life in Colchester. He has a BSc. degree in Computer Systems from the University of Essex and is a Chartered Engineer. He is married to Stephanie who has 3 grown-up children living in the United States. Donald and Stephanie are normally to be found at the Saturday 6:15 Mass at Priory Street. They are involved in the Ministry of Welcome and the Soup Run and are particularly interested in the plight of the elderly.

 

Donald serves as Secretary of the council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fidel Catantan

Fidel's biography will be put here shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael Firmin

Michael was born in Colchester and has at various times lived and worshiped in the parishes of Mile End and Lexden.

 

For the past 20 years he has attended mass at Monkwick where for most of this time he has served on the committee there.


Michael represents St Theodore-Monkwick Mass centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pauline Rook

Pauline is married and has lived in Colchester for 37 years. She attends the 8.00am Mass at Priory Street and through the week. Pauline is a volunteer at Tradersfair fairtrade at Colchester Library.

Michael James Irvine

Michael has lived in Braiswick-Colchester for the past 6 years after moving from Romford where he was born. Except for 25 years spent overseas he has lived in Essex all his life. He has been married to Ann for 37 years and they have 4 children the youngest being 15. Michael is a Chartered Engineer and for the last 5 years has worked on the new Channel Tunnel Railway Terminal at St. Pancras station. His interests in the Parish outside of the Pastoral Council are the Knights of St Columba which he serves as Secretary to Council 270, and as a Eucharistic Minister.

Michael represents St. Joseph-Mile End Mass centre.

Andrew Johnson

Andrew was born in Altrincham Cheshire and is married to Elspeth who is a Eucharistic minister. They have 2 sons. He is Master of Ceremonies for the Parish. He currently works as a Science Teacher at Alec Hunter Humanities College in Braintree, and is a Chartered Biologist. In his spare time he is an active member of the Scout Movement recent appointments being as Assistant District Commissioner for Scouts in Colchester East and a member of the Jamboree Organizing Team for the World Jamboree 2007 to be held at Hylands Park in Chelmsford. Recently he joined the Catenian Association. He moved to the parish with his wife Elspeth and sons George and Alexander in May 2004, and has been very active in parish life. He can be found at the 10:30 am Mass at Priory Street and most parish activities when he is not Scouting.

 

 

Teresa Sales

Teresa was brought up in Felixstowe, educated in Ipswich, and very nearly became a nun, but qualified as a nurse instead, followed by marriage and the raising of two children. A traumatic 'crisis of Faith' in the early 1980s resulted in a prolonged absence from the Church until, thanks to the influence of her daughter, and the patient guidance of the parish clergy, she returned in 2001. Teresa is a member of Colchester Choral Society, Colchester Theatre Group, and the Colne Endeavour Music Club where disabled and able-bodied members make music together. She believes that parishioners, young or old, should be kept informed about matters which concern them. She usually attends the Friday morning and Sunday evening Masses, carrying out one or other of the various lay ministries, and is currently helping to re-establish the parish Justice and Peace group.

 

 

 

Lenore Sykes

Lenore was born in Trinidad West Indies. She trained and worked as a nurse, midwife and health visitor. She came to England and married husband Roger whose work as a paediatrician took them to Nigeria with their three young sons. She ran a small nursery before going back to work in the Nutrition, Education and Rehabilitation Unit of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. She was a catechist at St. Albert's Catholic Church and also found time to work with local girl guides at nearby secondary schools. Returning from Nigeria to London she went back to work as a midwife and nurse. In London she taught catechism to children with learning difficulties, worked at the night shelter and assisted with serving food to homeless people in Islington. She was a member of the Union of Catholic Mothers and the Justice and Peace Group as well as a Eucharistic Minister. Moving to Colchester in 2006 she continues in the Eucharistic Ministry and was invited to serve as a member of the Parish Pastoral Council at St. James the Less and St. Helen. Lenore has four grandchildren and usually attends 10:30 am Sunday Mass and often attends evening Masses on Saturday and Sunday at Priory Street.

 

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