ST. JAMES
THE LESS AND ST. HELEN

CATHOLIC CHURCH, Colchester

with

Mersea, Mile End and Monkwick

Fr
Joseph Whisstock

Fr
Brett
Adams

Fr
Philip Willenbrock

51 Priory
Street , Colchester, Essex,
CO1 2QB

Tel:
01206 866317;   Fax  01206 791213

E-Mail      [email-masked]

www.stjamesthelessandsthelen.org

THE FIRST SUNDAY
OF ADVENT [A] – December
2nd  2007

Dear Friends,

Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the season
which starts off a new liturgical year – a twelve-month cycle of
anniversaries, memorials of the events by which God has won our salvation and
opened for us the way to heaven.
But God never repeats himself: just as each day is a new day, so each
season of the liturgical year is a new season.  Though we have may celebrated it many
times before, we are invited to plumb its depths
anew, to discover aspects we hadn’t perhaps noticed before. Although
the first reading reminds us that Jerusalem
was dear to the Jews because they believed it was God’s own dwelling
place, never did God draw so near to us as when Jesus took our human nature
and was born in Bethlehem.  The idea of Advent is not that we
should try to revive childhood “Christmasy”
feelings but rather that we grow in appreciation of the startling truth of
the Incarnation: God’s Son coming to dwell in our midst; not just the
first coming but also his second coming at the end of time.  Since we cannot know the day or the
hour, Jesus makes it clear in the Gospel that the only sensible thing is to
be in a permanent state of readiness.

Advent, then, highlights the truth that we live
in an in-between stage: the present moment is of unique importance: it is now
that we must prepare for both Christ’s first and second comings.  St Paul shows us that the ideal
preparation for both is to be prepared “to stay awake”; to live
like soldiers “Let your armour” he says
”be the Lord Jesus Christ” – to “put him on” in
the sense of enveloping ourselves in his teaching, allowing his standards and
his sentiments to direct our lives.
If, in our own small way we are striving to live a truly Christ-like
life, then we are preparing well to celebrate the anniversary of the greatest
event in human history, the Incarnation and, at the same time, the greatest
event in our own personal history, that meeting with the Lord when he comes
again.

God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Wednesday 5th December     7-9pm  Scripture Course
Crypt

“
“
“
7pm     S.V.P Meeting
Presbytery

Thursday 6th December   7.30-9pm   RCIA Meeting
Crypt

Saturday 8th December         10am   Justice & Peace Meeting   Presbytery

A HEATING ENGINEER has been called to check
the radiators in the Church, some of which appear not to be working.  The situation will be resolved as soon
as possible.
Fr Joseph

HOLY
FATHER’S MISSION INTENTION FOR DECEMBER: That this Christmas the
peoples of Asia may recognise with joy the
true Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.

BAPTISMS
TODAY:  Lola and Kian Johns.  God bless these children
and congratulations to their family.

VOCATIONS TO THE
PRIESTHOOD: The next evening takes place on Friday 7th December at Our
Lady of Lourdes, Wanstead from 6.30pm.  Please contact Fr Joseph Silver on
0208 590 7222 or [email-masked]

ADVENT RECONCILIATION
SERVICE:   will take place pm
Saturday, 22nd December at 9:45 am at St James the Less.

CHRISTMAS MASSES

CHRISTMAS EVE –
MONDAY, 24th DECEMBER

Priory
Street:
18:30        Christmas
Vigil Mass [especially for families]*

Monkwick:
19:30       CAROLS
followed by

20:00       VIGIL
MASS

Priory
Street:
23:30       CAROLS followed
by MIDNIGHT MASS

CHRISTMAS DAY –
TUESDAY, 25th DECEMBER

Priory
Street:
08:00      Christmas Dawn Mass

10:30    Christmas Day Mass

St
Cedd, Mersea:
08:30       CAROLS followed by   ]

09:00      Christmas Dawn Mass ]

Mile
End:
09:15       Christmas Day Mass

*CHILDREN are encouraged to come
to the Christmas Eve 6.30 Mass dressed up as a character from the nativity
story.

CHILDREN’S
LITURGY:  In order to improve the
services for children in the church we have recently changed the way that the
children's liturgy runs. The children's liturgy in the crypt is suitable for
children 5-8 years old. It is important that the under fives do not come down
due to Child Protection Regulations. An under-fives group is available in the
Church Hall where the children must
be accompanied by a parent
or carer. This group is new and will
depend on the support of the parents who use it. Please volunteer to help so
that the group can continue. [CRB checks will, of course, be needed].

There
was a box of children's books at the back of the church which appears to have
gone missing. Does anyone know where it is? In the meantime has anyone got
any books of a suitably religious nature that they could donate to create a
new resource for parents of small children. Please
give your donations to the Children’s Liturgy Group.

HIGH MASS AT ST
ETHELBURGA’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, BARKING: On Saturday 8th
December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, at 12 noon.

CRIB
DISPLAY; WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXHIBIT? A display of cribs from around the world at Castle Methodist Church
from Friday 14th December to Sunday 16th December.  Have you a Crib you would like to
lend?  Please see poster in the
church porch or contact Margaret Griffin – 571590 – by 3rd
December please.

DAY OF
REFLECTION: What Do you want for Christmas? Give yourself a present of time. Our
Day of Reflection for Advent will be on Saturday 15th  December in the Cardinal Bourne Hall
from 11am to 3:30pm.Continuing our theme of “Call”, we will
reflect on “Christ’s Call at Christmas. Contact details to follow.

NEW HALL
SCHOOL ADMISSIONS AND VACANCIES:  Please see full details
on the posters in the porch for Admissions
at 7+ [Year 3] and 13+ [Year 9]; Vacancies
for a Senior School Housemaster from September 2008 and Year 1 Teacher and
Subject Leader for RE from April 2008.

TEMPORARY
CLOSURE OF THE CARDINAL BOURNE HALL from 9am 21st
January 2008 to 9am 7th February 2008.  This closure represents the first
phase of a refurbishment programme required to meet
the current fire and safety regulations.
The Cardinal Bourne Hall is a self-supporting Registered Charity No:
234092.

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Florence Fuller, Denisia Gray, Eileen Head, Michelle Huet,
Deirdre Kehoe, Catherine Libby, Maria Lumsden, Luke
McShane, Kathleen Morrisey,
Sheila Parsons, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford, Alwyn Stains, Carole Stover, Peggy
Wilding.

DAILY:
Rosary 8:40am; Divine Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11:40am]

EVENING
PRAYER:
For venue, please see poster in the porch

PRAYER
GROUP:
Mondays
at 8pm in the Crypt

MEDITATION
GROUP:
Tuesdays at 8pm at
No 48 Priory Street

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays 10am – 11am

“A
JOURNEY OF PRAYER FOR ADVENT AND CHRISTMASTIDE 2007”:  Walk with Me Booklets are now available
in the porch, price £1.

BRENTWOOD DIOCESAN DIRECTORY 2008:  Now available [provided
they are!]  The price has again
been pegged at £2.25, so please buy your copy.

FR RAFAEL VALLÉ,
A
Spanish priest who stayed in this parish in about 1975 has written, wishing
to hear from any parishioners who may remember him.  His address is C/ La Cruz, 6,  44641
– Torrevelilla [Teruel],
España.

THE PARISH
WEB SITE:  For all contact, inclusions
etc., please contact Donald Clarke.
His email address is [email-masked]  He may also be contacted via the
Presbytery, i.e. please leave envelopes for him.

THE
REPOSITORY is open each Sunday from after the 8am Mass until 12:45pm in the
Cardinal Bourne Hall.

IF YOU ARE
NEW TO THE PARISH OR VISITING please introduce
yourself to one of the priests after Mass.  If you are moving within or out of the
parish, please contact the Parish Office in writing.

LITURGY FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT  [A]

DECEMBER 2ND 2007 A.D.

The first Mass of Sunday
is on Saturday Evening at Priory
Street

Saturday  December 1st

Sunday
December 2nd

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Wilbur and Muriel MacDonald RIP

Mrs Mariampillai
RIP [A]

Parishioners

Pietro and Paulina Passantino RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Henryk Barbet RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Leo William Foley RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

D/Rels: Wright and Wrobel Families RIP

Monday 3rd           St Francis Xavier, Pr.  Migrants’ Day

Tuesday 4th

Church               9:15 am  Terry Hilton RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Frederick, Elizabeth & Angelo Lucas RIP

Wednesday 5th

Feria

Church
12:15
pm  Intentions of Desmond
Crummy

Thursday 6th

Friday 7th

Saturday 8th

Feria

Church   N.B.       8:00am  Intentions of Sam Hilton

St. Ambrose, Bp. D.

Church                 9:15am   Intentions of Jay Family

Michael
Piquet Wicks RIP

THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
OF THE B.V.M.

Church
9.15
am   Bert Johnson RIP

LITURGY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT [A]

DECEMBER 9th 2007 A.D.  – Bible Sunday

Saturday  December 8th

Sunday    December 9th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

2:00 pm

3:30
pm

5:00
pm

6:30 pm

Mrs Anne
Byrne RIP

Margaret Moriarty RIP

Parishioners

POLISH MASS

DEAF MASS

HOLY HOUR

Moira Pryke
RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Ian Chaplin RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Deceased Relatives of the Knapp Family

Monkwick

10:15
am

Intentions of Peggy and
Maria

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Saturday
10:00-11:00am & 5:30-6:00pm

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM                        Baptismal
Courses arranged as per Newsletter

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
At  least six
months notice is required

SCHOOLS
St Thomas More       Head:
Bridget Harris [865722]

St Benedict’s
Head: John
O’Hara   [549222]

Marriage
Care
www.marriagecare.org.uk
0800 389 3801

Vocations                                             www.brentwoodvocations.org

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092