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 ASCENSION
OF THE LORD   [A]  May 4th   2008

Dear Friends,

The Church is human; the
Church is missionary; the Church is the community of hope.  This Feast of the Ascension is a
festival of hope for the whole human family.  The great theologian, Karl Rahner, described it as a “festival for the future
of the world”.  Humanity
without hope becomes less than human, sometimes monstrously so.  The Ascension confronts all human
hopelessness.  Our destiny has
been revealed.  One of us, Jesus
of Nazareth, as truly human as he is divine, has gone ahead and awaits us at
God’s right hand.  The first
reading reminds us that we are not to be an escapist Church, staring into the
sky.  Nor can we
be a Church of narrow agenda, seeking restore some golden past.  We cannot be anything else but a
Church with a message of hope for every human being.   Hopelessness can be our present
temptation.  We have no reason to
be so.  We are filled with hope
through the abiding presence of Christ.
We are empowered because Christ is the head of the Church, and we are
his body on earth.  In the measure
that we become more and more aware of this, we are equipped to be the
missionaries of hope in our time.
The challenge of Jesus is to open our hearts to all kinds of people.  When we let them in, he slips in among
them.  Who will take to heart the
poor, the elderly, the sick?  We know many people who do.  The quiet people
who nurse, wash and dress the old; those who do the daily rounds in mental
clinics and hospitals; those who choose to work in slums and ghettos.  Their large heartedness makes the rest
of us humble, diminishing our own troubles and preoccupations as compared
with the huge demands they face with commitment and humour.  We must try to make more room in our
heart for Jesus’ people and we can do that in the Gospel truth that he
will be at the heart of that enterprise.

God bless

EVENTS
THIS WEEK

Sunday 4th May
12pm    Social
Committee Meeting
Presbytery

Wednesday May 7th        7pm-9pm
Scripture Course               Crypt

NB – no Scripture Course on 14th
or 21st May 2008

Friday 9th May
7.30pm-9pm      Baptism Course
[1 of 2]    Crypt

Saturday 10th May
10am-12pm
FHC
Hall & Crypt

HOLY FATHER’S MISSION INTENTION FOR MAY:  That Mary, Star of Evangelisation and Queen of
Apostles, may continue to guide missionaries with her maternal love.

BAPTISMS TODAY:  Hannah Lacey,
Paige Paterson, Aidan Clifford, Alexander Malkin.  God bless these children and congratulations to their familes.

THE NEXT BAPTISM COURSE -
has been arranged: on
Friday 9th May and Friday 23rd May in the
Crypt from 7:30pm to 9pm.  Both sessions must be attended.   There is no need to make an
appointment just turn up. This Course will include all baptisms during the
summer period, i.e. up to the end of September.

SHEILA SHILLINGFORD RIP:  Sheila’s funeral has now been
arranged and will take place on Wednesday
next, 7th May at Monkwick at 11am.

KSC - MAY
DEVOTIONS:  Will take place as follows
but may be subject to change: May 6th; Rosary at Priory St.
7:30pm; May 13th; Mass at Priory St. 7:30pm; 21st May;
Benediction & Rosary at St Teresa’s, Lexden; May 30th at
Greenstead Rosary after Mass [time to be advised].

JUMBLE
SALE IN AID OF BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC YOUTH
SERVICE: on Saturday 10th
May 2008 at Magdalen Hall, Wimple Road.  10am
-1pm. For helpers and jumble,  please contact Theresa Higgins on 523501.

BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC
CHILDREN’S SOCIETY:  are
having a SPONSORED WALK on Saturday 10th
May from St Joseph’s,
Mill Road,
Mile End starting at 10am.  See poster on noticeboards.  For forms etc., ring John on 851838.
All welcome, even if you cannot do the full course.  Non-walkers please sponsor walkers as
generously as you can.  The
Society needs at least £575,000 this year to carry on its vital work with
disadvantaged, abused and disturbed children in our Diocese.

MARY BLACK RIP:   Mary’s funeral has now been arranged and
will take place in Priory Street
on Monday 12th May at 1:30pm.

HFE BILL 2008:  The 2nd Reading is now imminent.  Please write to your MP. Guidance
cards are in the porch. There is a mass lobby of MPS on Wednesday 14th
May from 12.30pm at the
Houses of Parliament.  Contact
John Sutcliffe on 851838 for further details, travel arrangements etc.,  See letter
in the porch.

MERSEA NEWS:  Our Coffee Mornings are about to begin!  The first being on May 13th
at the home of Judy Cooper, 62
East Road from 10.30 to 12
noon. All are most welcome.

“Ever
Ancient, Ever New” Friday 23rd  May to Sunday 25th
May 2008. A weekend for young women aged 18-35 who would like
to consider the possibility of a calling to religious life, visiting a new
community based near Brentwood.
For further details please contact Sr Camilla on 01277 373959 or
373848.

DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM
MAY 31ST: Theresa Higgins is organizing a minibus.  16 places are available and the cost
will be about £10.  To book
please contact 523501.

PASTORAL
LEADERSHIP SHORT COURSE: 6-10th
June 2008 at Abbotswick House of
Prayer. To be lead by Fr W Jarema
and Mr W Winaski from Colorado Springs.  The course is designed for clergy,
religious, teachers, deacons and parish leaders to improve their leadership
skills. Further details from 01277 373959; www.abbotswick.org

KSC – PILGRIMAGE: Aylesford Priory on 8th June by
coach.  Cost £10.  Pickup points start at Colchester East
Hill 9am; then Witham Station.  Bring packed lunch.  There will be Mass, Confessions,
Rosary walk.  Return 6pm. Contact
Bill de Smith 767597 to book and pay.
Cheques should be payable to Colchester KSC 270.

SVP
ST JOHN BOSCO SUMMER CAMP AT ALDHAM:
Applications forms have been received for both Volunteer Helpers and
Children who wish to book to go to Summer Camp (Boys 8-13 years and Girls
9-12 years)  A poster with full
details of the Camp is in the Porch.
Volunteers must be 16+ [girls 17+] and will need to be CRB
checked.  Diana has a supply of
both Application Forms. Please contact the Parish Office during the week.

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Anne Gardiner, Denisia Gray, Maria Hanak,
Eileen Head, Michelle Huet, Deirdre Kehoe,
Catherine Libby, Sheila Parsons, Mary
and Harry Pink, John Rae, Alwyn Stains, Carole
Stover, Peggy Wilding, Chetty Zammit.

Please be reminded that, because of the Data
Protection Act, we are not advised by hospital staff of Catholic inpatients.
If you have family or friends who have been admitted to hospital and who
would like a visit, do let one of the priests
know.

DAILY:
Rosary
8:35am; Divine Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11:30am]

EVENING
PRAYER:
Monday to Friday 5:45pm in the Church

PRAYER
GROUP:                Mondays at 8pm in the Crypt

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

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays 10am – 11am

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 let us know in writing.

GIFT
AID: You are reminded that the new set of envelopes are
available for collection in the church porch. Please do collect them.  Also, if you have taken a Gift Aid
Application form for completion, please return it to the Parish Office,
marked for the attention of John Ross.

If you are a tax payer and
wish to donate by way of Gift Aid - at no cost or inconvenience to yourself -
please contact John Ross, the Co-ordinator on
366077.

LITURGY FOR THE
ASCENSION OF THE LORD [ A]

World Communications
Day -  May 4th 2008 A.D

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

Saturday  3rd May

Sunday
4th May

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Susan Savage RIP [A]

Intentions of Mary & David Crowe

Private Intention

Intentions of the
SVP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Helen
Golding

Mile
End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15 am

Fr Francis Tester RIP

Monday
5th

Feria  [BANK HOLIDAY]

Church   N.B    10:00 am   D/Rels
Herbert/Richards Families RIP

Canon John Bloomfield RIP

Tuesday
6th

St John Payne, M

Church
9:15 am    Intentions of Teresa Crummy

Holy Souls RIP

Wednesday 7th

Thursday
8th

Friday
9th

Saturday
10th

Feria

Monkwick
11:00
am   REQUIEM – SHEILA SHILLINGFORD RIP

Church              12:15 pm   Intentions of Teresa G & Family

Feria

Church                9:15 am
Intentions of Nora Hewitt

Feria

Church               9:15 am    Charles Gallagher RIP

Frederick
& Elizabeth Angelo Lucas RIP

Feria

Church
9:15 am  D/Rels Critchley & Whiteside families

LITURGY FOR
PENTECOST SUNDAY

11th May 2008 A.D.

Saturday  May 10th

Sunday    May 11th

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

2:00 pm

5:00
pm

6:30 pm

Una Close RIP

Ann Thomas RIP

Doris Murphy RIP

POLISH
MASS

HOLY HOUR

Mr & Mrs Milford RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Lucy
Golding

Mile
End

9:15
am

Bob McLaren RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Parishioners

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday 10:00-11:00 and 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