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 THIRD SUNDAY OF
EASTER  [A] April 6th  2008

Dear Friends,

Because our lives are constantly changing, we
review our past differently.  We
keep re-interpreting the past in the light of what is going on now in our
lives.  A “mountain”
at the time turns out to be a “molehill”, or an apparent chance
encounter becomes the most important meeting of our lives. Often the meaning
of an experience is unclear at the time of the experience and we have to wait
for the meaning.  Only then can we
understand. In today’s Gospel two disciples are struggling to make
sense of a recent event: the death of Jesus.  They leave Jerusalem as the place where their hopes
met with final defeat and as they relate their story of disappointment to a
stranger they meet on the road, it becomes clear that they cannot hold the
two things together: their hope in Jesus and his death, for the death of
Jesus cancels out their hope.
Only when they have finished their own story does the stranger begin
his own.  He invites them to look
at the past again, this time in the light of scripture, giving a wholly
different interpretation of the same event as he sees the death of Christ as
something which was essential for his glory.  The achievement of his mission, not
the collapse of it.  The disciples
begin to make sense of the past and invite the stranger to eat with
them.  When they break bread
together, the stranger gives himself away by giving himself away to
them.  He is the risen Christ and
leaves them with hearts that burn and with eyes that see.  He gives them a new experience of him
as Lord and a new future.  They
can now face Jerusalem,
even in the dark, and they return there to share their story with the
others.

Our own stories may not sound very different from
the two forlorn disciples on the road to Emmaus but we are invited to tell
our stories to the Lord, to recognise him in the breaking of bread and listen
to him as he speaks his word.
Only then can we look with understanding at the past and look to the
future with hope.

God bless

EVENT THIS WEEK

Monday
7th April             7:30pm  Mercy Associates Meeting    See Below

HOLY
FATHER’S MISSION INTENTION FOR
APRIL:  That future priests in young Churches may be fully prepared to proclaim the Gospel in
their own countries and to the whole world.

BAPTISMS:  Finlay Holland, Niamh
Gillen, Oliver McFarlane, Tinotenda Kushamba and Gaia Garofalo.  God bless these children and
congratulations to their families.

MERCY ASSOCIATES:  The next Meeting takes place on Monday, 7th
April at Christ Church Court.  Tel. No. 763049.

KSC
– MEMORIAL MASS:  At Priory Street on Tuesday at 7:30pm, the Knights of St Columba
have arranged a memorial Mass for Dermot Moriarty RIP to which all are welcome.

VOCATION
EVENING:   The next meeting takes place on Friday, 11th
April, at St Vincent’s Presbytery, 57 Waldegrave
Road, Dagenham, beginning with a light supper at 7pm [please arrive from
6:45pm] and continues with a short presentation.  There will be time for questions and
discussion.  The evening will end
with a time of prayer, finishing at 9:30pm
at the latest.  Please contact Fr
Joseph Silver at [email-masked]
or 0208 590 7222 for more information or to let him know you will
attend.

SVP SPRING
OUTING TO NORFOLK BROADS:
Saturday 12th April.  Will include an hour-and-a-half river
cruise on a paddle steamer and afternoon visit to Snape
Maltings.
Start: 9am. Cost:
£17.50pp.  To book, ring
Anna 242170; Ann 844914.

SCRIPTURE COURSE : Led by Sr Angela recommences on Wednesday, 16th
April in the Crypt at 7pm.

EASTER SEASON : Saturday 19th
April 10am-3.30pm. A Day
with Father Gerald O’Collins  SJ.    Did Jesus rise from the dead?        Why
does it matter?

At the Cathedral Conference Centre, Brentwood. Cost £10. For booking and further
information contact 01277 265219 or email
the secretary [email-masked].

PILGRIMAGE
TO KRAKOW – 12TH MAY: There are a few places still available.  Please contact Mrs Blackett
on 01277 821886 or see Fr Joseph.

INTER-FAITH
CONFERENCE: A day conference on inter-faith relations, led by Bishop Thomas, will be held at the Cathedral
Conference Centre on Saturday 17th May – 10.30am to
3.30pm.  The conference will
explore the teaching of the Church on dialogue with other faiths.
Admission is free but please book by contacting the Commission for Evangelisation & Formation [CEF]: [email-masked]  or telephone  01277 265289.

ARE
YOU A CAR DRIVER AND COULD YOU SPARE AN HOUR ON A WEEKDAY ONCE A MONTH/SIX
WEEKS?:   Please contact the Parish Office.

VACANCY
- Director of Retreats at Walsingham House, the
Diocesan youth retreat house. An ideal role for someone with experience in
planning and delivering engaging retreats to young people, rooted in the
Catholic faith, and with experience in forming a team of volunteers. Salary
£25,000 p.a. + self-contained flat.  Closing date 11.4.08. Interviews
– mid April. Full job advert available at www.walsinghamhouse.org;
application details from Fr Dominic Howarth, 01268 696610 or [email-masked].

VACANCY
– DEPUTY HEADTEACHER:  St
Alban’s Primary School,  Hornchurch.  Due to promotion, the Governors wish to
appoint an enthusiastic and motivated Catholic Deputy Headteacher
for September 2008.  For further
information, please contact the school office on 01708 555644. Closing date: 25th April 2008.

THANK YOU to all who
helped/attended the St Patrick’s Night Dance.  £300 was raised.  Thank you, too, to those who helped
with the Turin Shroud evening and the Easter Vigil party.
Frances Galvin, Social Committee

SPONSORED
WALK:  Would all who sponsored
Ronnie Hammond please give the money as soon as possible.   Thank you.

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, Sheila Shillingford, 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
8:40am; Divine Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11:40am]

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.  Those for Mile
End will be brought today.

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 THIRD
SUNDAY OF EASTER [ A]

April 6th 2008 A.D

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

Saturday  April 5th

Sunday
April 6th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Moira Pryke
RIP

Intentions of Eamonn
& Esther Crowe

Charlie Zammit RIP

Clyde Jardim
RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile
End

9:15
am

Jim England RIP [A]

Monkwick

10:15 am

Kath Morrissey RIP-

Monday 7th

St John Baptist de la Salle, Pr.

Church               9:15 am   Dec/Rels
– Herbert/Richards Families RIP

Helen Lydon RIP

Tuesday 8th

Feria

Church               9:15 am    Intentions of Samantha Hilton

Church
7:30 pm    Dermot Moriarty RIP  [KSC]

Wednesday 9th

Thursday 10th

Friday 11th

Saturday 12th

Feria

Church   N.B.     7:00
pm   Doris Keenan RIP

Feria

Church               9:15 am   Margaret Parkinson RIP

St Stanislaus, Bp. M.

Church               9:15 am   Stephen Hilton RIP

Helen Lydon RIP

Feria

Church
9:15 am  R and A Samson RIP

LITURGY FOR THE FOURTH  SUNDAY OF EASTER  [A]

World Day of Prayer for
Vocations - April 13th
2008 A.D.

Saturday  April 12th

Sunday    April 13th

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

2:00 pm

3:30 pm

5:00 pm

6:30 pm

D/Rels & Friends:
Drummond Family RIP

Margaret Parkinson RIP

Edward and Johanna Kelly RIP

POLISH MASS

SIGNED MASS

HOLY HOUR

Genevieve Castanheiro RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Ints of Anthony &
Margaret Brookes

Mile End

9:15
am

Dermot Moriarty 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