ST. JAMES
THE LESS AND ST. HELEN

CATHOLIC CHURCH, Colchester

with

Mersea, Mile End and Monkwick

Fr
Joseph Whisstock

Fr
Paul
Dynan

Fr
Philip Willenbrock

51 Priory
Street , Colchester, Essex,
CO1 2QB

Tel:
01206 866317;   Fax  01206 791213

E-Mail      [email-masked]

www.stjamesthelessandsthelen.org

THE RESURRECTION  OF THE LORD

April 8th  2007 A.D.

Dear Friends

Christ is risen!  Such is the news that makes us rejoice
today.  What then are we to say of
the gospel reading which the Church gives us for this day of our Lord’s
resurrection?

What a pattern for the Church these three
characters are, this partnership of ineptitude!  Mary
of Magdala who misunderstands the removal of the
stone; John, who on his own, lacks the boldness to enter the tomb and Peter,
who blunders in but cannot interpret what he sees.  Yet how God weaves their weaknesses
with consummate skill to achieve his purpose: faith in the rising of his
Son.  Horror is driven out by
hope, and the groans of despair are drowned by the rising cry of rejoicing.  What has changed? Not the vista but
the vision.  What is transformed?
Not the spectacle before the eyes but the eyes which see it.

The Son has risen and yet, as the gospel tells
us, it is still dark.  For us,
too, is it still dark? Are we also on this great day of resurrection, staring
into a tomb – a tomb perhaps of intractable difficulties and
intransigent loved-ones, all bare and wintry in their unchangingness?  At best we may see hints and traces of
resurrection; at best, as one does in the gloaming, catch glimpses of it out
of the corners of our eyes.
Easter is a season of mystery, when we know that new life has broken
from the tomb even though, like John, we cannot yet see it.   In the Church’s liturgy we
have only to wait until next Sunday until the apostles will see with their
own eyes the risen Lord, victorious over death. What has changed? Though we
cannot see it yet, everything has changed.  Christ is risen
indeed!  Alleluia!

On behalf of Fr Paul, Fr Philip, Fr Widy and myself, I wish you and your loved ones a blessed
and joyful Easter.
Fr Joseph

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday 9th
April         10:00am   Mass      [Bank Holiday
Monday]  Church

Tuesday 10th
April       7:30pm    Mass for Knights of St
Columba

Wednesday 11th
April 7:00 pm    SVP Meeting                    Presbytery

Saturday 14th
April      11.30am  Justice
& Peace Meeting
Presbytery?

Saturday 14th
April/Sunday 15th April
-  St Patrick’s
Missionary Society App

THE HOLY
FATHER’S MISSION INTENTION FOR APRIL:  That priestly and religious vocations may grow in
North America and the pacific Islands to answer their own pastoral needs.

CORA BRIDGET WEBB RIP – Our thanks to
all who supported the family at the Requiem Mass for our sister Cora.  This was a great comfort to all of us
and it is at times like this when we realize what real friendship is.  A Mass will be offered for the
intentions of all who joined us, sent Mass cards and messages of condolence.

RECENTLY
DECEASED: Please
pray for the repose of the soul of Ellen Woodley and Janice McGill who have
recently died.  May they rest in peace.

ST
PATRICK’S MISSIONARY APPEAL:  Fr Eddie
McGettrick will be speaking at all Masses next
weekend to appeal for help to train future Missionaries.

EVENING
PRAYER: There
will be no Evening Prayer in the church from Monday 9th –
Friday 13th April inclusive.

KSC MASS: Fr Brian McGiloway will be celebrating Mass for the Knights of St
Columba at Priory Street
on Tuesday next, 10th April, at 7:30pm.  All
parishioners are welcome.

SR CAMILLA
AND THE COMMUNITY AT ABBOTSWICK have emailed
their best wishes to our parish for a Holy and Blessed Easter.  “May the peace of the Risen Lord
accompany all of you throughout the Easter Season.”
On Divine Mercy Sunday, 15th
April, at Abbotswick House of Prayer the day will
be led by Mgr Henry Posluszney from 10.30am to 4pm.
To include talk, confessions and Mass.  Please take a packed lunch. For more
details phone 01277 373959 or email  [email-masked]

DIVINE
MERCY DAY – 15TH APRIL: A service will be held at 3pm at Witham Parish, the address
of which is Guithavon
Street, Witham.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES MEETING: The next meeting takes place on Monday, 16th April at 7:30pm.  At Christ Church Court.   Tel: 763049.

MR ALAN
WHELAN, the
Principal of St Benedict’s College, retired at the end of  term and a
special day of thanksgiving is being held at St Benedict’s College on
Saturday, 21st April, from 11am
onwards.  There will be a Mass,
presentations and a chance to socialize.
Please contact Mrs Gregory at the College – 549222 if you wish
to attend this event and reserve your place. If you wish to make a donation
towards a presentation to Mr Whelan, please send cheques,
payable to St Benedict’s College, to Mrs Gregory at the College.  The new Principal will be Mr John
O’Hara who will commence after the Easter school holidays.

MONKWICK
NEWS:  Coffee Morning – Tuesday April 24th
10am to 12 noon at St
Theodore’s.  Please support
us for our funds.

KSC –
TABLE QUIZ:  The Knights of St Columba
are holding a Table Quiz in the Cardinal Bourne Hall, Priory Street, after Mass on Saturday
28th April at 7:45pm.  All proceeds to our many called on
funds to help others.  Tickets
£4 including light refreshments, non-alcoholic bar, also tea and coffee
available.  Call Ron on 797850 to
book or just turn up on the evening.

SPEAKERS
FOR CAFOD: If you have a talent for speaking and would like to help CAFOD raise
awareness about issues affecting millions of people in the developing world,
CAFOD are running two training days at their Brixton office on Saturday 28th April and Friday
11th May.  For more
information contact Jackie, Joanna or Denise on 0208 502 9722 or email [email-masked]

ESSEX LOCAL
HISTORY AFTERNOON AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF ESSEX: At 2pm on Saturday 5th May,
parishioner, John Ashdown-Hill [who is a PhD student at the University] will
give an illustrated talk on The Murder
of the Princes in the Tower, new evidence from Colchester.
This will be followed by a talk by Dr Alison Rowlands
on recent discoveries relating to witchcraft at St Osyth.

CHURCH
ASYLUM NETWORK: A special Service is being hosted by St Leonard’s Church, Lexden on Sunday
May 6th at 6.30pm.  All are welcome to attend this service
which will give an opportunity for us to be better informed.

MASS FOR
MIGRANT WORKERS: Monday 7th May at 10am
at Westminster Cathedral will be celebrated by the Archbishop Cormac Murphy
O’Connor who writes: “Whilst our nation benefits from
undocumented workers, too often we turn a blind eye when they are exploited
by employers”.  The Mass
will be followed at 11.30am
by a March and Rally at Methodist Central Hall.

DAILY:  [Except Wednesdays, then
at 11:40am]    Rosary -8.40am: Divine
Mercy – 9am

MEDITATION
GROUP:                               Tuesdays at 48 Priory Street      8pm

EXPOSITION:                                                                    Saturdays 10am-11am

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Beg, June Bickersteth,

Tony Bickersteth, Ron Collins, Sylvina
de Britto, Marie Dixon, John Fisher,

Florence Fuller, Denisia Gray, Richard Hadcock,
Eileen Head,

Michelle Huet, Deirdre Kehoe, Catherine Libby,
Luke McShane,

Patrick Quinlivan, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford,
Carole Stover.

EASTER OFFERING:  The collection at the Easter Vigil and at
the Easter

Sunday
Masses is personal to Fr Joseph and Fr Paul and which, together with the

Christmas
collection, forms the bulk of their income for the
year.  Your generosity

is very much appreciated.

THE PARISH WEB SITE:  For all contact, inclusions etc., please
contact

Donald
Clarke.  His email
address is: [email-masked].  Otherwise

Donald
may be contact via the Presbytery, i.e. please leave envelopes for him.

REPOSITORY OPENING TIMES IN THE CARDINAL
BOURNE HALL:

Sundays from after the 8am Mass until 12:45pm.

LITURGY FOR THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD [C]

April 8th   2007  A.D.

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

Saturday
7th April

Sunday
8th April

8:00
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Solemn
Vigil of Easter

Ken Herbert RIP

Denise Smith RIP [WH]

Parishioners

West Mersea

8:30 am

Paul Galea RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Horace Shaw RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Denise Smith [GmcC]

Monday 9th
Monday
within the Octave of Easter   [Bank
Holiday]

Church    N.B.

Church

10:00am

12:00
pm

Delia
Connolly RIP

POLISH MASS

Tuesday 10th

Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

Church                 9:15am   Doris Keenan RIP

Church

7:30pm

Knights of St Columba Mass

Wednesday 11

Thursday 12th

Wednesday

Church

Thursday

Church

2:00pm

10:15am

Within the Octave of Easter

REQUIEM
– Maureen Quick RIP

Within the Octave of Easter

REQUIEM
– Janice McGill RIP

Friday 13th

Friday

Church

9:15am

Within the Octave of Easter

Jay Family Intentions

Saturday 14th

Saturday within the Octave of Easter

Church
9:15 am  Alan Walker RIP

LITURGY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER [C]

April 15th 2007 A.D.

Saturday 14th
April

Sunday   15th April

6:15pm

8:00 am

10:30 am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Matthew O’Toole RIP

Cora Webb RIP [DB]

Edith Sadler RIP

POLISH MASS

Ellen and John Bolger RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Brigid and Edward Hennessy RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Denise Smith RIP [JW]

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

The
Brentwood Diocesan Trust – Registered
Charity No. 234092