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 LENT  [A]  - February 10th 2008

Dear Friends,

When soldiers write to their loved ones on the
eve of battle, whether it be the American Civil War or en route to the
Normandy Beaches, the impulse to write farewell letters of love to dear ones
when facing death is very strong.
Love is stronger than death and words will reach loved ones.  A soldier’s last moments may be
in the noise, smoke and darkness of battle but his last thoughts and final
messages are of light, love and a longing for home.  Long, long ago, the writer of Genesis
considered these great antagonists – love and death.  The message of God’s love for us
could be seen in His creation; the beautiful world, the Garden of Eden. But
the beauty is marred and the joy edged with sorrow, because of death.  Not only does death come as the end,
but also as grievous sorrow - the spiritual death that comes wherever evil
raises its ugly head.  The story
of Adam and Eve depicts the history of human kind and the story of human
unkindness, the story of evil, which touches every one of us in our lives,
whether as affliction, circumstance, history or personal temptation.  Everyone fights with the devil.  We see in others “the evil that
men do” and we feel in ourselves the terrible possibility of falling
into such evil.  Jesus, too, was
not spared the torment that temptation brings.  When tested in his 40 days in the desert
his responses give us a blueprint for wise and holy living.  We do not live on bread alone, we are
spiritual beings and we must live a spiritual life.  We must take responsibility for the
conduct of our lives and we must not tempt God; we must worship God alone and
not sell our souls to the devil.  St Paul today depicts
the great drama of Adam and Jesus.
Adam the man who fell from grace and swamped the whole world in sin;
Jesus the man who was raised on a Cross and who raised all of us up with him
to heaven.  His love is stronger
than death and his resurrection promises us life.  Jesus Christ has conquered sin and
death.             God
bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday 11th February      1pm       Ecumenical Service [see
below]
P St.

“
“
“
7:30pm  Mercy Associates Meeting
See
below

Wednesday 13th   “          7-9pm    Scripture Course
Crypt

“
“
7pm       SVP
Meeting
Presbytery

Thursday 14th February    7:30pm   Divine Mercy Video
48 Priory Street

Friday 15th
“              7:30pm  Stations of the Cross        St
James the Great

“      “
“
7:30pm  Liturgy Meeting
Presbytery

Saturday 16th   “
7:45pm  KSC Valentines
Dance
Hall

LENTEN OBSERVANCES IN THE
PARISH

STATIONS
OF THE CROSS:  Will take place at 7:30pm on the Friday
evenings during Lent and we will alternate with St James the Great.  This
coming Friday, 15th February, Stations will be at St James the
Great.

STATIONS
OF THE CROSS AT ST
JOSEPH’S MILE END:  At 7:30pm every Wednesday in Lent from
13th February.

CHURCHES
TOGETHER IN CENTRAL COLCHESTER  “Lent
Together”: Lunchtime
Services for Lent 2008 – all at 1pm - on different days during
Lent.  The first will be held here
at Priory Street
on Monday 11th February.
Then Tuesday 19th February at St Peter’s North Hill;
Wednesday 27th February at St James the Great; Thursday 6th
March at Castle Methodist Church [here a soup lunch will be served from
12:15pm]; Friday 14th March - Eld Lane
Baptist Church.

ECUMENICAL
LENTEN GROUPS AND WORSHIP:  St
Michael’s C of E Church Hall, Mile
End Road from 4pm to 5:30pm on Sundays, February
10th, 17th [Fr Brett to lead], 24th and
March 9th.

RECENT
BAPTISM:  Isabelle Mabon.  God bless this child and
congratulations to her family.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES MEETING: The
next Meeting takes place on Monday, 11th February at 7:30pm at Christ Church Court.  Tel. 763049.

DIVINE
MERCY VIDEO will be shown on the 14th February at 7:30pm at 48 Priory Street for
those interested in the pilgrimage to Krakow
as detailed below.

PILGRIMAGE
TO POLAND: A pilgrimage to Krakow, Poland
is being organized from 12th May for 8 nights, flying from
Stansted.  It will include
excursions to various shrines.
Cost – including flights, trips and half-board - £450.
Anyone interested can contact Mrs Blackett now on
01277 821886; mobile 07754 163007 or Fr Joseph has some application forms
which may be completed and returned to Mrs Blackett
with a deposit cheque of £50.

THE K.S.C. are holding a Valentines
Dance on Saturday 16th February in the Cardinal Bourne Hall at
7:45pm.  Entrance £5.  Bring your own drink and food will be
provided.  Fancy and humorous
dress optional but there will be a prize for the best costume!

SECOND
COLLECTION:  Next Sunday, 17th
February, at the request of the Diocese, there will be a second collection at
all Masses for the upkeep of the places in the Holy Land.

FRIENDS OF PERU: The Beetle Drive will be held in the
Cardinal Bourne Hall on Saturday 23rd February at 7:30pm.  Adults £3.50 and children
£2.50 includes refreshments.
Come and join in the fun.

OPEN PARISH
MEETING: On Sunday 24th
February at 7:30pm in the Hall.  In our previous open meetings we
have looked at involvement in our church, our parish and our community.
At this open meeting, we would like as many parishioners as possible to be
involved in turning your ideas and plans into action.  Please join us
and make your contribution.                 PARISH
COUNCIL

TO ALL EUCHARISTIC
MINISTERS:  A Quiet Day has been
arranged at Clare Priory on March 8th
from 10am to 4pm.  Cost will
be £12 per person which will include tea, coffee and soup lunch.  Could you please let me know as soon
as possible if you are coming as I am required to pay a deposit for each
person on booking.  Margaret
Wheeler 797850.

YOUTH NEWS: SPONSORED WALK  15TH March 2008 in Aid of World Youth Day and BYS Pilgrimage to Lourdes.  Full details on poster in the Church
porch.

ST
PATRICK’S NIGHT CELEBRATION: Saturday 15th March 7:30pm in the
Cardinal Bourne Hall.  Cost:
£7.50 for adults and £5 for ages 11 and under.  Frances Galvin.

KNIGHTS
OF ST COLUMBA:  Do you want to be a lay apostle of Jesus? To actively promote Catholic values, pursue
Catholic objectives in civil everyday life and support Catholic causes at
home and overseas financially, spiritually and practically e.g. by
fundraising, by prayer, pilgrimages and collective devotions such as the
Rosary, Stations of the Cross and by engaging in e.g. the battle to defeat
the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Bill now before parliament?  If so, The Knights of St Columba is
for you. Ring Barry - 365132; Michael - 854803;  John -  851838.

HUMAN
FERTILISATION & EMBRYOLOGY BILL: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
currently before Parliament seeks to widen the scope
for the use of newly-conceived test-tube babies in experiments, as well as
promoting other serious abuses.
Please help oppose the bill by signing the petition to Parliament,  available at
the back of the church.  Anyone
who would like to help the campaign against the Bill by gathering more
signatures for the petition or in other ways, please contact John Sutlciffe on 01206 851838 as soon as possible.

THE
SHROUD OF TURIN:
On the 7th
March at 7.30pm in the Cardinal Bourne Hall, Fr Martin Haigh
OSB will be giving a lecture on the Shroud of Turin.  There is no charge for admission but
there will be a leaving collection to cover expenses and the video and DVDs
which accompany the lecture may be purchased.  “Roll over Sr Wendy Beckett and
her Old Masters.  For a similarly
appealing, compulsively viewable, ‘natural’ TV presenter, the
Shroud has found its Sr Wendy in Fr Martin Haigh
OSB, a quiet-spoken, youthfully octogenarian Benedictine monk based at Ampleforth Abbey……” Ian Wilson, Lecturer
and Expert on the Shroud.

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, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford,
Alwyn Stains, Carole Stover, Peggy
Wilding.

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

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

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

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays 10am – 11am

PARISH
WEB SITE: For all inclusions, enquiries etc., contact
Donald Clarke at

[email-masked]
or leave envelopes for him at the House.

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.

LITURGY FOR THE FIRST
SUNDAY OF LENT  A]

February 10TH  2008
A.D –

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

Saturday  February 9th

Sunday
February 10th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

2:00
pm

3:30
pm

5:00 pm

6:30 pm

Joyce and Harry Drummond RIP

Ray Gardiner RIP

In Thanksgiving [Chloe Thompson]

POLISH MASS

SIGNED MASS

HOLY HOUR

Intentions of Susan Nicholson & Ivan Higgins

West Mersea

8:30
am

Lolly Socki
RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Rose Delaney RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Intentions of Friends of Peggy Wilding

Monday 11th

OUR LADY OF LOURDES    [Principal Patroness of Diocese]

Church               9:15 am   Vivienne Wright RIP

Poor Souls RIP

Tuesday 12th

Wednesday 13th

Feria

Church               9:15 am   Claire Strong RIP

John and Julie
O’Connor RIP

Feria

Thursday 14th

Friday 15th

Saturday 16th

Church
12:15 pm  In honour
of St Joseph

Ss CYRIL, Monk and
METHODIUS, Bp.

Church                9:15 am   Robert, Ruth and Bob Bellord RIP

Feria

Church                9:15 am   Peter McCartney RIP

Lolly Socki
RIP

Feria

Church
9:15 am   In honour of St Thérèse of Lisieux

LITURGY FOR THE SECOND
SUNDAY OF LENT  [A]

February 17th 2008 A.D.

Saturday  February 16th

Sunday    February 17th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Charlie Zammit RIP

Beatrice and Geoffrey Foley RIP

Intentions of Rose Halligan

POLISH MASS

Denise Smith RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Henry Johnson RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Maria Lumsden
RIP [L & N]

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