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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 NINETEENTH SUNDAY OF
THE YEAR  August 10th
2008

Dear Friends,

Some people seem to crave danger –
sportsmen and women, explorers, entertainers – seek out danger as a way
of life.  Why do they do it? At
first glance, it might well seem that Elijah and Peter were unnecessarily
looking for danger.  Elijah is on
the run for his life as he has offended the pagan queen Jezebel. Not only
does he want to resign as God’s prophet, he is sick of life and asks
God to let him die.  Peter too,
finds himself in a dangerous spot.
He wants to join Jesus on the water but the wind and waves quickly
blow away his faith.  Both these
stories show God to be a God who reassures and strengthens.  A life of faith has its own dynamic of
challenge, discomfort and risk, with stakes so high
we must ensure we are equipped for the task.  Like Elijah we need to make space, to
withdraw, to meet God where it really counts - in the stillness of our
hearts.  Sometimes being a person
of faith does mean stepping out of the boat.  Like Peter’s, our faith is
something the Lord can use, if we make space for him.  On Friday next we celebrate the feast
of the Assumption.  Until the
middle of the sixth century there were no feasts in the Church to separately
celebrate and honour Mary.
Although the truth of the Assumption had been taught in the Church for
centuries - that Mary
was bodily assumed into heaven thus guaranteeing that she was present with
God, body and soul - it was only
proclaimed as dogma in 1950. Her life, as Jesus’ mother, is a
tremendous story of faith in God in the face of violent testing.  From infancy with Herod’s
threats, through Jerusalem’s
opposition to his ministry and then to his arrest and execution, Mary lived in her own life, the story of her son.  By the time he began his public life,
she had divined his mysterious wisdom . “Do
whatever he tells you” Mary
says at Cana which is her own way of saying
that later voiced by Julian of Norwich “All shall be well, and all
manner of things shall be well”.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Tuesday
12th August    Mersea
Coffee Morning                         See
below

Friday
15th    August
Feast of the Assumption  HOLYDAY
OF OBLIGATION

Saturday  16th
BBQ & Fun
day
See below

CONGRATULATIONS
TO:  Lorraine and Martin married here yesterday.

BAPTISMS : Hayden Swampillai, Gabrielle and Zion Ateba, Fionn Doyle, Jack and Callum Sims.  God bless these children and congratulations to
their families.

RECENTLY
DECEASED:  Please pray for the repose of the soul of
Patrick Reilly who has recently died.
His Requiem is next Thursday, 14th August at 9:45am.  May he rest in peace.

HELP
URGENTLY NEEDED FOR SATURDAY SOUP RUN: Two more sandwich makers and two more
drivers are needed as soon as possible to enable the existing helpers more
time between their shifts!  Please
contact Claire on 765926 if you can spare some time.

MERSEA COFFEE MORNINGS: The next Coffee Morning
will be on Tuesday August 12th at the home of Jane Brennan, 7
Shears Crescent, starting at 10.30am – 12 noon.   All are very welcome.

THE COLCHESTER
SUMMER CHOIR will be singing at the 7:30pm Mass on the Feast of the Assumption
next Friday.  Music will include
the Messe basse by Fauré.

FAMILY BBQ AND FUN DAY:  On August 16th from 3:30pm – 6pm in the Church
garden and the Cardinal Bourne Hall.
Lots of good stalls and games for the children. Admission: Adults
£5; Children £3; Families £15.   Items for stalls most welcome,
i.e.  cans,
bottles, unwanted gifts and bric-a-brac but no electrical items thank
you.  For more information contact
Frances
on 369568/Isobell 563292.

MONKWICK
COFFEE MORNING:  Takes place on Friday 29th
August from 10am at No. 52 Fingringhoe
Road.
All most welcome.

HOPE ON THE
STREETS:  Saturday 30th
August.  The Churches in Central Colchester are organizing a day of joint
activities which will take place around the town centre and are looking for
volunteers to help with various activities, including Prayer Room, BBQ, Family Events. See poster in the porch or contact Myra
Dolamore.

DAY OF
RECONCILATION AND PRAYER: At Clare Priory, Nr Long Melford
on Saturday 27th September. Organised by
the Knights of St Columba, Colchester.  Cost £12, which includes Soup,
Coffee/Teas.  There will be Mass
and Benediction. You could also bring a packed lunch.  Start 10am.  Own
transport.  To book, contact Bill
de Smith on 01206 767597.

HOLY LAND
PILGRIMAGE: For 7 nights – Wednesday 5th November to Wednesday 12th November
2008.  Cost:
£599 half-board including flights and some excursions.  Excludes Insurance and single room
supplement.  For further details,
contact Carmen on 07754 163007; 01277 821886 [landline] or see Fr
Joseph.

SVP HEALING
MASS AND TEA PARTY:  Date to be
re-arranged.

GIFT AID
DONATION /TAX LETTERS:  Are available for your
collection from the Porch after Sunday Mass or from the Parish Office, Priory Street on
a MONDAY, TUESDAY OR FRIDAY.  Any
letters not collected by the end of September will be disposed of.

SURVIVE
– MIVA APPEAL:  Next Weekend there will
be an Appeal on behalf of “Survive-Miva”.  Founded in 1974, SURVIVE-MIVA [Missionary
Vehicle Association] is a Catholic lay Association
and Registered Charity under the patronage of the Archbishop of
Liverpool.  They exist to provide
one vital element for successful pastoral, health, development and
educational work in developing countries – mobility.  They
do not export vehicles but transfer funds to Diocesan accounts overseas for
purchase in-country.  “It is
the people ‘on the ground’ who know best their
requirements”. E.g. bicycles for 50 outstations in Uganda; 4wds in India,
working with women in 36 villages; in Peru
for parish priest covering 4 huge districts; an aluminium
dinghy and engine for an atoll in Pacific Ocean.  These are some of the supported
projects.

DIARY
DATE:  In Brentwood Cathedral on
Saturday 8th November there will be a Mass at 1.30pm to celebrate the achievements of St
Helen’s Catholic Infant School, Queens Road, Brentwood
which is relocating to Sawyers
Hall Lane next to the Junior School.  Any photos, past special events are
requested and numbers attending.
Email to
‘[email-masked]’

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

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 the Parish Office know.

LITURGY FOR THENINETEENTH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [A]

August 10th 2008 A.D.

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

Saturday  August 9th

Sunday
August 10th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

2:00
pm

5:00
pm

6:30
pm

Lionel Wright RIP

Mary McGinley RIP

Deirdre Kehoe RIP [C&JO’G]

POLISH MASS

HOLY HOUR

Special Intention [SF]

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile
End

9:15
am

Margaret 0’Connor RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Fr Liam Armour RIP

Monday 11th

St Clare, V.

Church      9:15 am   Clyde Jardim RIP

Zarohi
Sutcliffe RIP

Tuesday 12th

Feria

Church       9:15 am   Intentions of Esther &
Geraldine Crowe

Wednesday 13th

N.B.

St Maximilian Kolbe, Pr.
M.

Church          9:15 am    Special Intention [MH]

Intentions
of Bobbie Chard & Eva Nazarko

Thursday 14th

Feria

Church
9:45 am     REQUIEM –
PATRICK REILLY RIP

Thursday 14th

Friday 15th

ASSUMPTION OF THE
B.V.M.         Holiday
of Obligation

Mersea      7:30 pm   Ned Keane RIP

Church      9:15 am   Intentions
of the Black Family

Church    12:15 pm   Intentions of Kitty McQuire

Church      7:30 pm   D/Rels:
Herbert & Richards Families RIP

Saturday 16th        Feria

Church      9:15
am    Intentions of Mrs
J Pauk

Church      2:00
pm
WEDDING: Crystal and Karl

LITURGY FOR THE TWENTIETH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [A]

17th August
2008 A.D.

Saturday August 16th

Sunday   August 17th

4pm
POLISH MASS

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Jack and Sheelagh O’Dwyer RIP

Parishioners

Deirdre Kehoe RIP [JH]

Evelyn Fraser RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Ita
Hennessy

Mile End

9:15
am

Lowell Clarin
RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Deirdre Kehoe RIP [GMcC]

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]

www.marriagecare.org.uk   or 0800 389
3801.
www.brentwoodvocations.org

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092