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

THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF YEAR [C] – November 11th   2007

Dear Friends,

The idea of life after death developed quite late
in Hebrew thinking.  Where Greek
influence prevailed there was some idea of the immortality of the soul but in
mainstream Judaism and its insistence on the fleshly but spirit-filled nature
of humanity, it was the idea of bodily resurrection that finally
emerged.  Among the  groups active at the time of
Jesus were the Pharisees, who supported the idea of resurrection, and the
Sadducees who were the flat earthers in
opposition.  From their Jewish
background they tried to trap Jesus with the argument of the seven brothers
who died childless and the situation of the woman they each marry in
turn.  In his reply, Jesus makes
it clear there is no comparison between human life, shared by all, and the
resurrection, shared by those who are children of God. As children of God
they cannot die again; therefore, marriage does not apply.  There will be no need to propagate the
human race or to ensure legal succession; therefore the question of the
Sadducees is irrelevant.

How often do we struggle to communicate truths that the prevailing social climate fails to
support or accept? Jesus offers us a way of viewing the resurrection that
both challenges our understanding but also offers us a way of communicating
it to others. He is the God of promises, and his greatest promise is that of
a living encounter with him.
There is nothing isolated or detached about this God.  He is the God of the living not the
dead and passionately involved with his creation.    We need to see God as
alive and helping us in all that we do.
Our awareness and acceptance of this will be reflected in the way we
live as Christians in community. We will not be able to prove scientifically
that Christ is among us, but then Jesus himself said we would be recognised by nothing other than the love we shared among
ourselves.

God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday 12th
November     7:30pm Mercy Associates
Meeting    See below

No Scripture Course Wednesday 14th
November

Thursday 15th
November  10 – 12 Monkwick Coffee
Morning      See below

Thursday 15th
November
7.30-9pm   RCIA
Meeting
Crypt

N.B.

Saturday 17th November   9:15am Mass

9:45 – 10:30am
Confessions

NO EXPOSITION

11:00 am  Service at St James the Great

RECENT BAPTISMS:  Evan Leo Brady and Ruby Pamela Mary Gambrill.  God bless these children and
congratulations to their families.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES:  The next meeting: Monday,
12th November at Christ Church Court.  Tel: 763049.

MONKWICK
NEWS:  A coffee morning and table top sale
will be held at Monkwick on Thursday, 15th November from 10am to 12 noon.
All welcome.

“TAKE
AND READ” WEEKEND: A weekend to get to know the Bible better, and to explore Catholic
teaching on the Bible at Abbotswick House of Prayer
from Friday evening 16th November to Sunday lunchtime 18th.  Cost £150. To book, contact
Clive Thomas on 01277 265289 or [email-masked]

WORLD YOUTH
DAY 2008: Three
of our young people – Ben McClean, Caroline
Higgins and Emily Stynes – are going to Sydney for World Youth
Day 2008.  They are busy
fundraising as the cost is £1800 per person.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas
they are offering a special deal – a babysitting service to
parishioners - £10 for 4 hours [anytime before midnight] and subject to
availability.  To book contact
01206 563292.  Also, after the 10:30 Sunday mass each week there
will be a book sale.  Soon there
will be a cake sale and other fundraising activities are being organised.
Donations of books, cake ingredients and raffle prizes are most
welcome.  Contact Caroline Higgins
on 01206 532501

MERSEA
NEWS:  A Christmas Fayre will be held at Mersea Church,
Barfield Road,
on Saturday 24th November starting at 10:30am until 12 noon.  If
you need to shop early for Christmas, come along and join us.  Everyone will be welcome.

THE
CANONESSES OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE at 48 Priory Street, Colchester, would like all
parishioners to know that on the Feast of Christ the King, Sunday 25th
November 2007, they will celebrate the Eucharist and Final Profession of Sr
Alice at 2:30pm in the Church of St James the Less and St Helen, Priory
Street, Colchester.  This will be
followed by tea next door in the Cardinal Bourne Hall and, if they would
like, Evening Prayer at 5:30..  All would
be most welcome to come.

ST THOMAS
MORE SCHOOL CHOIR is performing on Thursday 29th November at the Brentwood
Centre.  Full details on the
poster in the porch.  All proceeds
will go to Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society and Brentwood Catholic Youth Service.

A CHORAL
AND ORCHESTRAL CONCERT will be held on Saturday 15th December at 7pm in Brentwood Cathedral to
celebrate Andrew Wright, Director
of Music’s 25 years with the Diocese. Tickets - £10 adults;
£9 senior citizens;  £5
child/student – available from the Music Office, Cathedral House,
Ingrave Road, Brentwood, CM15 8AT.
Cheques payable to Brentwood Cathedral Music.
Please enclose an S.A.E.

150th
Celebration of the Apparitions of Our Lady to St Bernadette. The Feast of the
Immaculate Conception is the beginning of 12 months
of celebrations in Lourdes.
Places are still available for an all inclusive retreat programme
(with personal guide, resident chaplain and no added costs), 3 nights in
Lourdes, 6th - 9th December 2007, around the Feast itself, flying from
Stansted, £245 plus the cost of the flight at the time of booking. For
more details please contact Siobhan at Parker Travel Ltd, [email-masked] or tel: 020 8989 8567/6174.

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Florence Fuller, Denisia Gray, Eileen Head, Michelle Huet,
Deirdre Kehoe, Catherine Libby, Maria Lumsden, Luke
McShane, Sheila Parsons, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford, Alwyn Stains,
Carole Stover, Peggy Wilding.

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

EVENING
PRAYER:
For venue, please see poster in the porch

PRAYER
GROUP:
Mondays at 8pm in
the Crypt

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

EXPOSITION:     [See Events this
Week]

NOVEMBER
DEAD LIST:  Please put only names of
loved ones to be prayed for in the jar before the altar -  NOT MONEY.  Book Masses via Diana as usual, and the
Masses will be celebrated on a first come, first served basis.

Thank you.
Fr Joseph

THE PARISH
WEB SITE:  For all contact,
inclusions etc., please contact Donald Clarke.  His email
address is [email-masked]  He may also be contacted via the Presbytery,
i.e. please leave envelopes for him.

THE
REPOSITORY is open each Sunday from after the 8am Mass until 12:45pm in the Cardinal Bourne Hall.

ROAD
CLOSURES: November
11th,18th; December 16th.  Details in the Porch.

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 contact the Parish Office.

LITURGY FOR THE THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

November 11th 2007 A.D. – Remembrance Day

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

Saturday  November 10th

Sunday
November 11th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

2:00
pm

3:30
pm

5:00
pm

6:30
pm

Lionel and Lee Blanchette
RIP

Parishioners

Salvina de Brito
RIP

POLISH MASS

SIGNED MASS

EXPOSITION
AND BENEDICTION

Joseph and Susan Savage RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Mary and John Coneeley

Mile
End

9:15
am

Holy Souls RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Jane Gore RIP

Monday 12th
St Josaphat,
Bp. M.

Tuesday 13th

Church               9:15
am  Matthew O’ Toole RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Stephen Hilton RIP

Wednesday 14th

Feria

Church
12:15
pm  Intentions of the Galvin Family..

Thursday 15th

Friday 16th

Saturday 17th

Feria

Church               9.15
am   Agnes Chee RIP

St Edmund Rich, Bp.

Church                9:15am  Ann
de Smith RIP

10:00am  Mass at Monkwick

St Elizabeth of Hungary,
Rel.

Church
9.15
am  Norman Fletcher RIP

NB see ‘Events this
week’

LITURGY FOR THE THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

NOVEMBER 18th 2007  A.D. – Day of Prayer for
Prisoners and their Dependants

Saturday  November 17th

Sunday  November 18th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Ron Walker RIP

Patrick and Mary
O’Donnell RIP

Intentions of the Kotarski
Family

POLISH MASS

Vito Anzalone RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

Stan Collister RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Heather and Frank Mills
RIP

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