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

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT [C]

December
10th  2006 A.D.

Dear Friends

Sometimes when people
point out something that is wrong with us we can see what they are saying,
recognise it as true, but proceed to do nothing about it.  We know from experience that insight
doesn’t necessarily lead us to change.  Recognising
the truth does not compel us to alter our ways. None of us is borne again
that easily.

All the readings today
share a marvellous insight: people begin to change
when they are encouraged to see the best in themselves, not when they are
asked to dwell with the worst in themselves.  Simply to tell people what is wrong
with them and leave it at that can be to leave them a wreck.  People rarely change when they are
left to themselves.  We all need
help and encouragement to leave behind familiar ways which have become
destructive.  We need help to
imagine ourselves differently, to imagine the good effect that will have on
others.  We need faith in the
future to see the power of God working in the change.  To have St Paul’s certainty that God will not
abandon us in our halting efforts, but “that the One who began this
good work in you will see that it is finished.”  We need encouragement from others
“Go on! You can do it!”
After all, St Paul
himself had to make big changes in his life.  It was the Philippians who gave him
encouragement to change by accepting him as an apostle of the Lord.  If our community is to be constantly
converted to the Lord, we all have to breathe in encouragement and breathe it
out.

Perhaps this Advent we
could exercise that encouragement in a simple, practical way.  That will be a change for the
better.  In the words of Cardinal
Newman, “To be human is to change.
To be perfect is to have changed often”.

God Bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Thursday 14th December  7.30pm  Journey in Faith Meeting
Crypt

RECENTLY DECEASED:  Please pray for
the repose of the soul of Peter Barton who has recently died. May he rest in peace.  His
Requiem is at 11 am on
Thursday 14th December.

BAPTISMS TODAY: Connor and Esther Sweetman; Troy Espejon; Kaden Bailey.
God
bless these children and congratulations to their families.

SISTERS
OF MERCY: We rejoice with the Sisters of Mercy as they celebrate 175 years since
their foundation in Dublin
on 12th
December 1831.

URGENT APPEAL – MUSIC BOOK AMNESTY:  A plea from our
Director of Music, Tim Williamson
– If you have any music books at
all belonging to the Church, please return them to the cupboard
by the confessional or the shelf by the organ.  The Music Group is desperately short
of copies and they are very expensive to replace.  Thank you for your
co-operation.

THE SVP wish
to thank all those who booked for the trip to France
which was cancelled due to
circumstances beyond their control, for their understanding and generosity
and hope they enjoyed the time in Windsor.

RECONCILIATION SERVICE IN PRIORY ST AND IN THE
DEANERY: 19th
December at 7.30pm here at St James the Less, where at least 4
priests will be present for individual Confessions.  If you are unable to join us at that
time then, for your convenience, the following Reconciliation Services will
be held throughout the Deanery –  all at 7.30pm -  apart from Clacton
and Lexden.

Clacton – Monday 11th December 7pm; Greenstead and
Harwich – Tuesday, 12th December; Frinton – Thursday, 14th December; Lexden – Friday, 15th
December at 8pm; Kelvedon – Wednesday, 20th
December.

POINSETTIAS:  This
year we are inviting you to provide a poinsettia to be put around the crib or
sanctuary at St James the Less during the Christmas season in memory of
deceased loved ones.  Please note
that each plant should rest in its own saucer and please do not bring them in
before the Third Sunday of Advent [17th December], Please leave
them in Our Lady’s Chapel.
The flower ladies will then position them once the crib has been
erected.

ADVANCE NOTICE OF MASS TIMES FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY
OF ADVENT [24th December] AND CHRISTMAS MASSES:  Masses on the Fourth Sunday of Advent will be as any
normal Sunday, apart from the Sunday evening Mass.  Times
of the Christmas Masses are as follows:

Sunday 24th December 6.30pm
Vigil Mass
Priory Street

7.30pm Carols followed by 8pm Vigil Mass      Monkwick

11.30pm Carols
followed by Midnight Mass   Priory Street

Christmas Day
8.00am Christmas Dawn
Mass                     Priory
Street

8.30am
“
“
“
Mersea

9.00am Carols followed by 9.15am
Mass
Mile End

10.30am
Christmas Day Mass
Priory Street

N.B.
There is no Christmas Evening Mass

AT HOME – THURSDAY 28th DECEMBER: The Community at 48 Priory Street will be at home on 28th
December from after Mass to 12.30pm
when there will be Mid-day Prayer and from 2pm-5pm, when there will be Evening Prayer in the house.
You are warmly invited to join the Community for coffee or tea and they hope
you will bring a friend or neighbour, new or old.

CAROL SERVICE:  a Carol
Service will be held on behalf of the Brentwood Catholic Children’s
Society at St James the Less on Sunday 31st December at 5pm.  All are very welcome.

KARAOKE NIGHT:  Conclude
your Christmas celebrations with a Karaoke Night on January 6th at
7.30pm.  Admission £4 for adults and
£2 for children under 14. Raffle and finger buffet.  Please bring your own drinks and
glasses.

ON TUESDAY 9TH JANUARY IN THE CARDINAL
BOURNE HALL at 7.45PM- Mr Alan Whelan, retiring Headmaster of St
Benedict’s R.C.College, will be giving an
address on “Issues in Catholic Education” by invitation of the
KSC.  All parishioners are
encouraged to come along to hear what Mr Whelan has to say on this important
subject.

WINTER RESERVE ACCOMMODATION PROJECT – Keeping
the homeless people off the streets this winter.  Once
again we are appealing for volunteers to come forward to help in the Cardinal
Bourne Hall with up to 6 homeless people for whom the Night Shelter has not
got beds and who would otherwise sleep on the streets. The first week will be 10th-17th January 2007.  If you could help, please phone Tony
Dixon on 729453.  Please note that
the Night Shelter staff will do everything possible to prevent inconvenience
to other Hall users by imposing clear penalties for approaching the Hall
early or being in an unfit state.
However should any problems arise, please telephone the Night Shelter
at once, 549885, who will try to deal with the situation swiftly.

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION CHECKS FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS
AND PAID STAFF IN THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH: All co-ordinators
should now have received supplies of two forms for distribution to volunteers
and paid members of staff in their groups, together with a letter of
instructions. Completed forms and lists of all volunteers should be collected
in and left at the Presbytery, marked for the attention of James Shaw, the
Parish Child Protection Representative, by 31st January 2007.  If you are a co-ordinator
and you have not been contacted with regards to this project, please contact
James on 01206 385538.  Details of
the next stage in this major project will follow in the New Year.

DAILY:
Rosary – 8.40am;
Divine Mercy – 9am

EVENING PRAYER:
Monday to Friday 5.45pm

PRAYER GROUP:
Mondays in the Crypt – 8pm

MEDITATION GROUP:
Tuesdays at 48 Priory
Street – 8pm

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
10am – 11am

SICK PARISHIONERS:  Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Tony
Bickersteth, Sylvina de Britto, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Denisia Gray,
Richard Hadcock, Eileen Head, Michelle Huet, Deirdre Kehoe, Catherine Libby,
Luke McShane, Patrick Quinlivan, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford, Carole Stover.

BRENTWOOD DIRECTORIES FOR 2007:  Have now been delivered
and are available for sale in the porch.
Still at £2.25.

FINANCE: The average
weekly collection for November [incl STOs] was £2,061. Collections - CAFOD £1,077;BCCS £1,116; Walsingham House £1,478 but we  have to pay £33,057 being final installment
on the Church and Presbytery  electrics and almost £2000
capitation fee to St Benedict’s College. The Inland Revenue have refunded
us £17,373 from Gift Aided donations for tax year 05/06 but this is
down on the previous  year.

Please consider Gift Aid if you are a taxpayer.  It is extremely painless as you will
see from John Ross’ Report handed out with this Newsletter.

\

LITURGY
FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT [C]

December 10th  2006
- Bible Sunday

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

Saturday December 9th

Sunday   December 10th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

3:30 pm

Moira Pryke RIP

Holy Souls RIP

Sisters of Mercy & Mercy Associates

SIGNED MASS

West Mersea

6:30
pm

8:30 am

Dudley Bradshaw RIP

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

Alfredo Sagnella RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Joan Prior RIP [PW]

Monday 11th       Feria

Church

9:15 am

D/Rels & Friends – Bogue
Family

Intentions of
Sisters of Mercy

Tuesday 12th

Feria

Church                9:15 am   Special Intention

Wednesday 13

Thursday 14th

St Lucy, V.M.

Church   N.B.

St John of the

Church

9:15pm

Cross

11:00am

James and Mary
O’Dwyer RIP

Holy Souls RIP

REQUIEM – PETER
BARTON RIP

Friday 15th

Feria

Church

9.15 am

Matthew O’Toole RIP

Saturday 16th

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Alan Walker RIP

LITURGY
FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT  [C]

December 17th 2006
– “Gaudete” Sunday

Saturday
December 16th

Sunday    December 17th

6.15
pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Mr & Mrs Edward
O’Leary RIP

Margaret Moriarty RIP

Dorothy Burke RIP

POLISH MASS

P M O’Sullivan RIP [JC]

West Mersea

8:30 am

Julia and Jack Hoy RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Ted Wilding 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:   Alan Whelan   (549222)

Marriage Care
www.marriagecare.co.uk          0800
389 3801

The Brentwood Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No.
234092