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 THIRD
SUNDAY OF LENT [C] -  MARCH  11th 2007

Dear Friends

Where did we go
wrong?  This question has been
asked by generations of parents when their children venture down routes which
seem disastrous for themselves and others.  Broken relationships, addiction,
prison, cutting off ties with family, church and society, rejection of help
to change and choosing companions who encourage them on their downward path
can sometimes be traced back to upbringing but in most cases little evident
connection can be made.  Often
this behaviour is not antisocial; they have just
chosen a very different way of living to that of their parents and such a
choice is difficult for parents to comprehend.  As children become adults, they take
on responsibility for their own lives and we all have to make choices which
are free and not based on blind assumptions, either our own, or those of our
group.

The problem of suffering,
however caused, is central to human experience and religious belief.  Things that go wrong do not
necessarily demand the attribution of blame, but they do ask questions of us.  In Jesus’ day the prevailing
view appeared a primitive one; good fortune and good health were signs of
God’s favour whereas illness and disaster
were signs of God’s disfavour and proof of
one’s wrongdoing.  In
today’s Gospel Jesus makes the point that physical handicaps, distress,
disasters however created, may yet be seen to have a meaning within the
divine plan of salvation.  He sets
himself clearly within the traditional scriptural understanding that God uses
all that happens as a means of bringing us closer to him and changing our
ways.  The parable of the fig tree
is given for this change of heart to occur.  The tree will not bear fruit unless
nourished and supported.  In Lent
we look to prayer, fasting and the good works as means of helping us to bear
the fruit God wishes and also face life’s challenges.                                                                                    God Bless

EVENTS
THIS WEEK

Sunday 11th
March
6:30pm   Missa
de Angelis
Priory
Street

Monday 12th
March
2:30pm   Stations of the +      St Thomas More
Schl

Tuesday 13th
March
12:15pm   Lenten Lunch
U.R.C.

Wednesday 14th
March
9:30am
Stations/Eucharistic Service
Mersea

“                “
“
1:00-2:00pm   Hunger Lunch
Crypt

“
“
“
7:00pm   Scripture Course [2/10]
Crypt

Friday 16th
March
7:30pm   Stations of the Cross   St James the Great

Saturday 17th
March      10am-12pm    FHC Reconciliation
[3/3]       Hall

“
“
“
7:30-11pm     St Patrick’s
Night Social
Hall

LENTEN
OBSERVANCES

STATIONS
OF THE CROSS AT ST THOMAS MORE
SCHOOL:  On Monday 12th March at 2:30pm.  All parishioners are invited.

TUESDAY
LENTEN LUNCHES:  At the United Reform Church in Lion Walk.  Lunch will be at 12:15pm followed by prayer at 1.10pm of approximately 20/25
minutes.  The Sisters from 48 Priory Street
will lead the prayer times throughout the whole of Lent.

STATIONS
OF THE CROSS: Will take place at 7:30pm
this Friday evening at St James the Great.

SCRIPTURE
COURSE AT ST JAMES THE LESS & ST HELEN continues: Dates:  March 14,21,28.   April 18,25.  May 2,9,16,23.  Time:
19.00-21.00hrs

Venue: The Crypt,
St James the Less & St Helen.
Sister Angela can be contacted  on
867296 or email: [email-masked] .

A
LENTEN REFLECTION: “Drinking the
Cup”.  How do we
respond to the Cup of Challenge, Choice or Suffering?  Saturday March 24th,
11am-3.30pm in the Cardinal Bourne Hall with Sr Helen and Valerie Quinlivan
whose contact nos. are 533819 and 560935 respectively.   More details in the porch.

MERSEA
NEWS:  Our Wednesday
Eucharistic Service will be preceded by Stations of the Cross during Lent,
starting at 9:30am.

HUNGER
LUNCHES:  The Justice & Peace
Committee are planning a series of hunger lunches on the Wednesdays in Lent,
starting this week after Mass, at 1pm
– 2pm in the Crypt.
Proceeds will go to CAFOD.

PRIORY
STREET RECONCILIATION SERVICE:  Will take
place on Tuesday 3rd April at 7;30pm.

MASS
OF CHRISM – BRENTWOOD CATHEDRAL
– Wednesday 4th April:
A coach has been booked by Harwich Parish and we have been allocated
30 spaces.  The pick-up point is
the Gala Bingo in Osborne Street
at 5.30pm and the cost
is £10.  Pay on the
Coach.  If you wish to book,
please phone the parish office on Mondays,Tuesdays, Fridays. The deadline to book: A.M. on
30th March.

GOOD
FRIDAY: “Walk of Witness” 12 noon onwards.
More details to follow.

Service
at the Mercury Theatre -  7.30pm,  which we will be leading
this year.

PLEASE
PRAY for the following who are preparing to be received into full communion
with the Catholic Church at Easter: Yvonne Clark, Paul Cooke, Diane Libretto,
Patrick Solomon, Peter Thorpe, Samuel Wackett.

ST
PATRICK’S NIGHT SOCIAL: Saturday 17th March, 7:30-11pm, in the Cardinal Bourne
Hall.  Music, light refreshments
[soup and cheese; please bring your own drink and glass].  Tickets - available from Francis,
Iris, Fr Paul - £4 Adult; £2 child; £10 family.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES next meet at 7:30pm
on Monday, 19th March at Christ
Church Court, Tel: 763049.

A
SECOND COLLECTION FOR FLOWERS AND DECORATING THE CHURCH AT EASTER will be taken next Sunday, Mother’s Day, at Priory Street
only.  The Mass Centres will, as usual, have their own arrangements.

FIRST
HOLY COMMUNION: The children on the Programme
are now preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  They will be celebrating their First
Reconciliation on Saturday 24th March in the Church.  Please pray for them as they take this
step on their journey in faith.

EXPOSITION
and CONFESSION: Please note that there will be no Exposition
during the morning of Saturday 24th March – this will be
replaced with a Service of Reconciliation for the children of the First
Communion Programme, starting at 10am.
All are welcome to receive the Sacrament after the children.

MILE
END DAY: Will take place on Friday 30th March beginning
with Mass at noon in the
chapel of Colchester
General Hospital.

MONKWICK DAY: Will take
place on Wednesday 4th April beginning with the Way of the
Cross and the sacrament of reconciliation from 9am.  If any
housebound parishioners from Mile End or Monkwick wish a visit, then please
contact the presbytery.

MINISTERS
OF WELCOME MEETING has been arranged on Saturday 31st
March in the Crypt, 10-11:30am.  If you would like to become a Welcomer, please join the Meeting.  Further details from the Presbytery.

THIRD
ANNUAL SPONSORED WALK- Colchester to Harwich on Saturday 31st
March to raise money to send young parishioners with the Brentwood Catholic
Youth Service on the diocesan Lourdes Pilgrimage in July. Contact Theresa Higgins on 523501 or [email-masked]

DIOCESAN
PILGRIMAGE TO LOURDES
– Monday 23rd to Saturday 28th July 2007:  Travel by air
[possibility of travelling by train starting on
Sunday 22nd July].
Full board from £530 – by air; £480 – by
train.  For more information,
please contact the Pilgrimage Administrator,
Mrs Cathy O’Connor on 01206 501146.

GIFT
AID BOXES FOR 2007/8: Will be available as follows: 10-17th
March at Priory Street;
25th March at Mersea and Monkwick; 1st April at Mile
End; 7th April at Priory
Street and John Ross, Gift Aid Co-ordinator,
will be speaking at the relevant Masses, apart from 7th April
– Easter Day.

EVENING
PRAYER:
Monday
to Friday   5:45pm

PRAYER
GROUP:
Mondays
in the Crypt
8pm

MEDITATION
GROUP:                                    Tuesdays,
at 48 Priory St
– 8pm

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays 10am
– 11am

SICK
PARISHIONERS:  Please pray
for Emily Begg, 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.

LITURGY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT [C]

March 11th
2007

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

Saturday March 10th

Sunday   March 11th

MISSA
DE ANGELIS

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

3:30
pm

6:30
pm

Christina Mooney RIP

Martin Cloherty RIP

Intns of Family of
Albert Fuller RIP

SIGNED
MASS

Maria des Garcias RIP

West Mersea

8:30 am

Brian McGurk
RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Denise Smith RIP [O &
B]

Monday
12th                       Feria

Church

9:15am

James and Mary O’Dwyer RIP

Tuesday
13th

Feria

Church                9:15am  Intns of
Family of Stephen Hilton RIP

Wednesday 14

Thursday 15th

Feria

Church

Feria

Church

12:15pm

9:15am

Peter Nee RIP

Stephen Hilton RIP
[MO’D]

Friday 16th

Feria

Church

9:15am

John and Julie
O’Connor RIP

Saturday
17th

ST PATRICK, Bp. Apostle
of Ireland

Church
9:15
am  Patrick and Rose McAloon RIP

LITURGY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT  [C]

March 18th 2007 –“Laetare” and
Mothering Sunday

Saturday March 17th
6:15 pm John and James
O’Leary RIP

Sunday   March 18th

8:00
am

10:30
am

4:00
pm

6:30 pm

Alan Walker RIP

Parishioners

POLISH
MASS

Beryl & Noel Blanchette RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intns. Joan &
Albert Donnelly

Mile
End

9:15
am

Holy Souls RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Denise Smith
RIP [PW]

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