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 RESURRECTION  OF THE LORD

April 12th 2009 A.D.

Dear
Friends

Peter and John run to the garden when they hear
the shouts of the women who went to the tomb early on Easter day, finding the
stone rolled away and even worse, discovering the body had gone.  The disciples deduce that this is not
the work of grave robbers.  Why
would they unwrap the body?  No. Something stranger has happened
here.  This is death robbery.  Death has been robbed of its power to devastate
and to destroy.  Life has returned
to this place, and to this world, and to our lives.  St
John’s Gospel says “Until this moment
the disciples had failed to understand the teaching of scripture, that he
must rise from the dead”.    So many things are hard
for us to understand; they are outside of our experience and beyond our
wildest expectations, even beyond the realms of possibility.  Rising from the dead is one of those
things.  It just doesn’t
happen.  All the evidence tells us
that death is pretty final.  It is
the end of everything.  It is our
dissolution.  Acceptance of death
is in many ways a mature attitude, a realistic response to our
mortality.  But in many ways,
doesn’t death make a mockery of life? It’s almost an insult to
all that life hoped to be, for to die is to lose life.

Now on this Easter day we have the great
discovery, the great find – life wins, love wins.  When John saw the empty tomb, he also
“saw” more deeply into the mystery of  that emptiness.  It means that the Lord is risen and in him the fullness of life has been restored to
us.   Christ is the light of
the world, a light that darkness cannot overpower.  St
John saw that for himself on the first Easter
morning.  May that same Easter
light shine on us today.

On behalf of Fr Brett, Fr Philip and myself, I
wish you and your loved ones a blessed and joyful Easter.

Fr Joseph

EVENTS THIS WEEK  [Check for any changes]

N.B.  Evening prayer this week:   At  48 Priory Street – 5:45pm

Wednesday
15th     7pm       SVP
Meeting
Presbytery

Thursday 16th
7:45pm  UCM Meeting                               Crypt
Saturday 18th
7:30pm
Table Quiz [see below]
Hall

EASTER
OFFERING:  The Offertory Collection
at all the Easter Masses is, by tradition, the parishioners’ personal
gift to the Clergy.  In this
parish, Fr Joseph and Fr Brett are the beneficiaries because this collection,
together with the Christmas one, forms the main part of their personal annual
income.  Thank you.

BAPTISM
OF CHILDREN BETWEEN 7-15 YEARS:  If you have a child[ren] between these ages
who have not yet been baptised,  a Course “Preparing for
Baptism” starts on Tuesday, April 21st at 4:30pm in the Presbytery.  Please phone the Parish Office in the
first instance so that the Catechist knows how many to expect.  Thank you.
FR JOSEPH

UCM:  The next meeting of the Union of Catholic
Mothers will take place on Thursday, 16th April, in the Crypt at 7:45pm.

KSC TABLE
QUIZ:  The Knights of St Columba are holding a
Table Quiz in the Cardinal Bourne Hall on Saturday 18th April
after Mass at 7:30pm.  Proceeds to various charities.  Light refreshments provided: please
bring your own drinks.  Tickets
£4.50.  Ring Ron on 797850
to book or just turn up on the evening.

SECOND
COLLECTION – PRO-LIFE COLLECTION:  There will be a second collection next
weekend for a range of pro-life charities, including SPUC, RTL and the Good
Counsel Network.

DIVINE
MERCY SUNDAY – 19th APRIL:  In honour of
this feast on the Sunday after Easter there will be Adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament, Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and other prayers from 1pm – 3pm
in the church.  All are
welcome.  The Novena to the Divine
Mercy Sunday began on Good Friday, 10th April.

CONFIRMATION
CLASS:  The next session takes
place next Sunday, 19th April and 7:30pm in the Crypt.

LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT SEMINARS:  At Our Lady of Light,
Clacton Parish on 7 Tuesdays, commencing 21st April at 8pm.  Full details on posters in porch.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES:  The next meeting is on
Monday, 20th April at 7:30pm
Christ Church Court.  Telephone: 763049.

SCRIPTURE
COURSE:  Led by Sr Angela on
Wednesdays from 6:45 – 8:45pm
in the Crypt, the Scripture Course recommences on April 22nd and
intends to study an introduction to The Good News according to Paul, the
Apostle of the Gentiles.

SVP
Barn/Square Dance. Saturday 25th April. 7:30pm – 11pm in the Cardinal Bourne Hall.  Entrance by ticket only. To book, please
telephone Anna 01206 242170, or Ann 01206 844914.  Book early.  Adults
£7.50. Children under 14 & Over 80's Free.
Food is included in the price.

Events Manager, Brentwood
Catholic Youth Service. If you have a heart for young people, the ability to put
together faith based and social events for 11-18 year olds, and experience in
running events for 150+ people, you could be the ideal candidate to be our
next Events Manager. Vacancy from Sept 1st. Closing date for
applications 23rd April. Full details on our website, www.bcys.net/jobs

Come
and Hear Fr Pat Collins C.M.
Writer, Broadcaster & International Speaker, Saturday 2nd May,
Brentwood Cathedral, 10.30 to 4.30. Theme
‘Good News in Bad Times’.

COLCHESTER THREE FAITHS FORUM:  This is a group which
exists to promote dialogue and understanding between the 3 Abrahamic faiths
– Christianity, Islam and Judaism.
The first of three visits has been planned on Wednesday, May 20th,
at 7:30pm to Priory
Street Mosque. Details of future  visits to the Synagogue and St
Helen’s Orthodox Church will follow.

MEDJUGORJE; 21st
– 28th June 2009 with return flight/HB/transfer/full programme/spiritual guide.  £465 incl. apart from
insurance/SRS. Contact Carmen Blackett on 01277
821886/07754 163007/077385 95534.

Medjugorje Pilgrimage 2009 from 14 - 21
September cost £465.Interested?
Contact Jan Cavanagh 01473 730426.

DAILY:                 8:35am; Rosary &Divine
Mercy  [Wednesdays 11:30am]

EVENING
PRAYER:
See Events

PRAYER
GROUP:                                           Mondays  at 8pm in the Crypt

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

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
at 9:45am – 10.30am

NEW
NEIGHBOUR PROJECT:  If anyone has a spare or
unused children’s car seat, please contact John on 851838.

REPOSITORY/COFFEE
MORNING IN THE HALL:   The Repository is closed
today after the 10:30am Mass but the Coffee Morning  will take place as normal.

IF YOU ARE
NEW TO THE PARISH: please introduce yourself to one of the priests after Mass. A registration
form will need to be completed.
If you are moving within or out of the parish, please let the Parish
Office know.

THE PARISH
WEB SITE:  For all contact, inclusions etc., please get in touch with Don Clarke.  His email
address is [email-masked]

LITURGY FOR THE
RESURRECTION  OF THE LORD [B]

April 12th 2009  A.D.

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

Saturday  April 11th

Sunday    April 12th

8:00
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

2:00
pm

5:00
pm

6:30 pm

Catherine and Edward McElroy RIP

Holy Souls RIP

D/Rels & Friends of
Nancy Drummond

May Moss RIP

Mary Galvin RIP

POLISH MASS

HOLY HOUR

Mick Barrett RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Holy Souls RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Eileen Byrne RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Parishioners

Monday 13th

N.B.

MONDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE
OF EASTER

Church     10:00 am  Ken Herbert RIP

Clare Adams RIP

Tuesday 14th

TUESDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE
OF EASTER

Church      9:15 am    Intentions of Mrs
T Matiz & Maria

Wednesday
15th

WEDNESDAY WITHIN THE
OCTAVE OF EASTER

Church    12:15
pm    Elizabeth Higgins RIP

Thursday 16th

THURSDAY WITHIN THE
OCTAVE OF EASTER

Church      9:15 am   Terry Hilton RIP

Friday 17th

FRIDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE
OF EASTER

Church      9:15 am    Intentions of Joe Parkinson

Saturday 18th       SATURDAY WITHIN THE
OCTAVE OF EASTER

Church       9:15
am   Helen Lydon RIP

LITURGY FOR THE SECOND
SUNDAY OF EASTER [B]

[Divine Mercy Sunday] April 19th  2009 A.D.

Saturday April 18th

Sunday   April 19th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

1:00
pm

4:00
pm

6:30
pm

John Smith RIP [A]

Ints. Tom and Josephine Farrell

Deirdre Kehoe RIP

DIVINE
MERCY PRAYERS

POLISH MASS

Thanksgiving
[Kotarski-Rickman]

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

Julia Storrock RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Peggy Wilding RIP [CB]

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Saturday 9:45-10:30am
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