ST. JAMES
THE LESS AND ST.
HELEN

CATHOLIC CHURCH, Colchester

with

Mersea, Mile End and
Monkwick

Fr  Anthony  McKentey

Fr
Neil
Brett

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
ADVENT

December 12th 2010

My
dear friends,

This third Sunday of Advent is the halfway stage
of the Advent journey; it is called “Gaudete”
because of the theme of joy which is present in the Liturgy.  This Christian joy is not a transient
thing but a deep conviction that the Lord is always near.  May this joy fill our hearts as we
prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, God made Man.

Today, you will receive a Christmas card from your
priests, one per household, which contains the times of Christmas services
and our good wishes and prayers to you all.

Masses at Priory Street on Christmas Eve are the 6pm Vigil Mass; Midnight Mass
begins with carols at 11:30pm
and then 8am & 10:30am on Christmas morning.  There is a Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve
at 8pm [preceded by carols at 7:30pm] at St Theodore’s, Prince Philip Road,
Monkwick; on Christmas morning at St Cedd & St Gregory, Barfield Road,
West Mersea – carols at 8:30am with Mass beginning at 9am; and at St
Joseph’s, Mill Road, Mile End, Mass at 9:15am with carols beginning at
9am.

Do not forget our Carol Service this evening at 4pm until 5pm followed by refreshments.  There will be a collection towards the
Organ Restoration Fund.

May God bless you in your Advent preparations for
Christmas.

Fr Tony McKentey

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Thursday 16th
9:15am    School Advent Mass

“
“
7:30pm    RCIA
Crypt

Friday 17th
7:30pm    Lectio Divina
See below

Saturday 18th
10-12        FHC Programme
Crypt/Hall

“
“
Reconciliation
See below

Sunday  19th
7:30-9pm     Confirmation Group
Crypt

DAILY:   Morning
Prayer 8:15am; Rosary/Divine
Mercy 8:35am. [Wed. 11:15am]

PRAYER
GROUP
Mondays
@ 8pm in the Crypt

MEDITATION
GROUP:
Tuesdays @ 8pm in the Crypt

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays @ 9.45am – 10.30am

SICK:  Please remember in your prayers: June Bickersteth, Joan Boyden, Nancy Drummond, Salvatore
Morreale, Bridie Murphy, Baby Leah Patterson, Hector Silva, David Vaughan-Williamson.

SECOND COLLECTION
AT PRIORY STREET TODAY: There will be a second collection after all Masses today for flowers
to decorate the church at Christmas.

“100 CLUB”: NOVEMBER DRAW:  1st Prize – Catherine
Watson; 2nd Prize Myra
Dolamore; 3rd Prize – Teresa Hooper.   Congratulations.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: Next Saturday, December 18th, both Fr
Tony and Fr Neil will be available for Confessions from 9:45 to 10:30am,
during which Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place.  We would hope to have two priests
available from 5:30pm – 6pm
for evening Confessions. There will also be a priest available on the Sunday
evening before Mass at 6pm.

SOUP RUN
ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND
NEW YEAR’S DAY 8PM-9PM:
Many thanks to those of you offering to
help or bring sandwiches.  You
will be contacted shortly concerning the final arrangements.

FROM
CAROLINE BOWRING: We have been asked to include this in our Newsletter re Donnell
Bowring, aged 7.  Donnell's
funeral has now been arranged for Thursday, 16th December, at 10.30am. All are welcome to
attend this service at St John Payne Catholic Church, Greenstead. There will
be a private cremation at a later time. No flowers, donations if desired to
be shared between East Anglian Children's
Hospice and Colchester Paediatric Outreach Nursing
Team, care of the Co-operative Funeral Service, 35 Long Wyre
St, Colchester, Essex (01206 571655)
Please let Caroline know if you

are able to attend, Home
01206 523070. Mobile/
text 07980 635111;   [email-masked] Thank you all for your
kindness, patience and love during this difficult time.

HEALING MASS led by Fr Eamonn Power at
Abbotswick
House of Prayer on Wednesday 15th December at
2.30pm. All welcome. For further details visit www.abbotswick.org or call 01277 373959

LECTIO DIVINA [Holy Reading]:  On Friday17th December in the Crypt -7:30-8:30pm.  Reflective reading of scripture
passages for the last week of Advent.
Everyone welcome.

AN ADVENT MORNING OF PRAYERFUL REFLECTION: Sr Angela Morris CRSS will
lead a scripture based morning of prayerful reflection: Saturday 18th December at
the Cathedral Conference Centre, Brentwood.
Time:10:30am  Arrivals/Coffee for a 1045am start. Finish at 12.30pm. For further information please
contact the ARE&FM office on
01277 265219/255.

All are welcome.

WINTER RESERVE ACCOMMODATION PROJECT [WRAP]; Keeping homeless people off the street this winter: Can you help?  The relevant weeks for our Parish are 12th-19th January 2011 and 9th-16th
February 20. It will be necessary for volunteers to sleep in the Hall
overnight but for full information please ring 01206 549 885 and speak
to Pernille.

OFFICIAL DVD
OF THE PAPAL VISIT 2010: Retail price £9.99
but discounted price for parishes of £5.99. There is a poster in the
porch at Priory Street
and at the Mass centres.
Please put your name on the list if you wish to order a copy.

NEW CHURCH DOORS:  These
have been donated by the Seaborn family in memory
of Joan and Freddie Seaborn.  They were installed by happy
coincidence of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

BRENTWOOD DIOCESAN DIRECTORY 2011:
Retail
Price £2.50.  A mine of
information about the Diocese with a Liturgical calendar for the year.

“FAITH TODAY”: Price £5.  Contains
all the Pope’s speeches from his recent visit.

MISSIO CALENDARS:  Free 2011 Calendars are available in
the church porch for all parishioners, particularly “red-box”
holders.  Our Parish raised over £1000 this year for APF/Mill Hill
Missionaries.  This is great work
by all who do collect, but we do need more collectors.  If you haven’t yet got a box,
but would like one, contact Ron Griffin on 571590 or after Saturday evening Mass.

NEW TO THE PARISH?:  Please introduce yourself to one of the priests after Mass, complete a
registration form [on the big table in the porch] and return it to the Parish
Office.  Please also advise the
Parish Office if you move within or out of the Parish.  PARISH
WEB SITE:
For all inclusions, contact [email-masked]

LITURGY FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY
OF ADVENT [A] -  Breviary Week 3

[“Gaudete”Sunday]  12th December 2010

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

Saturday December 11th
Sunday   December 12th

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30 am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Moira and Dennis Pryke RIP

Arthur and Beryl Oliver RIP

Lisette Graziani
RIP

POLISH MASS

Victor Javier RIP [A]

Mersea

8:30
am

William and Mary
Brookes RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15 am

Kazimier Hurlo
RIP

Monday 13th

St Lucy, V.M

Church
7:30 am   Canon John Bloomfield RIP

Church      9:15 am   Intentions of Dominic & Mary Mooney

Tuesday  14th

St John of the Cross, Pr.D.

Church     9:15 am     D/Rels:
Herbert/Richards Families RIP

Wednesday
15th

Feria

Church      7:30
am    Dolores Prieto
Barcelona RIP

Church     12:15 pm   REQUIEM – TERESA HUGHES RIP

Thursday 16th

STM Advent Mass

Feria

Church:     9:15 am    Intentions of Joan Boyden

Friday 17th

Feria

Church      9:15 am    John Bamford RIP

Church     12:15pm    REQUIEM – AILEEN
CHRISTIAN RIP

Church      6:30 pm    Intentions of John O’Sullivan

Saturday 18th        Feria

Church
9:15 am     Edward Harvey RIP [A]

LITURGY FOR THE FOURTH
SUNDAY OF ADVENT [A]

[Expectant Mothers]19th
December 2010

Saturday December 18th

6:15
pm

Elizabeth,Angelo&Frederick LucasRIP

Sunday   December 19th

8:00
am

Geoffrey and Beatrice Foley RIP

10:30am

Joseph Hawken RIP

6:30
pm

Dan Sheridan RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

Derrick Foley RIP

Monkwick

10:15am

Ted Wilding RIP&Maria Lumsden RIP

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