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 FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF
THE YEAR [A]

JULY 13th   2008

Dear Friends,

As a child learns to utter its first word, so the
life of Christian faith must be learnt and developed.  Relationship with God can be likened
to the relationship between mother and child.  Like a mother, God desires the word of
a response in love.  Firstly, like
a child, the response is inadequate and only partly understood.  Even if words are inadequate, there is
a desire to grow in love of God.
The words then become a prayer; love for God becomes expressed in life
and action.  The life of faith is
never static; it is always dynamic.
God desires to deepen the relationship with each person but this
requires a response in faith.
People become tired with routine.
This routine can be changed by trying to listen more fully to
God’s word.  The scriptures
remind us that God’s plan is always unfolding in the midst of life. St Paul promises that
faithful discipleship will be rewarded.
Although there may be suffering in life, the hope of the future can
never be diminished. He calls for a growth in freedom and truth and tells the
Church that Christian living will lead to genuine freedom and glory as the
children of God. At times, we are called to make difficult choices and to be
faithful to the commandments and God’s will.  Such decisions can cause pain and
suffering in the short run but ultimately will give a sense of doing right
and living truthfully.  Nourished
by the word of God, the Christian is strengthened to respond in truth and
freedom.  God promises to sustain
and nurture this growth in love.
We may be unfaithful but God will work with this limitation. For each
person, God has a plan and a vocation.
But we should be patient with ourselves for like all seeds, the word
of God takes time to grow and God will wait on the gradual process. It might
take a lifetime but eventually the word of God and our own word might become
one.  And that would be a harvest
indeed.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday
14th July            7:30pm   Mercy Associates Meeting        See below

Thursday
17th July          3pm
Chaplaincy Meeting @ Home
of Margaret Wheeler

Thursday
17th July          7pm       UCM
Meeting [see below]           Crypt

Saturday
19th July          10am      Monkwick
Coffee Morning
See below

Sunday
20th July
12
noon  Social Committee
Meeting
Presbytery

HELP
URGENTLY NEEDED: With the Repository on
a Sunday morning.  If you are
able to lend a hand, please see Simon Chaplin in the Hall after the 10.30
Mass on a Sunday.

SECOND
COLLECTION:  Next Sunday, 20th
July, there will be a National Collection for the Apostleship of the Sea
[AOS] – the official maritime welfare agency of the Catholic Church in Great Britain.  The official collection date for
“Sea Sunday” is today as can be seen from the envelopes, posters
etc., but in order to ease financial pressure with other collections, I have postponed this second collection until next
week.  Please take an envelope
home in readiness for the 20th.   Everything AOS does is on behalf
of Britain’s
Catholic Community; it receives no funding from Church or Government.  FR
JOSEPH

TODAY IS WORLD CHURCH
SUNDAY ;  This
evening at St Botolph’s Church from 7pm will be representatives from
various Churches and at 8pm
there is an ecumenical service which will welcome from India, Anglican Bishop Devakadsham
, and others involved in India
and Africa.  See poster in the porch for more
details.

MERSEA NEWS:
Thank you to Margaret Brookes for hosting our July coffee morning, in spite
of the showers we all enjoyed the morning with friends. Our next coffee
morning will be at the home of Jane Brennen,
details will follow.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES:  The next Meeting will be
held on Monday, 14th July at 7:30pm at Christ
Church Court.  Tel: 763049.

UNION OF CATHOLIC
MOTHERS: An
inaugural meeting has now been arranged for this Thursday, 17th
July, at 7pm in the
Crypt.  All are welcome. The
objects of the UCM are:

To help Catholic married women to appreciate the Sacramental character,
responsibilities and permanence of marriage and to live in unselfish
love observing the laws of God and his Church.

To assist them to bring up their children as practising
Catholics and public-spirited citizens.

To teach and defend Christian values in family life and to ensure
for their children Catholic education.

To offer love, sympathy and practical help to the family in
difficulty.

To foster vocations in Christian marriage and family life and in
the priesthood and religious life.

DIOCESAN VACANCY: Headteacher. Leadership scale L20 – 26 (negotiable
depending on skills and experience) + Relocation allowance if appropriate. Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, St John’s RC Special School, Woodford
Bridge, Essex. For more information and an application form see our website
at www.stjohnsrcschool.org; to
book a visit or receive a pack by post please ring Margaret on 02085 041818.
Closing date 18th July, short listing 21st
July, interviews on 16th and 17th September.

MONKWICK NEWS: In aid of St
Theodore’s, a coffee morning has been arranged on Saturday, 19th
July at 3 Adelaide Drive
from 10am.  All are welcome.

OASIS OF PEACE (MEDJUGORJE) DAY:
On Saturday
July 26th 2008

With
Fr. Seamus Keenan at the Church of the
Immaculate Conception, 11, Church Hill, Epping, Essex, CM16 4RA
From 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Includes Mass, Adoration and
Rosary. Bring packed lunch – drinks provided. For more information,
please contact Susan: 01992 575017 or [email-masked]

HYMN BOOK
AMNESTY:  Please search your
cupboards etc., and see if you have a hymn book[s] lurking at home,
particularly any Melody and Organist editions.  Return them to the church and no
questions will be asked!

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Anne Gardiner, Denisia Gray, Maria Hanak,
Eileen Head, Michelle Huet, Catherine Libby, Sheila
Parsons, Mary and Harry Pink, John
Rae, Alwyn Stains, Carole Stover, Peggy Wilding.

Please be reminded that, because of the
Data Protection Act, we are not advised by hospital staff of Catholic
inpatients. If you have family or friends who have been admitted to
hospital and who would like a visit, do let one
of the priests know.

DAILY:
Rosary
8:35am; Divine Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11:30am]

EVENING
PRAYER:
Monday to Friday 5:45pm
in the Church

PRAYER
GROUP:                                Mondays at 8pm in the Crypt

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

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
10am – 11am

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 let the Parish Office know.

LITURGY FOR THE FIFTEENTH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [A]

July 13th 2008 A.D.

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

Saturday  July 12th

Sunday
July 13th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

2:00
pm

3:00
pm

5:00
pm

6:30
pm

Pierre and Myriam Imbert RIP

Brigid Lowe RIP

Reginald Hammond RIP [A]

POLISH MASS

SIGNED MASS

HOLY HOUR

Christopher Cooke RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Decd. Relatives – Ashmore
Family

Mile
End

9:15
am

Sean Keane RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Parishioners

Monday 14th

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Poor Souls RIP

Mary
Millen RIP

Tuesday 15th

St Bonaventure BP.D.

Church      9:15
am    Deirdre Kehoe RIP

Wednesday 16th

Feria

Church    12:15 pm   John McGinley RIP [A]

Michael Piquet–Wicks
RIP

Thursday 17th

N.B.

Feria

Church     10:00 am   Frances Hoare RIP

Friday 18th

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Herbert Ray RIP

Deirdre Kehoe RIP [PG]

Saturday 19th        Feria

Church      9:15
am   Mr H Whybrow

Church      2:00 pm   WEDDING
– Jane Reilly and Mark Johnson

LITURGY FOR THE SIXTEENTH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [A]

July 20th 2008 A.D.

Saturday July 19th

Sunday   July 20th

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Joe Mooney RIP

Parishioners

Kathleen Cook RIP

POLISH MASS

Intentions of Mrs
Bridget Lathan

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Olive Newland

Mile End

9:15
am

Intentions of Bridget Keane

Monkwick

10:15
am

Dorothy Burke RIP

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION
Saturday
10:00-11:00 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]

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

Vocations
www.brentwoodvocations.org

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092