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

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY OF YEAR [C] – October 14th  2007

Dear Friends,

When we don’t expect it, gratitude can be
very confusing.  When we do expect it and it
isn’t shown, we are often left feeling bewildered and
disappointed.  There is a great
deal of awkwardness surrounding gratitude. We know from experience that doing
some people a favour is to risk losing their
friendship.  This is the issue
faced in today’s readings. It is worth noting that Luke is the only New
Testament writer to mention Naaman, the pagan
commander of the Syrian army who led his army into Israel and who is healed
by bathing in the Jordan, and he sees this story as a good example to the
Gentiles he is writing to of God’s reach to those outside Israel.  So when Luke tells the story of the
ten lepers, it is a foreigner, the Samaritan, who is the only one who shows
gratitude to Jesus. The absence of the other nine leaves Jesus hurt and
puzzled. He checks his arithmetic.
What makes people that way? Why is saying thank you such a problem?

“Eucharist” means thanks.   When we gather here we come to
eucharist God in the midst of the assembly.  We do what Naaman
and the Samaritan leper did; we give praise to God;  “always and everywhere to
give thanks”.  Thanksgiving
is not an added extra.  It is
absolutely central to the life of a Christian.  Without a spirit of thanksgiving our
Christian lives would be cold and lifeless.  An attitude of mind in which
thankfulness has no part is likely to lead to pettiness, resentment and
cynicism; God takes a back seat in our lives and we begin to go our own way
but if we are thankful, God is necessarily part of our lives.  Even if we have serious sins we find
it difficult to overcome we wont be permanently separated from God if we can
still acknowledge his love and goodness, and thank him for it.  To be thankful is to see reality
clearly.  Let our thanks find
expression in this eucharist and maybe we will surprise someone this week
with a note that is long overdue and which says thank you.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday
15th October      7:30pm       Mercy
Associates Meeting
See below

Tuesday
16th
7:30-9pm    Baptism Course   [2 of 2]
Crypt

Wednesday
17th
7-9pm        Scripture
Course
Crypt

Thursday
18th
7:30 – 9pm  RCIA Meeting- see below         Crypt

“
“
7:30pm       Choir
Practice
Church

Saturday 20th
10am
Parish Council – Evangelisation  Crypt

“
“
11:30am
Justice & Peace Meeting
Presbytery

B.E.E.F:  The annual collection for the Brentwood Ecclesiastical Education Fund which
was due on the 23rd September, will be
taken up after all Masses today. “If at one time vocations promotion
referred only or mainly to certain vocations, now it must tend evermore
towards the promotion of all vocations, because in the Lord’s Church,
either we grow together or no one grows”. In Verbo Tuo
[1997]

MERCY
ASSOCIATES MEETING:  The next meeting is on
Monday, 15th October at 7.30pm
at Christ Church Court.  Tel.No.
763049.

ROSARY:  The KSC are saying the Rosary on Wednesday, 17th October, 7.30pm at 48 Priory Street; Friday, October 26th, 7.30pm at Greenstead after Mass; Wednesday 31st October, 7.30pm at Lexden with Benediction.

JOURNEY IN
FAITH [RCIA]:  This programme
is for anyone who wants to find out more about the Catholic Faith and for
those who may wish to consider becoming a Catholic.  Meetings will be on Thursday evenings,
beginning this Thursday, 18th October, from 7.30pm – 9pm in the Crypt.  Enquiries to either Fr Joseph at the
Presbytery or Cathy O’Connor – 01206 501146.

KSC DAY OF
RECOLLECTION AT CLARE PRIORY: Saturday 20th October.  Starting with Mass at 10am. Cost £10 includes
coffee, soup & bread lunch, tea before departure at 4pm. To book/arrange
transport/more details –  call 767597.

DIOCESAN
VACANCIES:  [1] Deputy Headteacher – La Salette Catholic Primary School,
Rainham, for January 2008.  School tel.no.
01708 555554; application packs from London Borough of Havering
– Children’s Services 01708 433919.  [2] Headteacher – New Hall Preparatory School, Chelmsford, for September 2008. Contact
Principal’s PA on 01245 236086 or the school’s website www.newhallschool.co.uk .  [3]  CAFOD Diocesan Officer  - Based at Woodford Green, Essex.  Part
time – 21 hours p.w. Visit www.cafod.org.uk/jobs/ email [email-masked]
or phone 0207 0955601, quote ref. CDO_BW. Closing date: 18th October 2007.

PLANNING
AHEAD: DAYS OF REFLECTION:  Saturdays 27th
October and 15th December in the Cardinal Bourne Hall from 11am – 3.30pm.  The theme for each day – THE
CALL.  We are called by God in
small ways and in large.  How do
we recognise his call?  More
details of each day nearer the time, both in the Newsletter and on the
website.
Sr Helen and Valerie Quinlivan.

D I A R Y   D A T E S

TABLE
QUIZ:  The Knights of St Columba
are holding a Table Quiz in the Cardinal Bourne Hall, Priory Street, at 7:45pm after Mass on Saturday 3rd
November.  All proceeds to our
many called on funds to help others.
Tickets are £4 including light refreshments.  We will have a non-alcoholic bar but
you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic drinks.  Call Ron on 797850 to book or just
turn up on the evening.

YOUTH NEWS:
CAFOD
are running a weekend for young people interested in action for justice,
helping them to be more involved as CAFOD volunteers, at Walsingham House
from 2nd – 4th November.  For more information, call Sarah at
the Youth Office on 01277 265286 or email
[email-masked]

THE SHRINE
OF THE HOLY ROOD AT DOVERCOURT:  Parishioner, John Ashdown-Hill, will be
giving an illustrated talk on Thursday 8th November at the church of Our Lady Queen of Heaven, Dovercourt.  The church will be open from 7:30pm. The talk starts at 7:45pm. For more detail, see
poster in the porch.

150th
CELEBRATION OF THE APPARITIONS OF OUR LADY TO ST BERNADETTE:  An all inclusive retreat programme around the feast of the Immaculate Conception
has been arranged: 4 days/3 nights in Lourdes
– 6th to 9th December, flying from Stansted.  Cost £345 with personal guide
and resident chaplain.  Deadline for booking 19th
October.  Contact Siobhan Frecker at Parker Travel Ltd., [email-masked] or
phone 0208 989 8567/6174.

OASIS OF
PEACE [MEDJUGORJE] DAY IN EPPING:  On
Saturday, November 10th with Fr Seamus Keenan at 18 Kendal Avenue,
Epping, Essex, CM16 4PW from 10.30am to 4pm.  Includes Mass, Adoration and
Rosary.  “Bring and
Share” lunch – drinks provided.  Contact Susan on 01992 575017 or [email-masked]

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Florence Fuller, Denisia Gray, Eileen Head, Michelle Huet,
Deirdre Kehoe, Catherine Libby, Maria Lumsden, Luke
McShane, Sheila Parsons, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford, Colleen Thurlow, Carole Stover.

DAILY:
Rosary 8:40am; Divine Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11:40am]

EVENING
PRAYER:
For venue, please see poster in the porch

PRAYER
GROUP:
Mondays at 8pm in
the Crypt

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

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays 10am – 11am

THE PARISH
WEB SITE:  For all contact,
inclusions etc., please contact Donald Clarke.  His email
address is [email-masked]  He may also be contacted via the
Presbytery, i.e. please leave envelopes for him.

THE REPOSITORY  is open each Sunday from after the 8am Mass
until 12:45pm in the
Cardinal Bourne Hall.

LITURGY FOR THE TWENTY-EIGHTH  SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

October 14th 2007 A.D.

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

Saturday  October 13th

Sunday
October 14th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

3:30
pm

5:00
pm

6:30
pm

Baby Gabriel Ledwidge
RIP [A]

Dec. Rels. O’Grady
Family RIP

Salvina de Brito
RIP

SIGNED MASS

HOLY HOUR

Joanne and Natasha Coombs RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Sid Ashmore RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15 am

Brian Morrisey RIP

Monday 15th          St Teresa of Jesus [Avila] V.D.

Tuesday 16th

Church               9:15 am  Kenneth Herbert RIP

Michael Piquet Wicks RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Maria Aganon and Anna
Cagadas RIP

Holy
Souls RIP

Wednesday 17th

St Ignatius of Antioch, Bp. M.

Church
12:15 pm
Hannie Daly RIP

Holy
Souls RIP

Thursday 18th

Friday 19th

Saturday 20th

ST LUKE, Evangelist

Church               9.15
am   Intentions of David Wall

Feria

Church     N.B.   8:30
am   Intentions of Peggy and Maria [O&B]

Intentions
of Sheila Parsons

Feria

Church
9.15
am  Special Intention [HB]

LITURGY FOR THE TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

World Mission
Day - OCTOBER 21st  2007 A.D.

Saturday  October 20th

Sunday  October 21st

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Intentions of Rosaleen
Campbell

Kevin Doyle RIP

Holy Souls RIP

POLISH MASS

D/Rels. Brogan/Owens
Families RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Holy Souls RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

David Bartholomew RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Parishioners

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: 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