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

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE
YEAR [C] - JULY 15th
2007

Dear Friends

A recent scientific survey reported the secret of
a longer life is regular churchgoing.
Apparently, regular worshippers are nearly a third more likely to live
longer.  Why this is so is unknown,
but it would appear that faith is not only good for the soul but good for the
body too.  When the lawyer in
today’s gospel asks the question about inheriting eternal life,
it’s not just a question about having a long life without end, but
it’s about a certain quality of life. What must we do to lead a full,
fulfilled, good and happy life?
How do we achieve our potential? Faced with the reality of death, how
can we ensure our life has lasting meaning and significance?  In reply, Jesus simply reminds him of
what he already knows: all he needs to do is to follow God’s Law
– love God and love his neighbour – and the lawyer’s
response of “who is my neighbour?” is designed to seek a
restriction. That is, if I have to love my neighbour, who qualifies as
such?  In other words, who can I
exclude?  As a Jew, the lawyer
will treat a neighbour as someone who belongs to the Jewish community. To
love outsiders, while rejecting their beliefs, would have been totally alien
to his tradition. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus illustrates the
antagonism between his own people, the Jews, and the Samaritans who were
despised as the half-caste descendants of northern Jews who had intermarried
with foreign settlers. Of the three travellers who
see the same naked, wounded man by the roadside, the two Jewish officials
– the priest and the Levite – hurry on by.  The hero is a despised Samaritan; one
who is publicly cursed in synagogues; whose evidence is not acceptable in a
court of law and yet the one Jesus holds up as a neighbour in the kingdom of God.  We know from experience the weight of inherited
hostility and that to help some people is not only an act of love but an act
of defiance against the bigotry that passes for religion.  We as Christians are called to love
not by prescription or command, but simply because that is the only way to
inherit eternal life
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday
16th July        7:30pm   Mercy Associates Meeting        See below

Wednesday
18th July  7pm
SVP Meeting
Presbytery

APOSTLESHIP
OF THE SEA:   This weekend there will be a second
collection for the Chaplaincy who look after seafarers and who receives no
statutory funding from either Church
of Government. Your
generosity will be much appreciated.

FR WIDY has returned to Priory Street
from his stay in Jakarta.    We welcome him back and thank you
for your prayers for him and his family.

NATIONAL
CHILD PROTECTION CHECKS FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:  The second meeting for volunteers still to
complete the documentation for CRB forms takes place today Sunday, 15th July, in the Crypt after the
10:30am Mass.  Those who are
unable to attend should drop a note addressed to James Shaw, Parish Child
Protection representative, c/o The Presbytery.

MERSEA CHURCH CRB FORMS:  Child Protection
Representative, James Shaw, will be at St Cedds
& St Gregory after Mass on Sunday, 29th July to speak to
volunteers who need to complete CRB forms.  This will be an informal chat during
which the forms will be distributed.
James will then be available after Mass  on Sunday 19th
August to receive and check the completed CRB forms and ID.

Please note that all volunteers in the church
will be required to complete a CRB form in order to carry on with their
valuable work.

RECENTLY
DECEASED:  Please pray for the
repose of the soul of Ron Collins who has recently died.  May he rest in peace.  His Requiem is next Thursday, 19th
July, at 9am at Priory Street.

MERCY
ASSOCIATES:  Next meet at 7:30pm tomorrow, Monday, 16th
July at Christ Church Court.  Contact 763049.

PRIESTHOOD
ENQUIRY EVENINGS:  Catholic Priesthood? Come
and join others thinking about the possibility.  On Friday evenings, the monthly
meetings commence throughout the Diocese on 20th July at St Thérèse of Lisieux,
Stansted. If you wish to attend this session, which is free of charge, please
let Fr Joseph Silver know by 18th July.  Please see posters for full contact details
etc. St James the Less will be hosting the meeting on 12th
October.  “All of the
different vocations are directed towards bearing witness to love, towards the
proclamation of Christ, the only saviour of the
world”. In Verbo
Tuo [1997].

END OF
TERM:  Friday sees the
commencement of the school holidays and the Parish slows down a bit.  Everyone needs a bit of a break from
regular routine, though of course not everyone is fortunate to have a proper
holiday.

SCRIPTURE
COURSE:  A reminder that Sr Angela will
recommence this Course in the Autumn, the first session is due to take place
on Wednesday, 19th September.
Further details will follow in due course.

MISSA DE ANGELIS:  The next Missa de Angelis will be celebrated on Sunday 29th
July at 6:30pm.

MONKWICK: Parishioners are
organizing a Garden Party to be held at “East View”, Langham Lane,
Boxted [off the end of Severalls Lane]
on Saturday 28th July from 2pm.  Parking available and all are most
welcome.

MERSEA
NEWS:  Many thanks to Veronica
Smith for hosting our July coffee morning.  Our next date is 14th
August at the home of Olive Newland, 42 High Street North, starting at 10:30am.

DIARY DATES
– SATURDAY, 25TH AUGUST:  1- “Bosworth in Colchester” a commemoration of the Colcestrians
who fought at the battle of Bosworth in 1485.  The day will be led by parishioner,
John Ashdown Hill.  Full details
on the poster in the porch. Early Booking is required/advised,
particularly for Vespers at St
John’s Abbey Gatehouse [probably the first
celebration of any part of the Divine Office at the abbey since the
Dissolution] and the event will shortly be advertised in the local Press.
Booking forms also from the Parish Office.

2:
Pilgrimage to Bologne 25th – 28th
August: This
pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady is being organized
by East Anglia District of the KSC.
For full details, contact John Sutcliffe on 851838.

CAFOD YOUNG VOLUNTEER –
PROJECT IN ETHIOPIA 2007: Andy Lewis, an RS teacher at St
John Payne School, Chelmsford,
and long-time Youth Service member, is to visit N.
Ethiopia for 6 weeks this summer, teaching English.  He will work at a school run by the
Daughters of Charity who provide care/education for street children and
vulnerable young women.  Both
financial and practical help [stationery, books etc.,] would be gratefully
received in advance of this project.
Info from www.justgiving.com/ethiopia07
; SJP School, Patching Hall Lane, Chelmsford,
CM1 4BS –
01245 256030; email [email-masked] .

FINANCES
FOR JUNE: Monies Received -Average weekly collection including standing orders
– £2232; CAFOD £1025; SVP £744; Damesfontein £673. Thank you very much.  Paid Out: Diocese £2500; Electricity
£831 ex Hall; Gas £332 ex Hall .  Maintenance on Fire Equipment
£492 ex Hall [Mersea Bill still awaited].

A REMINDER RE BAPTISMS:  Parents wishing to have a child baptised will need to attend a Baptismal Course. These
Courses, which have been running since the beginning of 2006, comprise two
separate weekday evening sessions and the actual
date of the baptism will be arranged with the priests at that time.  The next Course will take place in the
Autumn and, when the actual date has been arranged, it  will be advertised in this Newsletter
at least three or four weeks beforehand.

DAILY:                      Rosary 8.40am; Divine
Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11.40am]

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

MEDITATION
GROUP:                                 Tuesdays
at 8pm at 48 Priory Street

EXPOSITION:                                                                     Saturdays
10am-11am

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth,

Pauline Carter, Sylvina
de Britto, 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.

LITURGY FOR THE FOURTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
[C]

July 15th 2007 A.D.

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

Saturday  July 14th

Sunday
July 15th

6:15 pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Christopher Cooke RIP

Bridget Lowe RIP

Intentions of Anna and Ivan

POLISH
MASS

Josef Gajdosek
RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Rev. John Harrington
RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Aly Sebastian RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Parishioners

Monday 16th
Feria

Tuesday
17th

Church                9:15
am  Stephen
Hilton RIP

Feria

Church                9:15
am  Holy Souls RIP [FG]

Wednesday 18

Thursday 19th

Feria

Church    N.B.

Feria

Church

11:00am

9:00 am

Walter Culling RIP

Peter O’Dea RIP

REQUIEM
– Ron Collins RIP

Friday 20th

Feria

Church

9:15 am

Terry Hilton RIP

Saturday
21st

Feria

Church
9:15
am  Mario de Millo RIP

LITURGY FOR THE SIXTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
[C]

July 22nd 2007 A.D.

Saturday  July 21st

Sunday    July 22nd

6:15 pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30 pm

Kevin Doyle RIP

Anna Pedell
RIP

Dorothy Burke RIP

Intentions of Maria Earl

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Liam Malone

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15 am

Holy Souls RIP

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

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092