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

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT [C] –
“Gaudete” Sunday

December
17th  2006 A.D.

Dear Friends

A lone gunman stepped out
of the car, rested his rifle on the car door and aimed it at the church.  Through the open doors and up the long
aisle he aimed at his target, a priest who was just finishing his homily at
Mass that morning.  A shot rang
out and so ended the life of Oscar Arnulfo Romero,
Archbishop of San Salvador.  It
was March 1980. For the previous three years Oscar Romero had preached the
Gospel and denounced the sins, murders and tortures which were destroying his
country. Via the local radio station he spoke to the people and everyone
listened to him.  He was the
“voice of those who have no voice”.  The authorities tried to jam his radio
transmissions but still he continued and still the people listened.  What kind of gospel would it be,
Romero asked, that did not provoke a crisis in you? Nice, pious
considerations? No, the Gospel is courageous and it makes demands on us, even
to give up our lives.

This was the message of
John the Baptist to his own contemporaries.  John, the lonesome figure, with a
weird wardrobe and weirder diet, ranting and raving at anyone with ears. But
nevertheless a magnetic figure who intrigued people to seek him out and to
follow, and people don’t journey into the wilderness to get insulted;
they don’t become disciples for the wardrobe and diet.  In fact, John made such a deep
impression that word went around that he might be the Christ.  John doesn’t claim to know who the Messiah is; all he knows is
that he is not. That role is for
someone else, greater and more powerful.

In the words of
Archbishop Romero in Advent 1978: “Advent should admonish us to
discover in each brother and sister that we greet……..the face of
Christ.  Then it would not be
possible to rob them, to cheat them, to deny them in their rights.  They are Christ and, whatever is done
to them, Christ will take as done to him.  This is what Advent is: Christ living
among us”.
God Bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Tuesday 19th December        2pm      St Thomas More Carol Service   Priory Street

3pm      Carol Service
at Hospital Refectory

7.30pm  Reconciliation Service
Priory Street

Wednesday 20 December 7.30pm
SVP Meeting      Presbytery

Saturday 23rd December   2-4pm    Parish Children’s
Party  Cardinal Bourne Hall

CHRISTMAS OFFERING: By tradition, the
Offertory collection at all the Christmas Masses is the parishioners’
personal gift to the Clergy.  In
this parish, Fr Joseph and Fr Paul Dynan
are the beneficiaries because what you give at Christmas [and Easter] forms
the main part of their personal annual income.

Thank you.

RECONCILIATION SERVICE IN
PRIORY ST - AND IN THE DEANERY: Tuesday, 19th  December at 7.30pm here at St James the Less, where at least 4 priests will be present
for individual Confessions.  If
you are unable to join us at that time then, for your convenience, the
following Reconciliation Service will be held at 8pm
at Kelvedon on Wednesday, 20th December.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION: Thank you to all who
offered to be Prayer Sponsors for the children.  If you missed out and are interested,
please contact Hywel and Pam Edwards on 867325.  Prayer Sponsors will be contacted
shortly with further information.

PARISH CHILDREN’S
CHRISTMAS PARTY [FREE!!]  All children are invited to the Cardinal Bourne Hall on Saturday 23rd
December from 2pm-4pm.  Parents are asked to bring a plate of
food for sharing and one parent is asked to stay with their children.

POINSETTIAS:  This year we are inviting you to
provide a poinsettia to be put around the crib or sanctuary at St James the
Less during the Christmas season in memory of deceased loved ones.  Please note that each plant should rest
in its own saucer.  Please leave
them in Our Lady’s Chapel.
The flower ladies will then position them once the crib has been
erected.

MASS TIMES FOR  CHRISTMAS MASSES are as follows:

Sunday 24th
December    6.30pm Vigil Mass
Priory
Street

7.30pm Carols followed by 8pm Vigil Mass    Monkwick

11.30pm Carols followed by Midnight Mass     Priory Street

Christmas Day
8.00am Christmas Dawn Mass
Priory Street

8.00am
Carols followed by 8.30am Christmas Dawn

Mass
Mersea

9.00am Carols followed by 9.15am
Mass
Mile End

10.30am Christmas Day Mass
Priory Street

N.B.  There is no Christmas Evening Mass

Mass for the intentions of all Altar Servers in our
parish and their families will be on Tuesday 26th December at 10am.

THE 6.30PM CHRISTMAS EVE
VIGIL MASS: As in the
past, the children will be invited to bring up their gifts of spare pocket
money, which will be  sent to the
Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society after the feast of the Epiphany,
together  with monies collected at
the Crib.

AT HOME – THURSDAY 28th
DECEMBER: The
Community at 48 Priory Street
will be at home on 28th December from after Mass to 12.30pm when there will be Mid-day
Prayer and from 2pm-5pm,
when there will be Evening Prayer in the house. You are warmly invited to
join the Community for coffee or tea and they hope you will bring a friend or
neighbour, new or old.

CAROL SERVICE:  a Carol Service will be held on behalf
of the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society at St James the Less on
Sunday 31st December at 5pm.  All are very welcome.

KARAOKE NIGHT:  Conclude your Christmas celebrations
with a Karaoke Night on January 6th at 7.30pm.
Admission £4 for adults and £2 for children under 14.
Raffle and finger buffet.  Please
bring your own drinks and glasses.

ON TUESDAY 9TH
JANUARY IN THE CARDINAL BOURNE HALL at 7.45PM-
Mr Alan Whelan, retiring
Headmaster of St Benedict’s R.C.College, will
be giving an address on “Issues in Catholic Education” by
invitation of the KSC.  All
parishioners are encouraged to come along to hear what Mr Whelan has to say
on this important subject. Time
will be allocated for questions and discussion.

WINTER RESERVE
ACCOMMODATION PROJECT – Keeping the homeless people off the streets
this winter.  Once again we are appealing for
volunteers to come forward to help in the Cardinal Bourne Hall with up to 6
homeless people for whom the Night Shelter has not got beds and who would
otherwise sleep on the streets. The
first week will be 10th-17th
January 2007.  If
you could help, please phone Tony Dixon on 729453.

A NEW WAY TO HELP COLCHESTER HOMELESS THIS CHRISTMAS: Beacon House has launched an on-line gift
store e.g. – Hair cut £6; Gloves, Hat, Scarf £10; Counselling Session £25 – at www.beaconhouseministries.org.uk.
Select the gift which will be given to a homeless person with a certificate
to prove it; pay securely by debit or credit card or contact BH by phone on
761960.

MERSEA NEWS: Eucharistic Services will recommence on
Ash Wednesday [21st February].  Many thanks to those who have lead
them throughout 2006.

LIVING PRAYER 2007 –
APOSTLESHIP OF PRAYER BOOKLETS are available from the Parish Office. Price £1.25.

BRIDIE KELLY: A longstanding parishioner has recently
moved to live with her daughter, Deirdre, and wishes to pass on her good
wishes and prayers to all who knew her and would be pleased to hear from them.
Tel:  01702-714009.

FRIENDS OF PERU is a support Group for the Sisters of
Mercy in Lima
and we have been in existence for 20 years.  In this time in Colchester
we have raised £105,835 through the sale of Peruvian crafts and various
events.  This year we have raised
£4,160.  Thank you all for
your continued support.  Our next
event will be the Beetle Drive
on February 3rd
2007.  Details to
follow.

DAILY:                                                   Rosary
– 8.40am; Divine
Mercy – 9am

Except Wednesdays  -
then at 11.40am

EVENING PRAYER:
Monday to Friday 5.45pm

PRAYER GROUP:
Mondays in the Crypt – 8pm

MEDITATION GROUP:  N.B. Resumes on Tuesday, 9th
January at 48 Priory

Street - 8pm

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
10am – 11am

SICK PARISHIONERS:  Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Tony
Bickersteth, Sylvina de Britto, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Denisia Gray,
Richard Hadcock, Eileen Head, Michelle Huet, Deirdre Kehoe, Catherine Libby,
Luke McShane, Patrick Quinlivan, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford, Carole Stover.

LITURGY
FOR THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT [C]

December 17th  2006
- “Gaudete”
Sunday

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

Saturday December 16th

Sunday   December 17th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

Mr & Mrs Edward Leary
RIP

Margaret Moriarty RIP

Dorothy Burke RIP

POLISH MASS

West Mersea

6:30
pm

8:30 am

P M O’Sullivan RIP [JC]

Julia and Jack Hoy RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Ted Wilding RIP

Monday
18th          Feria

Church

9:15 am

Cecily Sim RIP

Tuesday 19th

Feria

Church                9:15 am   Special Intention

Wednesday 20

Thursday 21st

Feria

Church   N.B.

Feria

Church

12:15pm

9:15am

Intentions of Gallager
Family

Intentions of McGowan Family

Agnes Chee RIP

Friday 22nd

Feria

Church

9.15
am

Pauline Evans RIP

Roger Bolton RIP

Saturday 23rd

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Norman Fletcher RIP

LITURGY
FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT  [C]

December 17th 2006
– Expectant Mothers

Saturday December 23rd
6:15 pm   Lionel Blanchette RIP

Sunday    December 24th

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30
pm

Ken Herbert RIP

Des Fuller RIP

Canon Thomas Clarke RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Henryk Barbet RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Bob McLaren RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Celestine Tighe
RIP; Bugeja Family 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: Alan Whelan
[549222]

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

The Brentwood Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No.
234092