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

THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

February
18th  2007 A.D.

Dear Friends

Listening to God also means being within earshot of
the afflicted.  Almost fifty years
ago, a young pastor soon realised he could not be
everywhere at once in attending to the needs of his flock so he let it be
known that he would be on call by his phone each evening to just listen.  After a slow start, the numbers grew
until he could no longer manage on his own, and thus The Samaritans were
formed; this counselling service started by the
pastor, Chad Varah, came about because someone
noticed people’s pain.  He
also knew that to be part of a community of faith we must be willing to share
God’s mercy and compassion with one another, not limited to those we
like.  But Jesus does not ask us
to fall in love with our enemies – that would be wholly unrealistic
– but rather to be determined about our enemies’ welfare, to be
stubbornly gracious, to refuse to pay back violence with violence.  Evil can be controlled only by
goodness. This may not reflect conventional wisdom but it is Jesus’
wisdom in action. It was also David’s response to King Saul’s
aggression.  David refuses to let
his companion kill the sleeping Saul but instead takes the spear and pitcher
of water, hoping their absence will speak its own message and David says
“…I would not raise my hand against the Lord’s
anointed”.

Each one of us is anointed and chosen.  Others will only know that by the way we share our
lives with each other, and our attitude to them. No one is beyond the mercy
of God and, if people need proof of that, then maybe it’s to be found
in the way we react to them.

God Bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday 19th February   7:30pm Mercy Associates Meeting
See below

Tuesday 20th February  3-5pm
Parents’ Appointments re STM      Presbytery

“
“
“
2.30-5.30pm  Pancakes
No. 48 Priory Street

Wednesday 21st February
ASH WEDNESDAY
See below

Thursday 22nd February 7pm  Parish Meeting
West Mersea

Friday 23rd February      2-4pm Parents’ Appointments
re STM
Presbytery

“
“
“
7:30pm Stations of the Cross
Priory Street

N.B.  There is no Hospital Mass this month

BAPTISMS: Nathan and Francessca Meehan and Amélie Murray.  God bless these children and congratulations to
their families.

MERCY ASSOCIATES: The next meeting will be held on Monday
19th February at 7.30pm
at Christ Church Court.
[Tel.No. 763049].

SHROVE TUESDAY: The
Community at 48 Priory Street invite you to
call in for pancakes on Shrove Tuesday,
20th February, at anytime between 2.30pm and 5.30pm.  They look forward to seeing you!

ASH WEDNESDAY [February 21st]  AND LENT

Begin the season of Lent with the celebration of Mass.  Please note the changes to times and
places of Mass [together with the distribution of Ashes].

Masses on Ash Wednesday will be  as follows:- 10:00am
Priory Street

11:00am    West
Mersea

7:30pm
Priory Street

STATIONS OF THE CROSS: Will take place at 7:30pm on the Friday evenings during Lent and
we will alternate with St James the Great. The first evening, 23rd
February, will be here at Priory
Street.

A WEEK OF ACCOMPANIED
PRAYER will commence on Sunday
25th February to Sunday
4th March 2007.
The Week will open and close with group sessions, with participants
meeting their prayer companion briefly each weekday.  N.B. There will be no
Meditation Group on Tuesday, 27th February.

TUESDAY LENTEN
LUNCHES:  Will commence on the 27th
February at the United
Reform Church
in Lion Walk.  Lunch will be at 12:15pm followed by prayer at 1.10pm of approximately 20/25
minutes.  The Sisters from 48 Priory Street
will lead the prayer times throughout the whole of Lent.

SCRIPTURE COURSE AT ST
JAMES THE LESS & ST HELEN: How To
read the Old Testament.  Have you
every thought, as you listen to the readings at Mass, “I wish I
knew more about the Bible”?
If this question
is yours, this 10 session introductory course on the bible, led by Sister
Angela Morris, will enable you to discover ways of knowing more an exploring
the significance of the Mass readings for yourself and the rest of the
Christian community.

Dates:  March 7,14,21,28.   April 18,25.  May 2,9,16,23.  Time:
19.00-21.00hrs

Venue:
The Crypt, St James the Less & St Helen.  If you are interested, please contact Sister Angela
on 867296 or email: [email-masked] .

APPLICATIONS TO ST THOMAS MORE’S
SCHOOL– PRIEST REFERENCE FORMS:
The two remaining
dates for interviews with Fr Joseph are on the afternoon of the 20th
and 23rd February.
Some appointments are still available.

THANK YOU FROM THE FRIENDS
OF PERU to all who
supported the recent Beetle
Drive.
£123 was raised, all of which will be sent to the Sisters of
Mercy working with the poor and needy in Lima.
Used greetings cards are still needed for recycling.  Please leave in the box in the Church
Porch.  Thank you.

MERSEA NEWS:  Our Wednesday Eucharistic Service will recommence on
the 28th February at 9.30am
and, during Lent will be preceded by Stations of the Cross.

BRENTWOOD
CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE: Invite
all young people of Year 9+ to join them for a friendly, fun evening that
will challenge the way we look at Lent. The evening runs from 7.30 to 9.30pm at the following venues and dates:

Friday 23rd
February – Conference Room, Cathedral House

Friday 2nd March – St
Teresa’s, Lexden

Friday, 9th
March – St Francis of Assisi, Stratford, E15

Friday 16th
March – Our Lady Help of Christians & St Helen, Westcliff

Friday 23rd March
– St Edmund of Canterbury,
Loughton

If you have any queries, please contact [email-masked] or call 01277 265286.

WALSINGHAM HOUSE OPEN HOUSE
RETREAT: 8pm Friday 30th March – 3pm Sunday 1st
April.  £25.  First weekend of the Easter holiday
and open to all in school year 11 and above.  On the Saturday night and included in
the price is a show, Born For This,
given by a Christian music group, CJM, appearing at Brentwood Cathedral.  Log onto www.walsinghamhouse.org : call
01268 515970

BRENTWOOD
CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S SOCIETY FUNDRAISING EVENTS: Bookings are now being taken for a
charity Bungee Jump. It will take
place on Sunday, 1st April at 10am in Datchet,
Berkshire [close to Heathrow].  If you can raise over £150 in
sponsorship then you get to jump for free!.  Call Nick on 01268 784544 or visit www.bccs.org.uk   Sponsored Walk ON
19TH May in each Deanery, either going to Brentwood Cathedral or
where this is impractical because of distance, circular walks are being
arranged.  Prospective walkers and
Parish Representatives please contact Laura Williams or John Logue on 01268
784544.

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:      [Not 27.2.07]                 Tuesdays,
at 48 Priory St
– 8pm

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
10am – 11am

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

THE
PARISH WEB SITE: For all contact, inclusions etc., please contact

Donald Clarke.  His email
address is: [email-masked]
. Otherwise

Donald may be contacted
via the Presbytery i.e. please leave envelopes for him

REPOSITORY
OPENING TIMES IN THE CARDINAL BOURNE HALL:

Sundays from after the 8am Mass until 12:45pm.

LITURGY
FOR THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

Day
for the Unemployed -  18th February  2007

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

Saturday February 17th

Sunday   February 18th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

4:00 pm

6:30 pm

Matthew O’Toole RIP

Terry Hilton RIP

Tony Rozier RIP

POLISH MASS

Patrick Brogan RIP

West Mersea

8:30 am

Henry Johnson RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Intentions of Pat and Bernie Hegarty

Monday
19th           Feria

Church

9:15 am

Stephen Hilton
RIP [R&AK]

Maureen Byrne
RIP

Tuesday 20th

Shrove
Tuesday

Church                9:15 am
Michael Treby RIP

Wednesday 21

School Mass

Thursday 22nd

Church

Mersea

Church

Church    N.B.

10:00am

11:00am

7:30pm

8:00am

ASH WEDNESDAY

Voltaire Tolosa RIP [A]

Holy Souls RIP

Stephen Hilton [F&B&Family]

THE CHAIR OF ST PETER

Violet Harvey
RIP [A]

Friday 23rd

Friday
after

Church

Ash

9:15am

Stephen Hilton RIP [GMcC]

Wednesday

Margaret Gunton RIP [A]

Saturday 24th

Saturday after     Ash
Wednesday

Church
9:15 am  Stephen Hilton RIP [MrsR&MrsL]

LITURGY
FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT  [C]

February 25th 2007 A.D.

Saturday February 24th                   6:15 pm  Matthew O’Toole RIP

Sunday
February 25th

8:00
am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Patrick Grant RIP

Intentions of Mrs Lucille O’Donel

Parishioners

West Mersea

8:30
am

John Kelly RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Maureen Byrne RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Intentions of Margaret Fitzgerald

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