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

THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY
OF YEAR [C] – November
18th 2007

Dear Friends,

When Robin Williams, in the film “Dead
Poets Society” asks his present pupils what words of wisdom previous old
boys might pass on to them, Williams has to whisper “Carpe Diem”
– seize the day; do not let opportunities pass by; make the most of
your life.  Today’s readings
speak of a “day” – the Day of the Lord.  Malachi warns of punishment for the
wicked; they will be consumed by fire, whereas there will be salvation for
those who trust God.  The early
Christians were anxious to know when the Day of the Lord would be.  Some were so convinced it was imminent
that they stopped bothering about the ordinary tasks and responsibilities of
life and when the Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70AD, many believed the end
was indeed near.  However, the
message from Malachi, St Paul
and Jesus is clear: don’t look to the future, look to the present, to
your life here and now.  We can
all be tempted to live in the future.
Perhaps we long for escape from everyday boredom or drudgery, maybe to
escape from violence and oppression in its various forms, but the challenge
is to allow this day to be a time when the Lord can come with power into our
lives to bring his healing and salvation.  Persevere in faith; don’t let
the tragedies of life hinder you.
Many good people lose their faith when they see evil and suffering.  They cannot see that these questions
are answered by the argument of “freedom of choice” when so many
people in the world have no choice.
No one chooses to die from famine; no one elects to be blown up by a
bomb that has gone astray.  There
are no ready answers to these questions; because
they are our questions too.  There
are times when all our faith can do is to endure and this is what Jesus says
in today’s Gospel.  He has
no quick answers and he calls on his followers to endure in spite of the horror
and the suffering.  If we had the
answers, our faith wouldn’t have to endure.  Today is the Day of the Lord: he comes
precisely in our everyday
lives.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Wednesday
21st November
7pm          SVP
Meeting
Presbytery

No Scripture Course Wednesday 21st
November

Thursday 22nd
November    7.30-9pm   RCIA Meeting
Crypt

Friday 23rd
November
7:30pm      Liturgy
Meeting
Presbytery

Saturday 24th
November  10:30-12:00  Christmas Fayre
Mersea

Sunday 25th
November        2:30pm       Final
Profession – Sr Alice
Church

BAPTISMS
TODAY:  Evelyn
Ayscough, George Cooper and Isabelle Saunders.  God bless these children and
congratulations to their families.

NEW HALL SCHOOL:
Some
girls from New Hall
School have arranged a barbershop
concert on 24th November to raise funds for a World Challenge
community project in Zambia
and Botswana.  Two quartets will be singing
“The Close Shaves” and “The High Heels”.  Tickets are £10 to include food
and a drink.  The Concert will
start at 7pm in the New
Hall Chapel.  For more details
contact Alex Grainger at the School on 01245 467588.

SUNDAY 25TH
NOVEMBER – NATIONAL YOUTH DAY:
Next
weekend there will be a Diocesan second collection for Walsingham House to
enable essential refurbishment to continue and to provide support for young
people to take part in weekend events and trips to Lourdes which they could not otherwise
afford.  Envelopes are available
in the porch this weekend if you prefer to use them.  Gift Aiders
may use their NYS Special Collection envelopes.
Thank you.

MERSEA
NEWS:  A Christmas Fayre will be held at Mersea Church,
Barfield Road,
on Saturday 24th November starting at 10:30am until 12 noon.  If
you need to shop early for Christmas, come along and join us.  Everyone will be welcome.

OUR OWN
PRIMARY SCHOOL CHOIR [ST THOMAS
MORE] will
be performing at the Brentwood Centre on Thursday, 29th
November.  Tickets available from
the Centre on 01277 262612: £8 adults; £4 concessions; Family
Ticket [2 adults, 2 concessions] £18.  A lovely start to Advent - 27 Primary
Schools will be taking part over the two days, 29th and 30th
November.

ESSEX
RECUSANT SOCIETY:  The next meeting will
take place on Saturday 24th November at The Grange, 93 Queens Road, Brentwood at 2.30pm.  Dr Leo Gooch, Hon. Secretary of the
Catholic Record Society, will speak about “The rise and fall of the
house of Radcliffe”.  For
further information contact Isobel Parks on 01268 289678.

THE
CANONESSES OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE at 48 Priory Street, Colchester, would like all
parishioners to know that next Sunday, November 25th,   the Feast of Christ the King,
they will celebrate the Eucharist and Final Profession of Sr Alice at 2:30pm
in the Church of St James the Less and St Helen, Priory Street,
Colchester.  This will be followed
by tea next door in the Cardinal Bourne Hall and, if they would like, Evening
Prayer at 5:30..  All would
be most welcome to come.

EVER ANCIENT,
EVER NEW.  Young women aged 18-35
are invited to consider the beauty of God’s call to religious life,
spending Friday 30th November to Sunday, 2nd December,
the first weekend of Advent, with a new community at Abbotswick
House of Prayer near Brentwood.
For further details, call Sr Camilla or Sr Gabriela on 01277
373959/373848 or visit www.walsinghamcommunity.org

BRENTWOOD
CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S SOCIETY has a few places left for runners in next year’s LONDON MARATHON – Sunday April 13th 2008.  Applications to Claire Mathews at the
Society’s Office – Tel.No: 01268 784544
by no later than 7th December 2007.
This is an excellent way to raise much needed funds for the
Society and perhaps achieve an ambition!

A CHORAL
AND ORCHESTRAL CONCERT will be held on Saturday 15th December at 7pm in Brentwood Cathedral to
celebrate Andrew Wright, Director
of Music’s 25 years with the Diocese. Tickets - £10 adults;
£9 senior citizens;
£5 child/student – available from the Music Office,
Cathedral House, Ingrave Road, Brentwood, CM15 8AT.  Cheques
payable to Brentwood Cathedral Music.  Please enclose an S.A.E.

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, Alwyn Stains,
Carole Stover, Peggy Wilding.

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

NOVEMBER
DEAD LIST:  Please put only names of
loved ones to be prayed for in the jar before the altar -  NOT MONEY.  Book Masses via Diana as usual, and the
Masses will be celebrated on a first come, first served basis.

Thank you.
Fr Joseph

APF RED
BOXES:  Another
reminder to please take your emptied boxes from the porch.  Thank you.

ROAD
CLOSURES: Sundays,
November 18th; December 16th.  Details in the Porch.

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.

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 contact the Parish Office.

LITURGY FOR THE THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

November 18th 2007 A.D. – Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their
Dependants

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

Saturday  November 17th

Sunday
November 18th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

4:00
pm

6:30
pm

Ron Walker RIP

Patrick and Mary
O’Donnell RIP

Intentions of the Kotarski
Family

POLISH MASS

Vito Anzalone RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile
End

9:15
am

Stan Collister RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Heather and Frank Mills RIP

Monday 19th
Feria

Tuesday 20th

Church               9:15 am  Salvina de Brito
RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am  Dec’d
Relatives/Friends of Mrs Bogue

Wednesday 21

The Presentation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary

Church
12:15
pm  Kevin Doyle RIP

Thursday 22nd

Friday 23rd

Saturday 24th

St Cecilia, V.M.

Church               9.15
am   Kenneth Herbert RIP

Feria

Church                9:15am  William and Ada
Hannaford RIP

Ss Andrew Dung-Lac, Pr.
& Comps. Mm

Church
9.15
am  Mrs
Aleykutty George RIP

LITURGY FOR THE FEAST OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST THE KING[C]

NOVEMBER 25th 2007  A.D.   – YOUTH DAY

Saturday  November 24th

Sunday    November 25th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

2:30 pm

6:30 pm

Dec’d Relatives/Friends of
Margaret Barker

Intentions of Sr Alice
and her family

Parishioners

Final Profession of Sr
Alice

Mr & Mrs Milford RIP & Lionel Wright RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Henry Johnson RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Domitila and Paula RIP [CD]

Monkwick

10:15
am

Kevin Brennan 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

Vocations                                             www.brentwoodvocations.org

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092