ST. JAMES
THE LESS AND ST.
HELEN

CATHOLIC CHURCH, Colchester

with

Mersea, Mile End and
Monkwick

Fr  Anthony  McKentey

Fr
Neil
Brett

Fr
Philip Willenbrock

51 Priory
Street , Colchester, Essex,
CO1 2QB

Tel:
01206 866317;   Fax  01206 791213

E-Mail      [email-masked]

www.stjamesthelessandsthelen.org

THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF
ADVENT

December 19th 2010

My
dear friends,

We have now come to the final days of Advent when
the Gospels tell us of the immediate events leading to the birth of
Christ.  We turn to the second
Advent preface which speaks about Our Lady bringing Christ into the world
with “a love beyond all telling”.  May she be with us as we prepare to
welcome Christ on his Birthday.

Whether you
are going away or staying with us in the Parish, we wish you a very happy
celebration of Christmas so we include, again, the times of our Christmas
Services.

Masses at Priory Street on Christmas Eve are the 6pm Vigil Mass; Midnight Mass begins with carols at 11:30pm and then 8am & 10:30am on Christmas morning.  There is a Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve
at 8pm [preceded by carols at 7:30pm] at St Theodore’s, Prince Philip
Road, Monkwick; on Christmas morning at St Cedd & St Gregory, Barfield
Road, West Mersea – carols at 8:30am with Mass beginning at 9am; and at
St Joseph’s, Mill Road, Mile End, Mass at 9:15am with carols beginning
at 9am.

Next Sunday, the Feast of the Holy Family, all
Masses are at the usual times, as you will see on the Newsletter.   On the Bank Holidays, December
27th and 28th, Mass will be at 10am.

A very happy Christmas to you from all your
priests

Fr Tony, Fr Neil and Fr Philip

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Please see
Newsletter/External Notice Board for Christmas Services

DAILY:   Morning
Prayer 8:15am; Rosary/Divine
Mercy 8:35am. [Wed. 11:15am]

PRAYER
GROUP    [Not 27th December]      Mondays @ 8pm in the Crypt

MEDITATION
GROUP:  [Not 28th
“    ]        Tuesdays @ 8pm in the Crypt

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays @ 9.45am – 10.30am

SICK:  Please remember in your prayers: June Bickersteth, Joan Boyden, Nancy Drummond, Salvatore
Morreale, Bridie Murphy, Baby Leah Patterson, Hector
Silva.

CHRISTMAS OFFERING:  The
Offertory Collection at all the Christmas Masses is, by tradition, the
parishioners’ personal gift to the Clergy.  In this parish, Fr Tony and Fr Neil
are the beneficiaries, since this collection forms the main part of their
personal annual income. There are separate envelopes for those who do not use
Gift Aid ones.   Thank you.

“100 CLUB”: An additional Christmas Draw will take place after the 10:30 Mass today with 5 prizes,
ranging from £100 to £15.
Reminder letters for 2011 Renewals will be sent shortly.

CONGRATULATIONS: To St
Thomas More School for their achievement in being
first in the League Tables.  Well
done!

THANK YOU: To everyone who came to our Carol Service.  Over £500 was raised for the
Organ Restoration Fund during a very pleasant evening.

THANK YOU:  From the flower ladies team at Priory Street for
your very generous contribution last weekend for Christmas flowers.

RECENTLY
DECEASED:  Please pray for the
repose of the soul of Glyn Wykes who has recently
died.  May they rest in peace.  His  funeral takes place at Colchester
Crematorium on Friday, 24th December at 11a.m.

CHRISTMAS
VIGIL MASS : During the 6pm Family Vigil Mass on Christmas
Eve we would encourage the children to come dressed in Nativity costume - we
are looking to fill the church with Marys,
Josephs, Donkeys, Angels,
Innkeepers and characters of all kinds to add to our celebration.
[Please hold off the King costumes until Sunday 2nd January ...] Thank
you.

BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC
CHILDREN'S SOCIETY :
A special collection will be taken during the 6pm Vigil Mass to be added to
the Crib Collection.  During the remaining days of Advent children,
young and old, are asked to save their change and wrap as presents to be
brought forward during Mass.
Thank you.

FIRST
HOLY COMMUNION : Congratulations
to the 51 children enrolled on this year's Programme.  For further
information contact Hywel & Pam Edwards on 867325

MASS
FOR VOCATIONS: On
29th December at 11:30am at Holy
Trinity Church, Wickhay, Basildon, SS15 5AD.  Afterwards, you are warmly invited to lunch
with the Diocesan seminarians and those discerning vocation to the
Priesthood. For the sake of catering, please let Fr
Dominic know if you are coming on 01268 553425 or [email-masked]

WORLD YOUTH DAY:  The cost can put people off; just to be
clear that it is an all-in price, and includes the WYD registration fee
(itself just over £200) and 14 days abroad, including four nights with
a Spanish host family, and seven nights in a world class hostel located in
central Madrid. All travel, accommodation and meals are included, as is
insurance. WYD really is a life changing experience in terms of how it
affirms and deepens the faith for many of those attending. There are just
nine places left on the Youth Service trip.

Brentwood Catholic Youth Serv:  Email [email-masked]
or call 01277 265286

WINTER RESERVE ACCOMMODATION PROJECT [WRAP]; Keeping homeless people off the street this winter: Can you help?  The relevant weeks for our Parish are 12th-19th January 2011 and 9th-16th
February 20. It will be necessary for volunteers to sleep in the Hall
overnight but for full information please ring 01206 549 885 and speak
to Pernille.

OFFICIAL DVD
OF THE PAPAL VISIT 2010: Retail price £9.99
but discounted price for parishes of £5.99. There is a poster in the
porch at Priory Street
and at the Mass centres.   Please put your name on the list if you
wish to order a copy.

VACANCY:
For a Senior Science Lab Technician at St
Bonaventure’s Catholic
Comprehensive School,
Forest Gate from January 2011.
Full details on poster in the porch.  Job description, application letter
and form available on the school website www.stbons.org
.  Closing date 12-1-11.

TASTE AND
SEE EVENT:  For those practising
Catholic teachers, or a practising Christian from another denomination, who are
presently not teaching in Catholic schools.  On Saturday, 29th January 2011 at
the Homerton Conference Centre, Hills Road, Cambridge.
Full details on the poster in the porch and the event is
being funded by the National
College supporting
succession planning in both Anglican and Catholic dioceses.

PARISH
FOOTBALL TEAM - we were brought down
to earth when we lost heavily to Frinton Free Church last weekend. The final
score was 13 (thirteen) - 1! We did score the best goal of the match though -
our regular hot shot Andrew Springford scored
straight from the kick off towards the end.

NEW TO THE PARISH?:  Please introduce yourself to one of the priests after Mass, complete a
registration form [on the big table in the porch] and return it to the Parish
Office.  Please also advise the
Parish Office if you move within or out of the Parish.

PARISH WEB
SITE: For all inclusions, contact [email-masked]

LITURGY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY
OF ADVENT [A] -  Breviary Week 4

19th December 2010

Saturday December 18th
Sunday   December 19th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Frederick, Elizabeth
& Angelo Lucas RIP

Geoffrey and Beatrice Foley RIP

Joseph Hawken RIP

Dan Sheridan RIP

Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

Derrick Foley RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Ted Wilding RIP &
Maria Lumsden RIP

Monday 20th

Feria

Church
7:30 am   Intentions of Mary O’Connell

Church      9:15 am   Helen Lydon
RIP

Tuesday 21st

Feria

Church     9:15 am    Dorothy Burke RIP

Wednesday
22nd

Feria

Church      7:30
am   Intentions of Angela

Church     12:15 pm  D/Rels:
Zlocki and Paul Families RIP

Thursday 23rd

Feria

Church:     9:15 am   Fr Cornelius Moynihan RIP

Friday 24th

Evening

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Des Fuller RIP

THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
THE LORD

Church      6:00
pm   Frederick, Elizabeth
& Angelo Lucas RIP

Monkwick  8:00 pm   Celestine Tighe
RIP& Bugeja Family RIP

Church     Midnight   Cecily Sim RIP

Saturday 25th        CHRISTMAS
DAY – HOLYDAY OF
OBLIGATION

Church
8:00 am  Dermot & Margaret
Moriarty RIP

Church       10:30 am  Agnes Chee RIP

Church
1:00 pm
POLISH MASS

Mersea        9:00 am  Holy Souls RIP

Mile
End      9:15 am  Fred & Greta Knight RIP

LITURGY FOR THE HOLY
FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY &
JOSEPH [A]

26thDecember
2010

Sunday   December  26th

8:00
am

John Lowe RIP

10:30am

Intentions of Jay Family

6:30
pm

Special Intention [JH]

West Mersea

8:30
am

Thomas & Bridie Smith RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Leo Foley RIP

Monkwick

10:15am

Parishioners

SACRAMENT
OF RECONCILIATION      Saturday 9:45-10:30am
and 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]

www.marriagecare.org.uk   or 0800 389 3801.
www.brentwoodvocations.org

The Brentwood Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No.
234092