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

THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF
EASTER  [A] April 20th  2008

Dear Friends,

The Eden project
in Cornwall
is an environmental centre where plant life of all climates is recreated in
all its varied glory.  The project
aims to communicate with everyone, from the casual visitor to the scientific
researcher.  Indeed in its first
year it was a great success but the needs of the botanists who required time
for care and research did not coincide with the influx of visitors.  Twice the number of
workers were employed than had been expected and it was difficult to
find the time to team build and progress the project’s vision.  The time of the early Church was one
of great ferment and growth.  The
speed of development often clashed with the need to maintain the purity of
vision and, like Jesus, rejection was a common experience for the early
Christians who adapted to new demands by looking for signs of faith and the
Spirit in their members.  The
readings today elaborate this choice still further.  As the community expands,
responsibilities have to be shared.
The first deacons were selected to take on the practical concerns of
pastoral care while the apostles dedicated themselves to prayer and the
service of the Word.  The
qualifications for this diaconate were summed up in the person of Stephen, a
man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.  We need the same qualities to be
active Christians.  We are then
true followers of Our Lord, who is the Way, Truth and the Life.  The approaching feast of Pentecost is
a time for reflecting on the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how they help us
create community.  The needs of
Christian communities today differ throughout the world, but they still
require the same openness to the Spirit in their members, whether it’s
the vibrancy of the Church in Africa with the challenge of poverty and
disease, or the strong attack on religion from the secularist perspective in
Europe and the West, coupled with the shortage of vocations here.

God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Wednesday 23rd  April
7-9pm    Scripture
Course
Crypt

Friday 25th April
7.30pm    Liturgy Meeting
Presbytery

Saturday 26th April
10-12   FHC
Children
Hall and Crypt

RECENTLY
DECEASED:  Please pray for the repose of the soul of Mrs Doris Murphy who has recently
died. Her Requiem will take place on Monday, 28th April at 11:45am at Priory Street.  May she rest in peace.

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX GREGORIAN CATHOLIC SOCIETY:  Next weekend there will
be an appeal on behalf of this Society at all Masses.  Joe Olding,
the President, writes: “We are a self-funded Catholic Society, who have
been successfully and actively involved in promoting awareness and
understanding of our Catholic faith: campaigning for current justice and
peace issues and creating a very warm and cohesive Catholic community at the
University for a great number of years.
The Catholic chaplaincy receives no outside financial support and it
is the efforts of the Gregorian Society that support the work and activities
of the chaplaincy.  Neither the
university nor the union provide the chaplaincy with any fund
whatsoever.”  The Society
are well aware of the number of appeals requested of any parish and are very
grateful for this opportunity to make a one-off appeal.

EXPOSITION
& ROSARY: Divine Mercy Prayers
in Church next Sunday, 2.30pm – 4pm.  Anyone interested in coming to Poland
from 12th May
2008 can come along to prayers and hear about the pilgrimage too.

TABLE
QUIZ:   The Knights of St Columba are
holding a table quiz in the Cardinal Bourne Hall, Priory Street, at 7:45pm after Mass on
Saturday, 26th April.
All proceeds will go to the Brentwood Catholic Youth Service.  Tickets £4.50 including light
refreshments.  There will be a
non-alcoholic bar but you are welcome to bring your own alcoholic
drinks.  Call Ron on 797850 to
book or just turn up on the evening.

FR DOMINIC – BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC YOUTH SERVICE – WRITES: As a result of personal
circumstances changing, two of our young people have had to drop out of the
trip to World Youth Day, Sydney. If you are a young person in school year 12
or above (aged 17+ in the summer) who may be able to travel, please could you
let me know as soon as possible and no later than 25th April.
Call me direct - 01268 696610 or email
me [email-masked]

The
dates for the trip are 8th - 23rd July, with the option of staying in Australia
afterwards. The fully inclusive cost is £1750.  While writing, just a note that we have just twenty places left now for the Summer Lourdes
trip, for those aged 15-18 (school year 10+). All the details
and application forms are on www.bcys.net It
is likely that these places will go in the next two or three weeks. The fully
inclusive cost of the trip is £450; we travel on 24th July, return on
2nd August.

THE SOCIAL
COMMITTEE:  Invites you to a meeting
on Sunday, 4th May, after 10.30 Mass in the Priests’
House.  Your energy, ideas and
assistance would be most welcome in arranging Parish events in the coming
year.  People of all age groups
are welcome and it won’t take too much of your time.  We look forward to meeting you. Best
wishes
Frances and friends.

NEW HALL SCHOOL
OPEN DAY:   On Monday 5th May from
9:30am – 12:30pm.  Full
details of both the Preparatory School and Senior School
can be found on the poster in the porch.

THE
NEXT BAPTISM COURSE - has
been arranged: on Friday 9th May and Friday 23rd
May in the Crypt from 7:30pm to 9pm.
Both sessions must be
attended.   There is no need to make an appointment
just turn up. This Course will include all baptisms during the summer period,
i.e. up to the end of September.

VACANCY
– DEPUTY HEADTEACHER:  St Alban’s
Primary School,
Hornchurch.  Due to promotion, the Governors wish to
appoint an enthusiastic and motivated Catholic Deputy Headteacher
for September 2008.  For further
information, please contact the school office on 01708 555644. Closing date: 25th April 2008.

VACANCY
– CLASS TEACHER: St Anne Line Catholic
Junior School,
Wickhay, Basildon.  A very good classroom practitioner with
1-4 years teaching experience is required for September 2008.  …”The school engenders
great proactive support for anyone taking on new aspects of their
role”. Investor in People-March
2008.  Contact Martin Larrett, Headteacher, on 01268
470444.

SPONSORED
WALK:  Would all who sponsored
Ronnie Hammond please give the money as soon as possible.   Thank you.

A MARRIAGE
ENCOUNTER WEEKEND: gives married couples time to look at their relationship.  It is not for couples with serious
problems.  It is an enrichment
experience.  There are a series of
presentations on various aspects of relationship.  Apart from mealtimes and the concluding
Mass, the weekend is spent together as a couple.  It is a private weekend with no group
discussions. The next weekend reasonably convenient for this Diocese is
Friday 20th June to Sunday 22nd June at the Emmaus
Centre, West Wickham, Kent.  Leaflets and posters are at the back
of the church or visit
www.wwme.org.uk. To book.
Weekends for engaged couples are also available.

SICK
PARISHIONERS: Please pray for Emily Begg, June Bickersteth, Marie Dixon, John Fisher, Anne Gardiner, Denisia Gray, Maria Hanak,
Eileen Head, Michelle Huet, Deirdre Kehoe,
Catherine Libby, Sheila Parsons, Mary
and Harry Pink, John Rae, Sheila Shillingford, Alwyn Stains, Carole Stover, Peggy Wilding, Chetty Zammit.

Please be reminded that, because of the
Data Protection Act, we are not advised by hospital staff of Catholic
inpatients. If you have family or friends who have been admitted to
hospital and who would like a visit, do let one
of the priests know.

DAILY:
Rosary
8:35am; Divine Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11:30am]

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

PRAYER
GROUP:                    Mondays at 8pm in the Crypt

MEDITATION
GROUP:        Tuesdays
at 8pm at No.48 Priory Street

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays 10am – 11am

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 let us know in writing.

GIFT AID: You are reminded that the
new set of envelopes are available for collection in
the church porch. Please do collect them.  Also, if you have taken a Gift Aid
Application form for completion, please return it to the Parish Office,
marked for the attention of John Ross.

If you are a tax payer and wish to donate by way
of Gift Aid - at no cost or inconvenience to yourself - please contact John
Ross, the Co-ordinator on 366077.

LITURGY FOR THE FIFTH
SUNDAY OF EASTER [ A]

April 20th 2008 A.D

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

Saturday  April 19th

Sunday
April 20th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

4:00
pm

6:30
pm

Compton Pooran
RIP

Tommy Lennon RIP

Intentions of William and Family

POLISH MASS

Enid Miranda RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Bridie Fitzmartin

Mile
End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15 am

Peter Hansbury RIP

Monday 21st

Feria

Church               9:15 am   Poor Souls RIP

Helen Lydon RIP

Tuesday 22nd

Feria

Church               9:15 am   Margaret Parkinson RIP

Wednesday 23

Thursday 24th

Friday 25th

Hospital

Saturday 26th

ST GEORGE, M. Patron of England

Church              12:15pm   Sidney & Rose Castell
RIP

St George Patron of Scouts [via Fr Philip]

Intentions of Sarah Crowe

St Mellitus, Bp

Church
N.B.      8:00 am   Intentions of Katty Henry

ST MARK, Evangelist

Church               9:15 am   Helen Lydon
RIP

Chapel
12 noon   Tony Murphy RIP

Feria

Church
9:15 am  Family/Friends of the late Florence
Fuller

LITURGY FOR THE SIXTH
SUNDAY OF EASTER  [A]

April 27th 2008 A.D.

Saturday  April 26th

Sunday    April 27th

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Mickey Barrett RIP

Florence and Albert Fuller RIP

Intns. Mary
Morrissey & Family

Eileen Pooran RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

Patricia Marchant RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Jack and Kathleen Brown
RIP

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION   Saturday 10:00-11:00 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]

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

Vocations                                               www.brentwoodvocations.org

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092