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 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY
OF THE YEAR [B] September 20th
2009 A.D.

This weekend we welcome Bishop Thomas McMahon to our parish.  During his visit he will be confirming
31 members of our parish community, including 4 adults.  Bishop Thomas
is celebrating his 50th year of ordination to the priesthood (the
actual ordination anniversary date is the 28th November).

His first parish placement was to this
community in 1959 and he stayed here for five years before moving to Westcliff !

I know that, for Bishop
Thomas, his visit will bring back many happy memories of
his ministry spent here.  I am
sure that with your prayers and encouragement, he will once again enjoy his
visit to Colchester.

Children
have a way of expressing their own limited insights, unaided by the
delicacies of language which can disguise adult thinking.  Their complete dependence on grown-ups
makes them frank about their needs.
So much has to be done for them, so much has
to be shared with them.  Their
attitude of trust is necessary for survival.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus brings
a child to centre stage and instructs his disciples “Anyone who
welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and anyone who
welcomes me welcomes not me, but the one who sent me”.  In this instance Jesus doesn’t
ask His disciples to become like
children; He asks His disciples to welcome
them.  Jesus offers a
permanent challenge to His followers to welcome the powerless, to take to
heart the weakest members of the community.  He places Himself in their
company.  Their vulnerability is
something that Jesus not only shares, but values.

God bless

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

PRAYER
GROUP:                                           Mondays  at 8pm in the Crypt

MEDITATION
GROUP:                                   Tuesdays
at 8pm in the Crypt

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
at 9:45am – 10:30am

Fr Francisco Ntanda : This week we say farewell to Fr Francisco. He became a member of our parish
community last September.  He has
completed a year-long course at Essex
University and will now continue his
studies at Strathclyde University, Glasgow.  We thank him for his help in the
parish and especially with the celebration of Sunday Masses.  Within the presbytery we shall miss
his companionship, support and his sense of humour.  We pray that his stay in Glasgow will be
successful and that he will continue to enjoy his studies there.

FR WIDY
:  Fr Widy has
now completed his final thesis and this was submitted to Essex University
two weeks ago.  At the moment, he
is still resident in Indonesia,
but he will soon return to this country in order to defend his work.  No actual date has been given for
this, but Fr Widy thinks that it is likely to take
place fairly soon.  Please
continue to keep him in your prayers.

CHOIR FESTIVAL: We are very pleased this year to be hosting the Royal School of
Church Music Festival at Brentwood Cathedral.     We
already have several of our Parish Choirs taking part and it would be
great if we could have a few more.     It is a really
enjoyable occasion. The Choir Leaders meeting is on Monday, 21st September.  Please contact the Diocesan Music
Office on (01277) 265288 for further details.

New Hall
School Open Day

The Principal, staff and students of New Hall
School are delighted to
invite you and your family to an Open Day on Saturday 26th
September from 9.00-12.30 pm.

New Hall, founded in 1642, is one of the oldest
and largest Catholic independent schools in the country.

Please visit www.newhallschool.co.uk for more
information.

CELEBRATION
MASS: A Mass celebrating marriage and family life
is to be held in Brentwood Cathedral on Sat.
26th September at 3.30
pm, to which all couples and families are invited.

Praise & Worship
Evening
at the SION Community, Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, will take place this
month on Sunday, 27th  September , 7.30 to 9.00pm.  Everyone welcome.

BAPTISM
COURSE:   The next Baptism Course has been
arranged and will take place on Mondays, 12th and 19th
October at 7:30pm in the Crypt. This Course is for all those wishing to have
a child [of up to 6 years] baptised in the months up to and including December.  If you wish to present a child for
Baptism, please note that both sessions must be attended.  There is no need to make an
appointment.

FORTY HOURS
ADORATION

This will take place in the church of the
Immaculate Conception, 11 Church Hill, Epping, CM16 4RA.  It begins with Mass at 8 p.m. on Friday 2nd
October, and ends at noon
on Sunday 4th October, with Mass which begins at 11 a.m.

All are invited to respond to the invitation of
Jesus: “Could you not watch one hour with Me?”

Dates for your diary:

Caring for God's Creation

Prayer
theme for week 4- 10 October.

Evening
prayer Friday 9th October (time tbc);

Saturday
10th Oct talk by Michael Fox plus reflection and
discussion: Hall and Church.  Full
details to follow

FRIENDS OF PERU : A snail race will be held on 31st
October.  More details to follow

KNIGHTS OF
ST COLUMBA : The Rosary will be said at 7.30
pm on the following dates during October :

Tuesday 6th at Priory Street
Friday 23rd at Greenstead

Tuesday 13th at Priory Street
Wednesday 28th at Lexden

SVP OUTING
– TUESDAY, 6TH OCTOBER:   The SVP is arranging an outing to
Brick
Lane Music Hall on this day. Tickets are £30, which
includes the Matinée, Afternoon Tea and
Coach.  For full details and to
book call Anna on 242170 or Ann on 844914.

THE GIFT AID ORGANISER
WRITES…

The parish has recently received, from Her Majesty's
Revenue and Customs, its rebate on offerings made by members of the Gift Aid
scheme during the 2008-9 tax year.
It amounts to a total of £17,300, and is a very timely boost to parish
funds.  Many
thanks to all members of the scheme for their valued support.  If you are a tax-payer, and feel you
would like to join Gift Aid, why not contact me on (01206) 795623 or go to [email-masked]  for details of  this painless method of enhancing
your weekly offerings.  Thanks to
all once again.

ENRICH YOUR
MARRIAGE:  A Marriage Encounter
Weekend gives married couples time to look at their
relationship.  The weekend is
spent listening to a series of presentations on various aspects of
relationship, including the Catholic Church’s Vision for Marriage.  After each presentation, some time is
spent together as a couple, reflecting on what has been heard.  It is a private weekend, with no group
discussions.

The next weekend will be held at The Node, Codicote, Hertfordshire on 23-25
October 2009.  If you are
interested, please call Caroline and Michael L’Estrange on 01277 841051
or go to www.wwme.org.uk, through which
you can also arrange a booking.

IF YOU ARE
NEW TO THE PARISH: please introduce yourself to one of the priests after Mass.  A registration form [on the table in
the porch] will need to be completed.
If you are moving within or out of the parish, please let the parish
office know.

THE PARISH
WEB SITE:  For all contact,
inclusions etc, please get in touch with Don
Clarke.  His email address is [email-masked]

LITURGY FOR THE TWENTY-FIFTH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [B]

September 20th 2009  A.D

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

Saturday September 19th

Sunday   September 20th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

4:00
pm

6:30
pm

Pat Murray RIP

Alan Walker RIP

Parishioners

POLISH MASS

Ints. of Miss Ria and Family

West Mersea

8:30
am

Jack and Julia Hoy RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Gordon van Sentima RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Private Intention

Monday  21st

St Matthew –
Apostle & Evangelist - Feast

Church      9:15 am  Canon John Bloomfield
RIP

Intentions of Cesar and Agneda

Ken Boughton RIP

Tuesday
22nd

Feria

Church      9:15 am  Joan Hodskinson RIP

Wednesday
23rd

St Pius of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio) - Pr.
and Rel.  Mem’l

Church      12.15
pm  Deirdre Kennedy RIP (AB)

Thursday 24th

Our Lady of Walsingham – Nat’l Memorial

NB – NO MASS

Friday  25th

Feria

Church      9:15
am   Deirdre
Kehoe RIP

Saturday  26th       Feria

Church      9.15 am   Jan Praztak
RIP

LITURGY FOR THE TWENTY-SIXTH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [B]

September 27th
2009 A.D.

Saturday September 26th

6.15.pm

Pat Murray RIP

Sunday 27th September

8.00 am

Parishioners

10.30 am

Int’s of Rhona
Allard

6.30 pm

Jamie Claxon RIP

West Mersea

8.30 am

Fr Andrew Hurley (EG)

Mile End

9.15.am

Private Intention

Monkwick

10.15 am

Private Intention

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