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

TWENTY- NINTH SUNDAY OF YEAR [C] – October
21st   2007

Dear Friends,

When people are persistent but seem to have
little chance, we wonder why they bother.  Persistence is often regarded in our
society not as a virtue but as a vice.
Some people refuse to take no for an answer and hope that their
persistence will pay off in the long run.  Sometimes it does.  In today’s first reading we have
a dramatic example of an endurance test.
Joshua is sent off to engage the enemy while Moses stays with his
prayer until the enemy is defeated.
Even if his companions cheat a little by propping him up, his
perseverance spells the first military victory for Israel.  The widow in the parable is held up as
a model for the disciple in prayer.
The message is: keep on praying, be persistent.  But the unjust judge does not stand
for God.  Jesus is not saying that
God is reluctant to answer prayer.
He is contrasting God with
the unjust judge. God’s desire to help is being contrasted with the
unjust judge’s reluctance to help.
When we persist in our prayer we are expressing our faith in
God’s willingness and desire to help us; we are affirming our belief in
God’s goodness, we are acknowledging our dependence on God for
everything we have and everything we are. Jesus is very realistic about
prayer.  He understands how we
often reach out in prayer when we are desperate; when someone we love is
seriously ill we bombard heaven.
The more prayers, the better.
We have no doubt about what we want and we have no difficulty in
asking for it.  That kind of
prayer - when we pester God and go on pestering him - is just the kind of
prayer which Jesus urges his followers to pray.  It’s not inferior; it’s
not selfish; it’s the foundation of all prayer.  We are praying for the person we love
to get better; we are appealing to God precisely for that.  We are taking Jesus at this word when
we pray: “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you.”
Like the widow in the parable, we know what we want and we simply go
on asking God for it.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Wednesday
24th                      7-9pm          Scripture Course
Crypt

“
“
7pm
SVP Meeting                  Presbytery

N.B.  NO RCIA Meeting this week [Half Term]

Saturday
27th
11am-3:30pm          Day
of Reflection
Hall

WORLD
MISSION DAY:  We are asked to join all
the Catholic communities and parishes around the world by offering our
prayers and material help in countries where the Church is new, young or
poor.  Next week there will be a
second collection and envelopes are available in the porch today if you wish
to use them next week.   All
donations may be Gift Aided.  The
APF “red boxes” are another method of giving material support on
an ongoing basis.  APF –
Association for the Propagation of the Faith – is the only organization
which provides regular support for EVERY mission diocese in the world.

THE HOLY
FATHER’S MISSION INTENTION FOR
OCTOBER:  That World Mission Sunday may enkindle
a greater missionary awareness among all the baptised.

DAY OF REFLECTION
– 27th OCTOBER:  Next Saturday’s Day
of Reflection is an opportunity to stop and be quiet for a few hours, before
the end of summer rushes headlong into Christmas.  The theme is God’s Call to us in
our daily lives.  We start at 11am in the Cardinal Bourne Hall
and finish about 3:30pm.
Please bring a packed lunch.  Poster in Church porch.   Sr Helen and Valerie Quinlivan.

PRO-LIFE MARCH:  This event, together with an ecumenical
service at Westminster Cathedral, marks the 40th anniversary of
the passing of the Abortion Act.
It takes place on the 27th October starting at 2pm at College Green [opposite the
House of Lords] where there will be a number of speakers.  It will then leave along Victoria Street
to the Cathedral and will be stewarded by the Knights of St Columbia.    The service will be led by
Cardinal Cormack Murphy-O’Connor with a number of other church
leaders.  A coach will leave Brentwood, and the fare, subsidised
by the Diocesan Commission for Justice & Social Responsibility, is
£3.  For more details,
contact the CJSR – 01277 265252 or visit www.dioceseofbrentwood.net/jsr

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 3rd
November.  All proceeds to our
many called on funds to help others.
Tickets are £4 including light refreshments.  We will have 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.

YOUTH NEWS:
CAFOD
are running a weekend for young people interested in action for justice,
helping them to be more involved as CAFOD volunteers, at Walsingham House
from 2nd – 4th November.  For more information, call Sarah at
the Youth Office on 01277 265286 or email
[email-masked]

THE SHRINE
OF THE HOLY ROOD AT DOVERCOURT:  Parishioner, John Ashdown-Hill, will be
giving an illustrated talk on Thursday 8th November at the Anglican church of All Saints in
Dovercourt – the site of the medieval shrine.  [Not the Catholic Church of OL Queen
of Heaven].  The church will be
open from 7:30pm. The
talk starts at 7:45pm.
For more detail, see poster in the porch.

OASIS OF
PEACE [MEDJUGORJE] DAY IN EPPING:  On Saturday,
November 10th with Fr Seamus Keenan at 18 Kendal Avenue, Epping,
Essex, CM16 4PW from 10.30am to 4pm.
Includes Mass, Adoration and Rosary.  “Bring and Share” lunch –
drinks provided.  Contact Susan on
01992 575017 or [email-masked]

MONKWICK
NEWS:  A coffee morning and table top sale
will be held at Monkwick on Thursday, 15th November from 10am to
12 noon.  All welcome.

“TAKE
AND READ” WEEKEND: A weekend to get to know the Bible better, and to explore Catholic
teaching on the Bible at Abbotswick House of Prayer
from Friday evening 16th November to Sunday lunchtime 18th.  Cost £150. To book, contact
Clive Thomas on 01277 265289 or [email-masked]

ST THOMAS
MORE SCHOOL CHOIR are performing on Thursday 29th November at
the Brentwood Centre.  Full
details on the poster in the porch.
All proceeds will go to Brentwood Catholic Children’s
Society and Brentwood
Catholic Youth Service.

MERSEA
NEWS:  Many thanks to Judy
Cooper for hosting our last coffee morning of the year. The Christmas Fayre on Saturday 24th November is the next
event, starting in the church at 10:30am.  Hope to see you there.

FRIENDS OF
PERU can
use used greetings cards for recycling.
Please leave in the Church Porch.
Thank you.

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, Colleen Thurlow, Carole Stover.

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

FINANCES
UPDATE:  August: Average weekly collection
£2280; CAFOD £974; Donation £100. Paid out £2500 to
Diocese.  September: Average weekly collection £2120; CAFOD
£956; Donation to refurbishment fund £400; St Barnabas collection
£730.  We paid out
£350 – parking barrier at Priory Str;
Garden clearance £80; Anglian Water
£500 [all sites are fitted with meters]; £2500 to the Diocese.

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 TWENTY-NINTH  SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

World Mission
Day – October 21st  2007
A.D.

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

Saturday  October 20th

Sunday
October 21st

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

4:00
pm

6:30
pm

Intentions of Rosaleen
Campbell

Kevin Doyle RIP

Holy Souls RIP

POLISH MASS

Dec. Rels: Brogan/Owens
Families RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Holy Souls RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

David Bartholomew RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Parishioners

Monday 22nd
Feria

Tuesday 23rd

Church               9:15
am  Michael Piquet Wicks RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am  Peter Smith RIP

Wednesday 24th

Feria

Church
12:15 pm Bridget and Michael Brady RIP

Thursday  25th

Friday 26th

Gen.
Hospital

Saturday 27th

Feria

Church               9.15
am  Vivienne, Hugh and
Patricia RIP

St Cedd,
Bp, Secondary Co-Patron of the Diocese

Church                9:15am  Intentions of Peggy and
Maria [TW/JB]

Chapel
12:00       Intentions of the Patients

Feria

Church
9.15
am  Frederick, Elizabeth &
Angelo Lucas RIP

LITURGY FOR THE THIRTIETH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

OCTOBER 28th 2007 A.D.

Saturday  October 27th

Sunday  October 28th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

6:30
pm

D/Rels: Lavery/O’Dwyer Families RIP

Holy Souls RIP

Cannon John Bloomfield RIP

Beryl and Noel Blanchette
RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile End

9:15
am

D/Rels:Doorish &
McDonald Families RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Brian Morrisey
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