ST. JAMES
THE LESS AND ST. HELEN

CATHOLIC CHURCH, Colchester

with

Mersea, Mile End and Monkwick

Fr
Joseph Whisstock

Fr
Paul
Dynan

Fr
Philip Willenbrock

51 Priory
Street , Colchester, Essex,
CO1 2QB

Tel:
01206 866317;   Fax  01206 791213

E-Mail      [email-masked]

www.stjamesthelessandsthelen.org

TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY OF YEAR [C] – September 23rd  2007

Dear Friends,

When John Dillinger, American gangster,
bank-robber and officially declared “Public Enemy Number One” was
shot dead in Chicago
in 1934, he was regarded by a large number of the American public as a
hero.  In those days of great
poverty and hardship, Dillinger represented for them the struggle of the poor
man to make his way against immovable giant corporations and banks.  For his initial crime, a first offence
to which he admitted and apologised to the victim,
the judge decreed a 10 year sentence.
An extremely harsh term which propelled Dillinger into
criminality.  Poverty and lack of
opportunity are not excuses for crime, but they are natural breeding grounds
and the temptation to crime as a way out of poverty is all too obvious.  The oppression of poor people by
well-off, comfortable people is condemned by the prophet Amos today.
It’s all too easy to spot the criminal; he stands out a mile.  Far more difficult to spot and nail
the wealthy crooks.
Double standards are always at work; one law for the rich, another for
the poor.  Paul reminds Timothy today that the good Lord wants everyone to
be saved, not just the rich, the comfortable, the respectable, but the poor,
the criminal, the down-and-out, the despairing.  We should never exclude anyone from the
stream of human life.  Our
greatest sin is the practice of excommunication. The victim or wrongdoer is
then likely to become embittered, to become worse not better.

The parable in today’s Gospel seems
complex.  The steward is not
praised for his dishonesty but for his resourcefulness in coping with an
emergency with speed. “…use money, tainted as it is, to win your
friends, and thus make sure that when it fails you, they will welcome you
into the tents of eternity”.
It’s the making of friends that seals our lives in harmony.  Love your enemies and do good to those who treat you badly.  We must persevere in goodness, no
matter how hard the provocation.
If only the judge in Dillinger’s case had thought of that.
God Bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK – N.B. See Venue for Meditation Group *

Monday 24th September
7pm        SVP Mass
Priory Street

Followed
by SVP District Meeting        Crypt

Tuesday 25th September       8pm
Meditation Group
Crypt *

Wednesday 26th September   7-9pm     Scripture Course
Crypt

“
“
“
7pm
Parish Meeting
Monkwick

Thursday 27th September      7:30pm    Video – Medugorje       Crypt

Friday 28th September
7:30pm    Liturgy Meeting             Presbytery

Saturday 29th September     11:30am    Justice & Peace
Meeting   Presbytery

“
“
7:30pm    Barn Dance                  Hall

Sunday 30th September
6:30pm    Missa
de Angelis         See below

CONGRATULATIONS
TO:  Catherine
Hammett and Jonathon Bitcon who married here
yesterday.

BAPTISMS
TODAY:  Caitlin
Feakes and Glynnis Naol.  God
bless these children and congratulations to their families.

BAPTISM
COURSE:  The next Baptism Course
has now been arranged.  It will
take place on the two evenings of Tuesday,
9th October and Tuesday, 16th October from 7:30pm to 9pm in the Crypt.  Both
sessions must be attended and the date of the baptism will be
arranged during the Course.  If
you wish to present a child for baptism, there is no need to make an
appointment, just turn up on the 9th October.

NATIONAL
CHILD PROTECTION CHECKS FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:  As previously advertised, the last session
has now taken place. Any volunteer who has not yet returned a CRB form
and was unable to make this session is asked to contact Diana at the Presbytery
to make an appointment with her.
Please remember to complete the CRB forms and bring several forms of
identification, including three of the following – passport, driving licence [both parts if
new style], NI card, utility bill showing name and address, birth or marriage
certificate.  A cut-off date
for submitting CRB forms will be announced later in the year and a list of
positively-checked volunteers will be provided to the parish after that
date.  Anyone not on this list
will be unable to carry on with their valuable voluntary work within the
parish.  Thank you.

MERSEA
NEWS:  Many thanks to Sue Jenner
for hosting our September coffee morning, the last one will be on 9th
October at the home of Judy Cooper, 62
East Road.

MEDUGORJE: A video will be shown
about the pilgrimage place of Medugorje on Thursday
27th September at 7;30pm in the
Crypt.  It will last one hour
approx. All are invited.

BARN DANCE
SEPTEMBER 29TH:  The
SVP are organizing a Barn Dance in the Cardinal
Bourne Hall on Saturday 29th September at 7:30pm.  The caller is the famous Derek
Green.  Tickets are £5,
payable at the door.

MISSA DE
ANGELIS- 30 SEPTEMBER/FR PAUL DYNAN’S PRESENTATION:  A reminder that a Missa
de Angelis will be celebrated at 6:30pm on Sunday 30th September. After
Mass, all are invited into the Hall for refreshments and a formal
presentation to Fr Paul on his last weekend with us in the parish before
departing for the Basildon Team Ministry.  It will be a good opportunity for all
of us to say “Thank you” to Fr Paul for his 3 year ministry here
at St James & St Helen.
If  anyone missed out with
Fr Paul’s collection last month and would like to do so now, please hand
in your envelope, clearly marked, to Diana, the secretary, by no later than
Tuesday,  Thank you.
Fr Joseph

ROSARY:  The KSC are saying the Rosary during
October: at 7.30pm in the church on Tuesdays,
October 2nd and 9th.  Wednesday,
17th October, 7.30pm
at 48 Priory Street, Friday, October 26th, 7.30pm at Greenstead after Mass.

ITALIAN
FAMILY FUN DAY: To raise funds for the Brentwood Catholic Children’s
Society.  On Saturday 6th
October at Taste Italia Cooking School, Ramsden
Heath, Nr Billericay and will include celebrity
chefs, English Heritage Head Gardener, opera singers, Fiat 500 Owners Club
cars, bouncy castle, pony

rides etc…..  Cost: £30 per person; £60
for family of four; children under 14 are free.  Price includes food and a glass of
wine.  To book phone  01268 784544.

YOUTH
GATHER: 13-14th OCTOBER: MERSEA:  For Ages 14-18 [Y9-13] are invited. Great
speakers, including young people returned from Ethiopia
and India;
activities such as abseiling, songwriting, drama and dance.  Last year about 150 young people
attended.  Full details and forms
at www.bcys.net or call 01277 265286 and
leave your address.

KSC DAY OF
RECOLLECTION AT CLARE PRIORY: Saturday 20th October. Starting with
Mass at 10am.  Bring your own lunch.  Depart 4pm.Cost £10.Transport by
private car.  For further details
of the day’s timetable and if transport is required, please phone Bill
de Smith on 767597.

“TAKE
AND READ” WEEKEND:  The Diocesan Commission
for Evangelisation and Formation is organizing a
weekend to get to know the Bible better, to explore Catholic teaching on the
bible and learn how to nurture Bible groups in parishes.  The weekend, at Abbotswick
House of Prayer, runs from Friday evening, 16th November until
Sunday 18th, finishing with lunch.  It is led by Fr
Adrian Graffy and Mrs Anne Dixon.
Cost £150.  All
enquiries/bookings: [email-masked]
or 01277 265289.

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: Tuesday, 25th, 8pm in the Crypt [access via
Church]

EXPOSITION:                                                                     Saturdays
10am-11am

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.

FINANCES
UPDATE:  June: Average weekly collection
£2379; CAFOD £1025; SVP £744; Damesfontein
£673; Inland Revenue re Gift Aid £17,294 [down on last year so if
you are a tax payer, please consider Gift Aiding your contributions].  We paid out £331 re gas [ex
hall] and £2500 to the Diocese. July:  Average weekly collection £2040;
CAFOD £1189; Lent Hunger Lunches £70; Cavendish Concert
£110; Apostleship/Sea £648; Donation £100.  We paid out £595 re Mersea
Electrical Work; £206 re gas [ex hall]; £2500 to the Diocese;
£100 Donation to Marriagecare.

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.

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

Harvest Sunday -  September 23rd 2007 A.D.

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

Saturday  September 22nd

Sunday
September  23rd

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Intentions of Lolly Socki

Thomas and Gladys Lane RIP

Frank Morton RIP

Intentions of Lilian Socki

West Mersea

8:30
am

Jack and Julia Hoy RIP

Mile
End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15 am

Brian Morrisey RIP [PW]

Monday 24th
Our Lady of Walsingham

SVP Mass

Tuesday 25th

Church               9:15 am  Holy Souls RIP [FG]

Church
7:00 pm  David Bartholomew RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Sr Magdalen John RIP [A]

Wednesday
26

Feria

Church
12:15 pm
Special Intention – McEvoy Family

Thursday 27th

Friday 28th

Gen.
Hospital

Saturday 29th

St Vincent
de Paul, Pr.

Church               9.15
am   Christopher Skinner RIP

Feria

Church               9:15
am  Salvina de Brito
RIP

Chapel
12:00         Intentions of the
Patients

SS MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND
RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS

Church
9.15
am   George Herbert Newark RIP [A]

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

September 30th 2007 A.D.

Saturday September 29th

Sunday September 30th

Missa de Angelis

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Lionel and Lee Blanchette
RIP

Michael Piquet Wicks RIP

Parishioners

Intentions of Fr Paul Dynan

West Mersea

8:30
am

Holy Souls RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Michael Piquet Wicks RIP

Monkwick

10:15
am

Special Intentions  [PC]

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