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 THIRTIETH SUNDAY OF
THE YEAR [A]

October 26th  2008 A.D.

Dear
Friends

The teaching of the gospel is a call to love of
God and neighbour.  The gospel
meaning of love is “to treat another in the best possible
way”.  It is to see the good
of the other and respond generously.
Love is a call to help those whom one does not like.  To love in the way that Jesus loved
was never going to be easy.  It
involves the cross - to lose one’s life in order to gain it –  and
human temptation is to resist this and exclude the one who is needy.

Love goes beyond the minimum demands of
justice.  In the first reading,
the demands of justice are spelt out.
Extortionate rates of Interest must not be charged because of its
association with making the poor poorer.
Cloaks may not be taken as a pledge.  The man may not be able to repay the
amount and will suffer the cold of the night.  Justice is always tempered with mercy
because God is merciful and hears the cry of the poor.

Love is difficult to live with.  Each of us faces moments when we can
either exclude another person or find a way of including them.  We are often scared to take people in
because we are afraid of being taken in ourselves. We don’t want to be
duped or taken for a ride.
Hospitality, like everything else, has a price.  People make demands on you: they bleed
you.  But remaining secure behind
locked doors has its own penalty: people die from being unvisited.  We all need strangers and neighbours to test the quality of our mercy, and in
responding we have the assurance that we minister to Christ: “I was a
stranger and you welcomed me”.
Christ still comes to us, not only in the form of bread and wine, but
in the form of the stranger seeking welcome.  That is Gospel.

God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK – PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY CHANGES

Monday 27th October   8pm  PRAYER GROUP @  16 Straight Rd, Lexden

NO RCIA MEETINGS ON 30TH OCTOBER OR 6TH NOVEMBER

Wednesday 29th October 6:45-9pm
SCRIPTURE COURSE
Crypt

“
“
“    7pm
SVP  Meeting
Presbytery

BISHOP’S
VISITATION – 20TH
SEPTEMBER 2009:  Bishop Thomas
will be visiting the parish next year on the 20th September and will
celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. If you are currently in Year 9 and above, you are invited to
the meeting entitled “Come and See” which takes place in
the Crypt after evening Mass on Sunday
7th December.  Here you will
meet the team and find out more about what is involved. Further details: contact
Andrew Johnson 01206 861360.
FR JOSEPH

BAPTISM
TODAY:  Nia
Lillian May and Iestyn Thomas Hunter Cordy-McKenna.
God bless these
children and congratulations to their family.

KSC –
FINAL OCTOBER ROSARY DATE/VENUE: Friday 31st- Greenstead after the 7pm Mass.

NOVEMBER DEAD LIST:  During this week, a Book of Remembrance
for Holy Souls will be placed in the porch for you to enter the names of your
deceased family and friends to be prayed for during November. If you wish a
Mass to be offered, please complete a Mass Offering Envelope, enclose the
relevant stipend, and deliver to the Parish Office in the normal way and the
Mass will be celebrated in due course, but not necessarily in November due to
other intentions already submitted.
FR JOSEPH

TABLE QUIZ:
The
Knights of St Columba are holding a Table Quiz on Saturday November 1st
in the CBH after the 7:30pm
Mass.  Light refreshments
provided, Please bring your own drinks.
Tickets £4.50.  Call
Ron on 797850 to book or just turn up.
Proceeds to various charities.

UNION OF CATHOLIC MOTHERS [UCM]:
The
next meeting will be on 6th November 7:45pm for 8pm in the Crypt.
The previous meeting was well attended with a good number of mothers
from St Thomas More School.  If you are interested and would like
to find out more, do come along.
You’ll be very welcome.

CALLING
PAST PUPILS, STAFF AND FAMILIES OF ST. HELEN'S CATHOLIC
INFANT SCHOOL, QUEENS ROAD, BRENTWOOD:  There is a Celebration
Mass at Brentwood Cathedral on Saturday, 8th November at

1.
30 pm. followed by refreshments in the School Hall and a chance to walk
around the school before it is demolished!  The school is relocating to Sawyers Hall Lane
in February 2009.  The present staff and pupils will be delighted to
welcome you.

SPUC COFFEE MORNING: The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children
(SPUC) is holding a coffee morning to mark the 41st anniversary of
the passing of the Abortion Act on Friday
November 14th at St. John Payne church hall, Greenstead at 11am
until 1pm. The event is to help raise funds and highlight the
Society’s pro-life work and activities. Christmas cards and some half
price merchandise too. Entry is just £1.00 (or a donation) for adults
and will include tea/coffee with some biscuits! There will also be a raffle
of wine, tinned biscuits and chocolates! Please come along and bring a friend
too if you can. For more details contact Mark Saunders on Tel: 843722 (After 1pm daily please)

LONDON MARATHON – SUNDAY 26TH APRIL 2009: Did you get a ballot place in the 2009 London Marathon?
Please consider raising much needed funds for the Brentwood Catholic Children’s Society. If you are ready to
take on the challenge and perhaps achieve a personal ambition we have 6
Golden Bond places available. Contact Claire Mathews at the Head office
– Tel No. 01268 – 784544 – no later than Friday
31st October 2008.

At 7:00 pm on Friday 14th November the
parish of Holy Family Dagenham will be joined by Bishop
Thomas McMahon to mark the 50th Anniversary of
the dedication of the church. This is a rare chance to be part of an important
celebration in the life to a community. All are welcome but it would be
helpful to know how many people are coming. If you are interested please
contact [email-masked] or 020 85921634 by the 7th
November.

ADVENT DAY OF REFLECTION  WITH FATHER NICHOLAS KING SJ: The Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre
are holding an Advent Day of Reflection with Father Nicholas King SJ on Saturday 13th December
2008 from 10:30 am
to 3:30 pm in the
Blessed Sacrament Parish Hall, Melbourne
Ave, Chelmsford.  Tea and coffee provided,
please bring a packed lunch.  To
book a place, please send a donation of £5.00 per person for the
Daughters of the Resurrection, Africa.  Cheque made
payable to The Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre and send to: The Community, 43 Anderson Avenue, Chelmsford CM1 2DA.  For more details please ring Tel 01245
604108.

FIRST HOLY
COMMUNION PROGRAMME:  Details of the next First
Holy Communion Programme will be announced in the
Newsletter shortly.

SICK  PARISHIONERS:    Yvette Hughes, Peggy
Wilding.

EVENING
PRAYER:
Monday to Friday 5.45pm in the Church

PRAYER
GROUP:   N.B. 27th October            Mondays at 8pm in the Crypt

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

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 the Parish Office know.

LITURGY FOR THE THIRTIETH
SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [A]

October 26th 2008 A.D.

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

Saturday  October 25th

Sunday
October 26th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Dudley Barker RIP

D/Rels. Betts Family
RIP

Intentions of Sr Helen
[PG]

Beryl & Noel Blanchette
RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Bridget Jowers RIP [NG]

Mile
End

9:15
am

Michael & Bridget Brady RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Parishioners

Monday  27th

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Mr T M Sebastian RIP

Ma Aganon
& Anna Cadagas RIP

Tuesday 28th

Ss SIMON AND JUDE, App.

Church      9:15 am   Stephen
Hilton RIP

Wednesday
29th

Feria

Church      12:15 pm  Helen Lyddon RIP

Frederick, Elizabeth & Angelo Lucas RIP

Holy
Souls RIP

Thursday 30th

Feria

Church
9:15am  Deirdre Kehoe RIP [P&AW]

Friday 31st

Gen. Hospital

Feria

Church
9:15 am  Fr John O’Neill RIP

Chapel      12:00       Intentions
of Hospital Patients

Saturday 1st
NOV  Feria

Church       9:15 am  Holy Souls in Purgatory

LITURGY FOR THE FEAST OF
ALL SAINTS

NOVEMBER 2nd  2008
A.D.

Saturday   November 1st

Sunday     November 2nd

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30
pm

Jay Family Intentions

Alan Walker RIP

Intentions of Sr Helen
[SVP]

D/Rels.
Herbert/Richardson Families

West Mersea

8:30
am

Sid Ashmore RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Denise Smith RIP
[O&B]

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]

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

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092