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 SIXTH SUNDAY OF
EASTER  [A] April 27th  2008

Dear Friends,

The tale is told of a prison courtyard at
dawn.  The prisoner to be executed
is a priest who opposed the Portuguese policy of slave trade and, before the
officer of the firing squad ties the blindfold, he asks the prisoner for the
traditional last request.
Incredibly, the man about to die wants to play his flute for the last
time.  As the compound is filled
with beautiful music the officer realises how
bizarre the situation is becoming and gives the order to fire, leaving the
prisoner dead and his executioners puzzled.  In today’s first reading, the
early Christian community is told their conduct should be such that their
persecutors should be put to shame.
When people face persecution, hope is often the first casualty and
hope in face of violent death is deeply puzzling to many people.  In the death of the martyr, the
persecutor and onlooker are always questioned by the hope that sees through
death.  Hope is the virtue which
enables us to look to the future with confidence.  It is not to be reduced to wishful
thinking.  Hope is grounded in
life; wishful thinking has no bounds. That is the difference.  Hope is not limitless; it is limited
by real possibility and it needs help if it is going to go beyond the
expression of desire.  Without
help, hope remains an orphan – abandoned in the nursery of the
mind.  Jesus has no intention of
leaving his disciples in a situation where they hope without any help.  He promises them that the Spirit, the
Advocate, will be with them forever.
Without the Spirit their own resources are
clearly inadequate when the going gets rough.  The time of Jesus’ passion
proved that.  With the help of the
Spirit, the disciples can face the future with a power much larger than
themselves – that power is the Spirit, the
gift of God himself.   But
Jesus warns the disciples the world will not welcome the Spirit “since
it neither sees nor knows him”.
Nevertheless the Spirit will be in the disciples. With that Spirit
in us we can continue the Christian practice of puzzling people with the hope
which is in us.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Sunday 27th April                   2.30-4pm  Divine Mercy Prayers            Church

Wednesday 30th April             7pm
SVP Meeting
Presbytery

“
“
“
7-9pm
Scripture Course                       Crypt

Saturday 3rd May
10am-12pm     FHC
Hall and Crypt

“       “      “                         12pm         Social Committee Meeting  Presbytery

BENE
MERENTI MEDALS:  Today at Monkwick, two parishioners, Olive Hewitt and Peggy Wilding, will be presented with Bene Merenti Medals in
recognition of
the devoted hard work and support they have given to our Parish
over very many years.   Our
congratulations and prayers to you both.

UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX GREGORIAN CATHOLIC SOCIETY:  This 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 today 2.30pm – 4pm.
Anyone interested in coming to Poland from 12th May 2008 can come
along to prayers and hear about the pilgrimage too.

BAPTISMS TODAY:  Joseph Brown, Daniel Gladwell, Jonathan Blanke,
Glory Edem.
God bless these
children and congratulations to their families.

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.

RECENTLY DECEASED:  Please pray for the repose of
the soul of
Sheila Shillingford and Mary Black who have recently died.  May they rest in peace.

NEXT VOCATION ENQUIRY EVENING: Friday 2nd May at Abbotswick House of Prayer. The evening begins with a
light supper at 7pm
(please arrive from 6.45pm)
and continues with a short presentation on some aspect of the Priesthood and
discernment. There will be time for questions, discussion and the evening
will end with a time of prayer. We will finish at 9.30pm at the latest. If you intend to come
along please ensure you let Fr Joseph Silver, the Vocations Director, know by
next Wednesday. Please
contact him at [email-masked] or on 020 8590 7222 to find
out more or to let him know you will attend.

YOUTH NEWS:  Vacancy
– Director of Retreats: The closing date for this position has been
extended to Monday, 5th May with interviews in early May. Summer
Lourdes: Further to an earlier email
there are now less than twenty places available for Summer Lourdes: about
three years ago the number of places was upped to 125 so over 100 young
people are going to Lourdes this year, but it is not too late to book: you
can download a form from www.bcys.net or
call 01277 265286

BRES
Spirituality Evening
– 6th May 7.30pm  - Cathedral
House Conference Centre, Brentwood. Bishop Thomas will be leading this term’s
BRES Spirituality Evening and his topic will be
‘Ways of Praying’. Admission £5 waged  £3 unwaged. Contact details Tel: 01277 265285.

BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S SOCIETY:  are
having a SPONSORED WALK on Saturday 10th
May from St Joseph’s,
Mill Road,
Mile End starting at 10am.  See
poster on noticeboards.  For forms etc., ring John on 851838.

MERSEA NEWS:
Our Coffee Mornings are
about to begin!  The first being
on May 13th at the home of Judy Cooper, 62 East Road from 10.30 to 12
noon. All are most welcome.

DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGE TO WALSINGHAM MAY 31ST:
Theresa
Higgins is
organizing a minibus.  16 places
are available and the cost will be about £10.  To book please contact 523501.

CAFOD Sponsored 10 or 19 mile Bike Ride  Lea Valley Park
Sunday 1st June  Join supporters from CAFOD Westminster for this fun day out for
all the family. The route takes us through the Lea Valley
Park and along the
canal tow path.  For further
details and registration form contact CAFOD Brentwood email
[email-masked] or phone 020 8502 9722

SVP ST JOHN
BOSCO SUMMER CAMP AT ALDHAM:  Applications forms have
been received for both Volunteer Helpers and Children who wish to book to go
to Summer Camp.  A poster with
full details of the Camp is in the Porch.  Volunteers must be 16+ [girls 17+] and
will need to be CRB checked.
Diana has a supply of both Application Forms.

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, 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        [NOT
3.5.08]

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 SIXTH
SUNDAY OF EASTER [ A]

April 20th 2008 A.D

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

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

Monday 28th

Feria

Church               9:15 am   Terry Hilton RIP

Church
11:45 am   REQUIEM – DORIS MURPHY RIP

Tuesday 29th

St Catherine of Siena, V.D.

Church               9:15 am    Doris Murphy RIP

Holy
Souls RIP [BM]

Wednesday 30

Thursday May
1st

Friday 2nd

Saturday 3rd

Feria

Church              12:15 pm    Intentions
of  Christine & Keiran

Feria [or St Joseph the
Worker]

Church                9:15 am   William McCormack RIP

St Athansius,
Bp. D.

Church               9:15 am   Intentions of Teresa Crummy

SS PHILIP AND JAMES, App.

Church
9:15 am  Jay Family Intentions

LITURGY FOR THE ASCENSION
OF THE LORD [A]

World Communications Day -  May 4th  2008 A.D.

Saturday  May 3rd

Sunday    May 4th

6:15 pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Susan Savage RIP [A]

Intentions of Mary
& David Crowe

Private Intention

Intentions of the SVP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Intentions of Helen Golding

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Fr Francis Tester 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