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

THIRTIETH SUNDAY OF YEAR [C] – October 28th  2007

Dear Friends,

When Ghandi was obliged
to step into the gutter so that a group of white passers-by would not be
contaminated, he reflected afterwards: “It has always been a mystery to
me how men feel themselves honoured by the
humiliation of their fellow beings”. The remark was not made in anger
but in surprise.  In the Gospel,
Jesus addresses people who pride themselves on their virtue while despising everyone
else.  In Jesus’ time, tax
collectors were generally men of extortion and greed.  The Pharisee is self-righteous and
judges the tax collector.  In
fact, the tax collector stands humbly before God and acknowledges his
sin.  We must be careful not to
presume to make judgments about the lives of others; how a person stands
before God. There are always facts about a person’s situation and life
which are private and the story that Jesus told about removing the plank from
your own eye rather than dealing with the speck in another’s eye, is a
warning about this sort of behaviour.

On Thursday and Friday we celebrate the Feasts of
All Saints and All Souls. In the belief that we are all children of God,  each life is full of potential and can
be fulfilled in many different ways, and as we pursue our Christian journey
through life we are reminded that we are surrounded by a great crowd of
witnesses who have travelled this road before
us.   St Paul is not writing letters to the dead
however, he addresses the living; those who have committed themselves to
following the way of Christ in the world. Those who suffer persecution and
meet their perscecutors with a smile; those whose
energetic non-violence will never win medals; those who meet abuse with a
blessing.  They are the same
saints that Paul addressed and these people are among us today.  We know them; real people whose
stories may never be told and whose goodness may never be celebrated.    We celebrate them this
coming week and we bless them in the name of the Lord.
God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

No  Scripture Course this
Wednesday – next Meeting is on 7th November

Thursday 1st November   Feast of All Saints    See below for Mass times

“
“
“
R.C.I.A. Meeting follows 7.30pm
Mass
Crypt

Friday 2nd November       Feast of
All Souls
See below for Mass times

Saturday 3rd November  7:45pm KSC Quiz [see below]    Cardinal Bourne Hall

THURSDAY 1ST
NOVEMBER – ALL SAINTS DAY:  Masses are at 9:15am; 12.15pm; 7:30pm at Priory Street  with a Vigil
Mass at Mersea at 7:30pm
on Wednesday 31st October.

FRIDAY 2nd
NOVEMBER – ALL SOULS DAY:  Masses are at 9:15am and
7:30pm. at Priory
Street.

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.

NATIONAL
YOUTH SUNDAY – NOVEMBER 25TH:  We have just been advised by the Brentwood
Catholic Youth Service of training evenings to help prepare for National
Youth Sunday. This Monday, 29th October, at OLI, Chelmsford;
Wednesday 31st October at St Francis of Assisi, Stratford and
Thursday 8th November at Our Lady of Good Counsel, Wickford.  All 7.30-9pm.
The evening is open to anyone who already works with young people, or
would like to, and who will provide fresh ideas/resources.  Call 01277 265286 or visit www.bcys.net/events for more
details/directions etc.

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]

WORLD YOUTH
DAY 2008: Three
of our young people – Ben McClean, Caroline
Higgins and Emily Stynes – are going to Sydney for World Youth
Day 2008.  They are busy
fundraising as the cost is £1800 per person.  In the weeks leading up to Christmas
they are offering a special deal – a babysitting service to
parishioners - £10 for 4 hours [anytime before midnight] and subject to
availability.  To book contact
01206 563292.  Also, after the 10:30 Sunday mass each week there
will be a book sale.  Soon there
will be a cake sale and other fundraising activities are being organsied.
Donations of books, cake ingredients and raffle prizes are most
welcome.  Contact Caroline Higgins
on 01206 532501

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.

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.

CANONESSES
OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE:  NEW ROLE
WITHIN OUR RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY IN THIS OUR 365TH YEAR:   We are seeking to employ a person of
committed Christian faith to work alongside us to develop our life in new
contexts: we are based in Essex and East London.  Are you seeking a new challenge
– an opportunity to work alongside us as we develop and extend our
vision of community?  This is a
“job in the making” where initiative and creativity will be
essential.  Your experience of
ministry, together with good communication skills, flexibility and a desire
to live faith in new and creative ways, are key.
Salary: IRO £20-25K full time or pro rata.  Job share possible.  For more information, e mail [email-masked]

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, Alwyn Stains, Carole
Stover, Peggy Wilding.

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

APF [Red
boxes]: As
mentioned in last week’s Newsletter, these red boxes are an ongoing
method of giving material support to the APF Missions.  The total collected last year from
these boxes amounted to £1,470.73.
New red boxes are
available on the table in the porch.
Please leave your name, address [incl. postcode] and phone no. on the
accompanying sheet if you do take one and please complete the details on the
base of the box before you hand in the filled box.  Thank you very much.
Ron Griffin, Co-ordinator

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 THIRTIETH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

October 28th 2007 A.D.

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

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

Canon 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 Morrissey RIP

Monday 29th
Feria

Tuesday 30th

Church               9:15 am  William Browne RIP

Feria

Church
9.15 am   Peter Smith RIP

Wednesday 31

Vigil Mass

Feria

Church
12:15 pm  Thanksgiving – Colleen &
Roger Thurlow

Holy
Souls RIP

Mersea
7:30pm

Thurs Nov  1st

School Mass

Friday 2nd

Saturday 3rd

ALL SAINTS –
HOLYDAY OF OBLIGATION

Church               9.15
am  John and Julie
O’Connor RIP

Church             12:15 pm  D/Rels
Herbert & Richards Families RIP

Church
7:30pm  Patrick O’Brien RIP

COMMEMORATION OF THE
FAITHFUL DEPARTED [All Souls]

Church                9:15am  Alan Walker RIP

Holy Souls RIP

Church
7:30pm
Intentions of Jay Family

Feria

Church
9.15 am  Thomas Loftus RIP

LITURGY FOR THE THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

NOVEMBER 4th 2007  A.D.

Saturday  November 3rd

Sunday  November 4th

6:15
pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30
pm

James Lucas RIP

Mary and James O’Dwyer

Intentions of Kathleen Flynn

Udall Family RIP

West Mersea

8:30
am

Holy Souls RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Mary [Joan] Prior 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