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 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT
[B]

March 29th 2009 A.D.

Dear
Friends

At various times in our lives we are invited to
sign a binding legal document; a contract of employment; a guarantee for a
bank loan; a marriage register.
While the sacred and relational nature of marriage is expressed
beautifully in the Rite of Marriage, the legal consequences are determined by
the signing of the official State documents and some marriages are simply
contractual arrangements – marriages of convenience.  There are also many marriages which
are not founded on legal rights or responsibilities but on mutual
understanding, self-giving and service.
These people are not contracted to one another – they are
covenanted to one another.

In the dying and rising
of Jesus the whole world is brought into a new covenant of love and
mercy.  There is no contract -  it is a
covenant of the heart signed with the precious blood of Jesus – the
covenant of which the prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel spoke, and we trust in
His covenant with us as we seek to bring that mercy to others.  When we meet with people who are
seeking faith, companionship, who are in need of compassion, healing or
forgiveness, do we protect our own rights and privacy or do we willingly
die-to-self in generous service?

God wants us to enter into a covenant with no
exclusion clauses – a covenant of the heart.

God bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK  [Check for any changes]

Monday 30th March       7:30pm   Parish Council Meeting      Presbytery

Wednesday 1st April     7:00pm   SVP
Presbytery

Thursday 2nd
7:30pm   RCIA
Crypt

LENTEN OBSERVANCES IN THE PARISH

STATIONS OF THE CROSS:  This
Friday, April 3rd, Stations will be at here at St James the Great
at 7:30pm and on Tuesday
7th April at 7:30pm
in Priory Street
[Knights of St Columba].

CHURCHES
TOGETHER IN CENTRAL COLCHESTER:  Lunchtime Services for Lent 2009.  This final Service will start at 1pm for 30 minutes on  Friday 3rd April  at St
James the Great.

TRIDUUM SERVICES
IN PRIORY STREET

Maundy Thursday  8pm
Mass of the Last Supper/Veneration to midnight

Good Friday    10:30am Stations of the Cross        [10am at Mile End]

3pm       Solemn Liturgy of the
Passion

Holy Saturday  8pm       Easter Vigil

Easter Sunday:  Masses at usual Sunday times [including
6:30pm Mass]

N.B.  There will be no
Confessions – morning or evening – on Holy Saturday.

THANK YOU:
Judy Hemming-Allen would like to thank everyone for the Masses, prayers, cards,
flowers and support during the illness and on the death of her daughter,  Clare Adams.

BCCS:    Thank you for the generous
amount of £866 which you gave last week for the Brentwood Catholic
Children’s Society, which together with the sum of £384 [which
includes the amount the children gave at the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve] is well over £1000 from the
parish.  As a result, children in
need of the services of this Diocesan charity will be greatly helped in the
weeks ahead.  Thanks once
again.
FR JOSEPH

U.C.M.
Congratulations to
Lenore Sykes, President of the Union of Catholic Mothers, enrolled last
Sunday into the UCM.  The only
other branch of UCM in the Diocese is in the parish of St Mary & St Ethelburga, Barking.

RECENTLY DECEASED:  Please pray for the repose of the soul
of Dr Roger Sykes, husband of Lenore, who died last Wednesday.  May he rest in peace.

SECOND COLLECTION:  There will be a Diocesan Collection for the Holy Land next Sunday, Palm Sunday. The proceeds are
used for the maintenance and upkeep of the Catholic sites in this area.

EASTER
LILIES:  If you would like to
donate a bloom in memory of a loved one, please enclose whatever you can
afford in an envelope marked “Easter Lily” and deliver to the
Priests’ House.

BAPTISM
OF CHILDREN BETWEEN 7-15 YEARS:  If you have a child[ren] between these ages
who have not yet been baptised,  a Course “Preparing for
Baptism” starts on Tuesday, April 21st at 4:30pm in the
Presbytery.  Please phone the
Parish Office in the first instance so that the Catechist knows how many to
expect.  Thank you.
FR JOSEPH

KSC TABLE
QUIZ:  The Knights of St Columba are holding a
Table Quiz in the Cardinal Bourne Hall on Saturday 18th April
after Mass at 7:30pm.  Proceeds to
various charities.  Light refreshments
provided: please bring your own drinks.
Tickets £4.50.  Ring
Ron on 797850 to book or just turn up on the evening.

SVP
Barn/Square Dance. Saturday 25th April. 7:30pm – 11pm in the Cardinal Bourne Hall.  Entrance by ticket only. To book, please
telephone Anna 01206 242170, or Ann 01206 844914.  Book early.  Adults
£7.50. Children under 14 & Over 80's Free.
Food is included in the price.

OASIS
OF PEACE (MARIAN) DAY:  Forget
your troubles and rest in the Lord on Saturday May 2nd 2009 at the Church
of the Immaculate Conception, 11, Church Hill, Epping, Essex, CM16 4RA,
from 10.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Includes Mass, Adoration and Rosary. Bring packed lunch – drinks
provided.

BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC
CHILDREN’S SOCIETY: Annual Sponsored Walk in this Parish: Saturday 9th
May 2009. Starting and finishing at St Teresa’s,
Lexden, the walk is being organised by the KSC.  Sponsorship forms will shortly be
available at Priory Street
and the Mass Centres or direct from Gary Hull on 530863.  2009 sees the 25th Anniversary of the Children’s Society.  To mark this occasion we hope for a
record number of walkers to take part.

RAISE £400 AND JUMP FOR FREE: Childcare - Brentwood Catholic
Children’s Society are looking to recruit 25 skydivers to
take part in our Anniversary Skydive on Saturday 16th
May at Maidstone
in Kent.
Please contact Claire Mathews on: 01268 784544 or email:

[email-masked]
for a Sky Diver’s pack.

VOLUNTEER
URGENTLY REQUIRED:  If you are a window
cleaner, builder with a longer ladder, head for heights and insurance, some
high-up cobwebs and dust need removing in the Church.  Please contact Helena on 07510 541740.

DAILY:                 8:35am; Rosary &Divine
Mercy  [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 St

EXPOSITION:
Saturdays
@ 9:45am – 10:30am

GIFT AID
ENVELOPES FOR THE NEW TAX YEAR:  Are
at the back of the Church – in alphabetical order – for your
collection. N.B.  Those attending Mersea, Mile End or
Monkwick:  If your supply is not
there, please contact the Parish Office.

N.B.
REPOSITORY:  The Repository will be
closed on both Palm Sunday and
Easter Sunday.
Simon

WALK WITH
ME BOOKLETS FOR EASTERTIDE:  On sale in the porch -
£1

IF YOU ARE
NEW TO THE PARISH: please introduce yourself to one of the priests after Mass. A registration
form will need to be completed.
If you are moving within or out of the parish, please let the Parish
Office know.

THE PARISH
WEB SITE:  For all contact, inclusions etc., please get in touch with Don Clarke.  His email
address is [email-masked]

LITURGY FOR THE FIFTH
SUNDAY OF LENT [B]

March 29th  2009  A.D.

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

Saturday  March 28th

Sunday    March 29th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Stephen Mooney RIP

Frederick ,Elizabeth & Angelo Lucas RIP

Sr Helen Walsh RIP

Peggy Wilding RIP [DB]

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile
End

9:15
am

Private Intention

Monkwick

10:15 am

Personal Intention [JN]

Monday 30th

Feria

Church      9:15 am   D/Rels: Herbert &
Richards Families RIP

Tuesday 31st

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Fr Gerry
Murphy RIP

Sr Helen Walsh RIP [R&MG]

Wed April 1st

Feria

Church    12:15
pm   Eileen Pooran
RIP

Thursday 2nd

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Mrs McArdle
RIP

Friday 3rd

Feria

Church      9:15 am   Intentions of the Jay Family

Holy Souls RIP

Saturday 4th         Feria

Church       9:15 am   Sr
Helen Walsh RIP   [Mrs JP]

LITURGY FOR PALM SUNDAY
OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD [B]

April 5th  2009
A.D.

Saturday   April 4th

Sunday     April 5th

6:15
pm

8:00 am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Moira and Dennis Pryke RIP

Alan Walker RIP

Sr Helen Walsh RIP [PG]

Intentions of the Pauk
Family

West Mersea

8:30
am

Canon
John Bloomfield RIP

Mile End

9:15
am

Parishioners

Monkwick

10:15
am

Mary and Gordon Scanlon RIP

SACRAMENT
OF RECONCILIATION      Saturday 9:45-10:30am  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