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

SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE
YEAR [C]

JULY 29th   2007

Dear Friends

Abraham is busily bargaining with God over the
number of just people needed to save two cities from destruction.  Like a persistent bargain-hunter at a
Dutch auction, Abraham wonders whether God will get angry at his final
markdown, but God is portrayed as a patient dealer, although eventually even
10 good men were not to be found in Sodom.

Jesus didn’t simply teach the disciples a prayer, he taught them a whole attitude, a way of relating
to God, stressing the importance of persisting in prayer, intercessory
prayer.  The opening word
“Abba” – father – is not a remote figure but one who
is intimately close to us, and a person who regards God as father is someone
who has complete confidence that God will act on his or her behalf.  Prayer has the power to change things
when we have that intimate, trusting relationship with God who is Abba.

The image of a generous and forgiving God is not
one that people readily believe in despite St Paul’s reminding us that God has
cancelled all our debts, nailing them to the cross of Jesus. This is why
Jesus insists we relate to God as Father and approach him with the confidence
of children who know they are loved.
To press this home, we have the story of the persistent man in search
of bread until the sleepy houseowner eventually
gives in to be rid of the midnight
racket.  That is Jesus’
model of the smart disciple: the one who doesn’t know when to
quit.   True disciples are
very hard to get rid of!
But then people say: “yes, but I’ve done the 9 Fridays, 5
Tuesdays, Novena to St Jude – and still I come up with zero.
Jesus’ answer is keep on asking, seeking, and knocking.  God is more than silence: he is also
Word and he will reply, and in the generosity of his gift of the Holy Spirit
is the answer to our deepest longings and our most heartfelt prayer.  It is a gift worth asking for.

God
bless

EVENTS THIS WEEK

N.B. Evening Prayer Venue
variable  – see Table below

Wednesday
1st August
7:00pm  SVP Meeting
Presbytery

Friday
3rd August
7:00pm  First Friday Mass
Monkwick

“
“
“
Meeting following
Mass
Monkwick

Saturday
4th August      11:30pm  Justice & Peace Meeting        Presbytery

BAPTISMS
TODAY:  Caitlin Ashmore, Dominique Bye and Erich Mariol.  God bless these children and
congratulations to their families.

MISSA DE ANGELIS: Missa de Angelis will be celebrated today at 6:30pm.

NATIONAL
CHILD PROTECTION CHECKS FOR ALL VOLUNTEERS WITHIN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH:  Additional
dates for CRB checks.  James Shaw
will be at the following venues, after Mass, to receive CRB forms:

Mersea Church
9.30am
Sunday 29th July

Mersea Church
9.30am
Sunday 19th August

Priory Street [Crypt]
11.30am
Sunday 9th September

Priory Street [Crypt]
11.30am
Sunday 16th September

If you are unable to make any of these dates,
arrangements will be made to receive further forms later in the year.  Please remember to complete the CRB
forms. [Forms have been left in prominent positions at each church] and bring
several forms of identification:-  Three
of the following – passport, diving licence
[both parts if new style], NI card, utility bill with name and address on it,
birth certificate or marriage certificate.
Thank
you

BRENTWOOD CATHOLIC CHILDREN’S SOCIETY:  A vacancy has arisen for a full time
fundraiser with proven experience in raising funds, event management and increasing
donors and volunteers.  For
information or application pack, please contact Frank Maguire, Director, on
01268 784544 or [email-masked]
.  Closing date for applications:  1st August 2007.

VACANCY:
CENTRE CO-ORDINATOR AT BEACON HOUSE is required for this busy, town centre Christian
charity providing primary healthcare, counseling and life skills to the
homeless in Colchester.  Main responsibilities: overall daily
management, finance, fundraising, development and direction of the Trust. 20
hours per week over 5 days – Mon-Fri.  Salary £16,000.  Job description and person spec
available from Beacon House, 90-91 East Hill, Colchester,
CO1 2QN. Tel: 761960. Please send CV and covering letter to Rev. David Harper
at above address.   Closing
date:  11th August 2007.

TEA
PARTY:  On Saturday 11th
August from 2.30pm to 5pm at the home of Anna and Ivan
– 48 Lexden Road, West
Bergholt.
Tickets £5 available from any member of the SVP.

GARDEN
PARTY:  The Knights of St Columba
are holding a Garden Party at Old Pond House, Braiswick
on Sunday 12th August at 3pm.  Entrance £5. Directions:  Take the B1508 towards West Bergholt, just before,
the new bridge over the A12, turn left into the side
road, then sharp right.  Tel. No.
854803

WORLD YOUTH
DAY 2008:  There are 75 young people from 38 parishes  booked
for the trip, including four from our parish, and the list is now closed.  On Sunday, 16th September,
the Group will be doing a sponsored walk, crossing the 10 bridges from Tower Bridge
to Chelsea Bridge.  If each young person can find 175
people to sponsor them for £1 per bridge, they will have paid in full
for the trip.  Further details to
follow.

PAN-AFRICAN
ANNUAL MASS to commemorate the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade
will be held on Sunday, 16th September at 3pm at St
George’s Catholic Church, 132 Shenhall Street,
Walthamstow.  Bishop
Thomas will be presiding.  A number of African Community Choirs
will participate and African diplomats and celebrities will be
attending.  All are cordially
invited to experience African Liturgy.
A Reception in the Parish Hall will follow the Mass.
For further information, contact Deacon Joseph on 0208 521 2359; [email-masked]

PILGRIMAGE
TO MEDJUGORJE:  A pilgrimage is being
organized from Monday 22nd October to Monday 29th
October.  If you are interested in
finding out more about it, please telephone Carmen Blackett
on 01277 821886 or mobile 07754 163007 or see Fr Joseph.

APF
PROMOTER:  After many years of picking up heavy
red boxes and forwarding the contents to the Association for the Propagation
of the Faith, Bill de Smith has stepped down. Ron Griffin has now kindly
taken on this responsibility and his contact telephone number is 571590.

BARKING
PARISH:  Fr William Young advises
that Mass according to the use of the missal of Blessed John XXIII will
continue to be celebrated every Sunday at 1pm at St Ethelburga’s
Catholic Church, Linton Road,
Barking until further notice.

DIOCESAN
WEBSITE: The
re-designed Diocesan website is now live and can be visited at http://dioceseofbrentwood.net

DAILY:                      Rosary 8.40am; Divine
Mercy 9am [Wednesdays 11.40am]

EVENING
PRAYER:                        30th July to 3rd
August at 5:45pm in the Church

MEDITATION
GROUP:                                 Tuesdays
at 8pm at 48 Priory Street

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.

REMINDER: If you, your family or
friends are in hospital and would like a visit from the Chaplaincy Team,
please let one of the priests know.
Under the Data Protection Act, hospital staff will NOT advise the
Chaplaincy Team unless the patient, friend or relative specifically instructs
a member of the hospital staff.

LITURGY FOR THE SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

July 29th   2007 A.D.

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

Saturday  July 28th

Sunday
July 29th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30 am

6:30
pm

Joe Mooney RIP

Phil Treby RIP

Intentions of Anna and Ivan

Marie Bastiampillai RIP
& Mr Swampillai

West Mersea

8:30
am

Parishioners

Mile
End

9:15
am

Bob McLaren RIP

Monkwick

10:15 am

Canon John Bloomfield RIP

Monday 30th
Feria

Tuesday 31st

Church                9:15
am    Intentions of Claire and
Alex Ernill

Stephen Hilton
RIP

St Ignatius Loyola, Pr.

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

Justine Henderson RIP

Wed.  AUG  1st

Thursday 2nd

St Alphonus

Church

Feria

Church

Ligouri, Bp. D.

12:15pm

9:15 am

Bp, D.

Mr and Mrs
F M Dyer RIP

Intentions of Joe & Margaret Parkinson

Friday 3rd

First Friday

Feria

Church

Monkwick

9:15 am

7:00 pm

Jay Family Intentions

Intentions of Anna and Bruce

Parishioners

Saturday 4th

St John Mary
Vianney, [Curé d’Ars] Pr.

Church
9:15 am   D/Rels.McGrath &
Walker Families RIP

LITURGY FOR THE EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR [C]

August 5th 2007 A.D.

Saturday  August 4th

Sunday    August 5th

6:15
pm

8:00
am

10:30
am

6:30 pm

Tony Bickersteth RIP

Peter George RIP

Shirley de Souza RIP

Intentions of Margaret & Joe Parkinson

West Mersea

8:30
am

Special Intention

Mile End

9:15
am

Intention of Fr Paul
Davis

Monkwick

10:15
am

Denise Smith RIP [O &
B]

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

The Brentwood
Diocesan Trust – Registered Charity No. 234092