PARISH MAGAZINE - · PDF filePARISH MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 ... go out into...

PARISH MAGAZINE

www.stjamesstpaulcolchester.org.uk

DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018

FIFTY PENCE

2

Christmas Services

Sunday 24th December

Christmas Eve

8am Mass

10am Sung Mass

4-30pm Christingle

The Christingle Service will also include the

blessing and lighting of the Tree of Light

11-30pm Midnight Mass & Blessing of the

Christmas Crib

Monday 25th December

Christmas Day

8am Mass

10am Parish Mass with Carols for families

3

Letter from Canon Alan Cross S.S.C.

My dear Brothers and Sisters

A few months ago I knew that Christmas was coming!

No, the Holy Church has not changed the date, neither

had I been through the Advent preparation, but it was

when I saw a shop window full of Christmas items and

lights flashing on and off. But it was not even this that reminded me of

the festive season but the person who was asleep under the shop

window. Like Jesus, he or she had nowhere to go – Jesus was in a dirty

cold stable and this particular person was on a cold dirty pavement.

Today there are so many things to distract us from the real meaning of

Christmas, which of course is that our God became a human being to

share his life with ours in good and bad times alike.

There was nowhere for Jesus to go at his birth except for a stable – at

the end of his life there was nowhere to go except the cross.

Let us make sure we worship and give thanks to Jesus for becoming

man – for us and for our salvation.

Do have a holy and happy Christmas and make sure you share it with

Jesus.

I pass on some words from a Christmas card already received from the

Royal National Lifeboat Institution which I support:

‘Christmas is giving and living and love,

Christmas is praising the powers above,

Show me a smile and a heart that is true,

Oh! Have I got a Christmas for you’

My Family and I send you all our love and prayers for a happy and holy

Christmas.

4

After Christmas a New year descends upon us, however [lease do not

forget that around Christmas and the New year there are a lot of Saint

and Holy days.

Lots of people make New Year’s resolutions like giving up beer, sugar or

chocolate.

In this year may I suggest a new resolution is to follow Jesus more

nearly and dearly? We may desert Jesus at times but He will never

desert us as he loves each one of us too much.

May I finish with the last verse of ‘Away in a Manger?’

‘Be near me Lord Jesus: I ask thee to stay

Close by me forever and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care

And fit us for heaven, to live with thee there.’

As always my love and prayers to you as we start a New Year for Jesus.

Father Alan

Confession before Christmas Fr Alan will be available on the following dates and times: Thursday 7th December at 12 noon Thursday 21st December at 12 noon Saturday 23rd December at 12 noon Sunday 24th December at 9 am (Fr Alan is saying 8 am Mass this day) Or by appointment

5

BISHOP STEPHEN'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2017

Venting his fury at a potential rival, Herod plays a percentages game: he

spreads the net of his anger widely; kills every boy under two in order to

ensure he kills just one. He fails. Fury and anger usually do - though that is

scant consolation to the mourning families of the innocent who suffer.

Meanwhile Jesus, the Saviour who is saved, is visited by unlikely people: in this

case, shepherds and foreign rulers.

The shepherds, virtual outcasts in their own society and looked upon with

grave suspicion, hear a song of peace. It is deeply attractive, and it sends them

to Bethlehem.

The wise men have followed a hunch in the form of a star. They are about to

learn that all their maps are wrong. They will return by a different route.

Tyrants like Herod still strut about the world today, their vanity and hubris still

causing havoc and misery. But the door of the stable at Bethlehem still stands

open for those who long for peace and those prepared to have their lives

redirected.

Might you be one of them?

Have an interesting Christmas!

Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell

Bishop of Chelmsford

6

R.M. (BOB) & MATHEW TOKLEY

GAS SERVICES

Local Gas Service Engineers

Gas Safe Registered

Landlord Gas Safe Certificates

All Domestic Gas Appliances Servicing & Repairs

Radiators, System Repairs, Plumbing Work

Phone 01206 308652 Mobile 07710293997

07784494885

7

St. James’ Church of England Primary

School News www.st-james-

colchester.essex.sch.uk

Dear Readers,

Two visits to Chelmsford Cathedral

On Tuesday 17th October, thirty children selected from year’s three to six

visited Chelmsford Cathedral. We took part in lots of activities about events in

the Bible. The people at the Cathedral were so welcoming and friendly. We

looked around the Cathedral for different items, created gifts and lots more. It

was great fun!

Written by Juliette

On Tuesday 31st

October, I

accompanied our

school council to

Chelmsford

Cathedral. We

had an early start as we were travelling with pupils from other schools within

‘The Vine Trust’. The children took part in lots of activities which included

looking for features within the Cathedral. We particularly enjoyed creating a

cross of lit candles. We had a very enjoyable day and the children were a

credit to our school.

‘All Saints Day’

The whole school recently attended Church to celebrate ‘All Saints Day’. The

Church was full, with our Foundation children now having to sit on the floor!

Thank you to parents and parishioners who celebrated with us.

‘Open School’

We held an ‘Open School’ event on Thursday 9th

November, when the parents

had an opportunity to come into school and work with their children for the

afternoon, as well as the chance to look through their books and enjoy

http://www.st-james-colchester.essex.sch.uk/

http://www.st-james-colchester.essex.sch.uk/

8

classroom displays. This event was well attended with 100 parents joining us

and staying for our ‘Star Work’ Assembly.

Anti-bullying Week

On Monday 13th

November we held a wear ‘odd socks’ to school day. The

children and staff wore the wackiest or creative socks they owned; or just an

odd pair of socks that the ‘sock monster’ took whilst in the washing machine!

Our main theme for the week is ‘We are all different; we are all equal’.

Leaving & Joining

We recently said a sad farewell to Kismet in the kitchen who has decided to

return to her hairdressing career. We wish her well and the children and staff

are going to miss her caring, cheerful and friendly manner, as well as her

cooking skills.

We are pleased to welcome Jo McKechnie, Hannah Woolener and Lisa

Henman to our team. They are already proving to be welcome additions to the

classrooms.

Our Carol Service is at St. James the Great Church on 18th

December at 5

o’clock, children will be accompanied by their parents and it would be lovely if

parishioners joined us for this festive celebration of Christmas.

Belynda Fellows

We're All One

This was one of the songs from the iSingPop concert held in church in October

They are keen to sing another song to you soon and if you would like to hear

the song again please email [email protected]

and we shall send you a copy of the track.

Christ the King

To celebrate the end of the church year (A)

Our Youngsters who attend St James School and the Sunday School sung

a tuneful message to us all to end our church year.

9

Mission

Mission Weekend 2/3 December 2017 is almost upon us. Please add your name to either the list for visiting or the list for praying in church. These are on the notice board at the back of church. Mission is an important part of our church life and we should all be involved in some way. Please ask Janet or the Wardens if you need further information.

A thought on Mission.

We are called as Christians to partake in Mission and to carry this out we

should shine and encourage others to come to us by our example. Mission

begins in the pew with an understanding and tolerance of others to allow us to

go out into the community as a light of Christian living. We are at a crucial

stage in our church life, seeking a new priest to guide us and we should always

strive to present ourselves in the loving spirit of Jesus.

10

The Thai 1 Restaurant is the longest established Thai Restaurant in Colchester Essex, Britain’s oldest recorded town. We pride

ourselves on serving only the best in truly authentic Thai dishes, all freshly prepared and cooked from locally sourced suppliers by

our highly experienced Bangkok trained Thai chef’s. Thai 1 Colchester can be found just a few hundred yards on the right hand side travelling up East Hill Colchester, going towards the Town and Castle Park. You can visit our website at www.thai-

1.co.uk, or contact us on 01206 870770

11

The nativity scene with all its characters was in place, as the

children (representing angels), gathered around the manger.

They sang: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, good

will among men’. Suddenly a small girl on the edge of the crowd,

who couldn’t see what was going on, shouted out, ‘Let Jesus

show!’

At Christmas time, we want to let Jesus show, in our churches,

communities and lives. We have an amazing message to share:

‘in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; He is the

Messiah, the Lord’ (Luke 2:10). It was to the shepherds, apart

from his parents, that Jesus was first showed.

No doubt these simple shepherds would have no idea of what the

names given to Jesus fully meant (i.e. Saviour, Messiah and

Lord). All they needed to know, and all we need to know, is that

God has done something unique in coming to earth as a human

being. This is good news of great joy for everybody!

After worshipping the child, the shepherds return to their normal

routine. However, they would never be the same again! Even

though they were still shepherds, they had a message to share

and let Jesus show. Although we don’t normally see angels, we

have the same good news to share! When Christmas is over and

we’re back to our normal routines, how will we let Jesus show in

our lives?

12

ANGLIAN WILL WRITING

We are based in Colchester and offer a professional, friendly, Will

writing service throughout East Anglia.

If you would like a Will, Trust, Power of Attorney drawn up, please

contact

Antony Tregenna,

(Affiliate Member of Society of Will Writers and Fellow of Institute

of Legal Executives)

Directly on 07484 738659,

By e-mail on [email protected]

Or via 01603 865220 to arrange a consultation.

14

NOW YOU CAN GIVE BY ‘TAP & GO’

12 Church of England cathedrals are trialing contactless donation

boxes for visitors. It follows the announcement earlier this year that

the CofE was going to trial ‘tap and go’ contactless payment systems

for donations. For several months now, 60 churches have been

equipped with handheld terminals to process card payments, with a

view to offering the system to every diocese next year. The trial

includes a variety of churches - urban, rural, large and small - to

make sure that the needs of different parishes are considered when

the scheme is offered nationally. John Preston, National Stewardship

Officer, recently told the Financial Times: "We're aware that younger

generations - and there are many people now who don't carry cash -

want to give in different ways. Enabling them to give in a way that

suits them is something we'd like to try."

The scheme will be run by Parish Buying.

https://www.parishbuying.org.uk/ The terminals, provided by startup

GoodBox, are already in place in the Natural History Museum, where

donations have been up 20 per cent since they were installed in June.

https://www.parishbuying.org.uk/

15

The IC Group Autumn/Winter social this year was at the

Mercury Theatre Saturday 25th November evening

performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - a good time

had by all.

THE HOLY ROSARY

The Holy Rosary will be prayed in St James On Monday 11th December and

Monday 8th

January at 7.30pm. New participants are always welcome and

there are spare rosaries available to us.

PLEASE DO JOIN US!

16

St Helena Hospice Christmas Tree-Cycle 2018

If you are planning to buy a real Christmas tree this year, but you’re unsure what

to do with it when it’s time to take the decorations down, St Helena Hospice can

help.

Working in partnership with Colchester Borough Council the hospice, which

supports local people living with life-limiting illness, is again offering a recycling

service for supporters with real Christmas trees. On Saturday January 6th a team

of volunteers will collect trees from homes in postcode areas CO1 to CO9. This

year the scheme will also include CO13, thanks to support from Parkers Garden

Company, Frinton.

Christmas tree-Cycle is a practical way for local people to help the hospice

continue to provide support to families and patients. The hospice welcomes a

suggested donation of £7.50 per tree.

Sarah Wilson, Corporate Relationship Manager at St Helen Hospice said: ‘We’re

really pleased to have the support from Colchester Borough Council again this

year to provide the collection. We are also thankful to Parkers Garden Company

in Frinton for supporting the collection in the CO13 area. The help from the

Parkers means we are able to collect in a wider area offering the service to more

of our supporters. Last year we raised an incredible £12,000 and we hope to raise

even more this year. The Collection relies solely on volunteers and van owners to

support the collection itself.’

To register for the collection please visit

sthelenahospice.org.uk/treecollect18

or call the

fundraising team on 01206 931468

Anyone able to provide a van, or help with collecting trees on January 6th should

use the same number or email:

[email protected] or [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

18

High Steward’s Heritage Tours

Old Heath residents are invited to take part in Colchester High Steward Sir Bob

Russell’s Annual New Year’s day Walk – which this time will feature a ‘Roam around

roman Colchester’.

The tour, on Monday 1st

January, will last around two hours, starting at 10am from

Roman Circus House which is at the western end of the site of the Roman Circus next

to Abbey Field. There is a car park off Butt Road, a short walk from Roman Circus

House.

Sir Bob has organised a New year’s Day Walk for several years and one route

included the three former water mills in Old heath: Bourne Mill alongside the

stream to Cannock Mill and then to Distillery Mill before walking along Hythe Quay

and then the riverside walk to Castle Park. Another year the route was from The

Hythe along the public footpath next to the River Colne to Rowhedge.

The 2018 route will ‘roam’ around Colchester’s Roman heritage, notable, the Roman

Circus, Town Wall, the base of the 1st

Century Temple to Claudius on which 1,000

years later the Normans built Colchester Castle, mosaic floor of a Roman villa,

foundation of a Roman Theatre, Balkerne Gate and the remains of Britain’s oldest

Roman Christian Church.

Each year Sir Bob asks participants to make a donation of £5 towards a good cause,

which this time will be for Colchester Food Bank for which demand has increased

significantly in recent weeks.

Sir Bob’s New Year’s Day Walk is in addition to his regular programme of Heritage

Tours which he has been running for the past three years. He has two routes, both

of which start at Colchester Arts Centre (former St Mary at the Walls Church). Future

dates for his next two tours are ‘B’ 11th

February and ‘A’ 11th

March.

In April he will commence his fourth season of fortnightly tours during the Spring

and Summer. Full details will be published in due course.

He is raising money for the statue of the Taylor sisters, Jane and Ann – it was Jane in

1806 in Colchester who published a poem which we know today as ‘Twinkle, Twinkle

Little star’. Bookings can be made to Colchester Arts Centre by phone on 01206

500900 or e-mail to [email protected]

Please note: there is no need to book for his traditional New Year’s Day Walk, details

of which have been given above.

Sir Bob also writes a weekly ‘out and about’ article in the Colchester Daily Gazette

which usually appears in the one published on a Wednesday. They cover a range of

subjects, but the majority have an historic flavour.

mailto:[email protected]

19

WITH CHRISTMAS IN MIND...

Christmas gift suggestions: Anon

To your enemy, forgiveness; to an opponent,

tolerance; to a friend, your heart; to a customer, service; to all,

charity; to every child, a good example; to yourself, respect.

26 DECEMBER LOOK OUT FOR WENCESLAS

Most of us probably know that on December 26th (the Feast of

Stephen) ‘Good king Wenceslas’ looked out, writes David Winter.

We probably also know that the snow lay round about, ‘deep and

crisp and even’. Beyond that, he’s just someone in a carol that’s

not often sung nowadays.

However, Wenceslas was a real person, a duke, and effectively

king of Bohemia in the 10th century. In modern terms, he was

Czechoslovakian. He was known as a generous and kind monarch,

deeply Christian and given to good works. So the story in the

carol by the Victorian hymn-writer J.M. Neale, while possibly

fictitious, is at least in line with his recognised character. ‘Page

and monarch’ braved the ‘bitter weather’ and the ‘cruel wind’s

wild lament’ to take food and fuel to a poor man living rough.

Neale’s carol was enormously popular in the 19th century,

because it perfectly expressed Victorian Christian ideals of

benevolence and alms-giving. Christian men of ‘wealth and rank’

are urged to help the poor, and so ‘find blessing’. Ignoring the

‘wealth and rank and men’ bit, it’s still good advice, at Christmas

or any other time.

20

PRAYER & MASS INTENTION FOR DECEMBER

1 Fri Young people in our congregation

2 Sat Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham

3 SUN Advent 1 Our Parish

4 Mon For a Holy Advent

5 Tue The housebound

6 Wed St Nicholas Deprived children

7 Thu St Ambrose Theologians

8 Fri Immaculate Conception Greater love of Mary

9 Sat The unemployed


11 Mon Beacon House

12 Tue Community of the Sacred Passion

13 Wed Headway

14 Thu World Peace

15 Fri Our School

16 Sat Local shopkeepers


18 Mon The poor and lonely

19 Tue Local hospitals and care homes

20 Wed Our Mayor and Councillors

21 Thu Those involved with the Soup Run

22 Fri Our local M.P.

23 Sat Those working at this time


25 Mon Christmas Day For joy in our faith

26 Tue St Stephen Martyrs in every age

27 Wed St John Spiritual writers

28 Thu Holy Innocents The Children’s Society

29 Fri St Thomas Beckett Bishops

30 Sat Family Life

31 SUN The Holy Family Our Parish

21

PRAYER & MASS INTENTION FOR JANUARY

1 Mon Mother of God God’s Blessing on this New Year

2 Tue Cell of Our Lady of Walsingham

3 Wed Holy Name of Jesus Monks & Nuns

4 Thu Theological Colleges

5 Fri Ordinands

6 Sat The Epiphany of the Lord Giving Jesus our best gifts

7 SUN Our Parish

8 Mon The Baptism of the Lord Our own Baptism

9 Tue Parish Priests

10 Wed Lonely people

11 Thu Hospitals & Care Homes

12 Fri Our Deanery & Diocese

13 Sat Our School

14 SUN Our Parish

15 Mon Churchwardens & PCC

16 Tue World Peace

17 Wed The housebound

18 Thu Prayer for Christian Unity Wk Church Unity

19 Fri Orthodox Church

20 Sat Anglican Church

21 SUN Our Parish

22 Mon Roman Catholics

23 Tue Baptists & Methodists

24 Wed United Reform

25 Thu Conversion of St Paul New Christians

26 Fri Ss Timothy & Titus Bishops

27 Sat Salvation Army

28 SUN Our Parish

29 Mon Community of the Sacred Passion

30 Tue Spiritual Directors

31 Wed Retreat Houses

22

DIARY FOR DECEMBER

1 Fri 9-00 Mass School

2 Sat 12-30 Exposition Prayer Gp St James

3 SUN

Advent 1 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

4 Mon 11-00 Extended Mass Alderwood

5 Tues NO MASS

6 Wed 19-00 Mass St James

7 Thurs 12-30 Mass St James


9 Sat NO MASS

10 SUN

Advent 2 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

11 Mon

11-00

19-30

Extended Mass

Holy Rosary

Colonia Crt

St James

12 Tues NO MASS




16 Sat NO MASS

17 SUN

Advent 3 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

18 Mon 17-00 Carol Service St James

19 Tues NO MASS



22 Fri NO MASS

23 Sat NO MASS

24 SUN

Christmas Eve

Advent 4

8-00

10-00

16-30

11-30

Mass

Sung Mass

Christingle

Midnight Mass

St James

St James

25 Mon

Christmas Day 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

26 Tues NO MASS



29 Fri NO MASS

30 Sat NO MASS

31 SUN

The Holy Family 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

23

DIARY FOR JANUARY

1 Mon NO MASS

2 Tues NO MASS



5 Fri TBA

6 Sat Epiphany 9-30 Cell of OLW St James

7 SUN

Epiphany 1

The Baptism of Christ

8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

8 Mon

11-00

19-30

Extended Mass

Holy Rosary

Colonia Crt

St James

9 Tues NO MASS



12 Fri TBA

13 Sat NO MASS

14 SUN

Epiphany 2 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

15 Mon NO MASS

16 Tues NO MASS



19 Fri TBA

20 Sat NO MASS

21 SUN

Epiphany 3 8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

22 Mon NO MASS

23 Tues NO MASS



26 Fri TBA

27 Sat NO MASS

28 SUN

Epiphany 4

Septuagesima

8-00

10-00

Mass

Sung Mass

29 Mon NO MASS

30 Tues NO MASS


24

Churchwardens of the Parish

Mrs Kate Thurston 01206 793243

60B East Hill

Colchester CO1 2QZ

Mr Stephen Pawlak 01206 728443

16 High Street

Rowhedge

Colchester CO5 7HQ

Parochial Church Council Officers

Chairman Mr David Beattie 01206 868848

19 Riverside Place

Colchester CO1 2ZG

Secretary Mrs Lucy Mason 01206 386766

2 The Anchorage

East Road

East Mersea CO5 8UJ

Treasurer Mr Philip Dodd 01206 504480

38 Rosebery Avenue

Colchester CO1 2UL

Electoral Roll Mrs Sheila Sansom 07905516502

Officer 14 Greyfriars Court

The Secret Garden

Castle Road

Colchester CO1 1TL

Parish Safeguarding Mrs Clare Moles 07751329314

Representative 10 Bristol Road

Colchester CO1 2YU

25

Health & Safety Mrs Janet Walker 01206 860155

Officer 107 Military Rd New Town

Colchester CO1 2AT

St. James’ Church of England Primary School Colchester

Head Teacher Mrs Belynda Fellows

Website http://www.st-james-colchester.essex.sch.uk

Children’s’ Society Mrs Joyce Mays 01206 841681

Sidesmen Mrs Kate Thurston 01206 793243

Readers Mrs Janet Walker 01206 860155

Intercessions Mrs Kate Thurston 01206 793243

Gift Aid Officer Vacant

Organist Mr Mark Terry 07765574267

Sacristan Team Mr Brian Appleby 01206 578094

Mr Paul Bareham 01206 210270

Mr Stephen Pawlak 01206 728443

Children’s’ Liturgy Mrs Diana Irven 01206 386393

Flowers Mrs Susan Brandeis

Magazine Editor Mrs Lucy Mason 01206 386766

26

Contact by email [email protected]

Hon Asst. Priest Fr Alan Cross SSC

Canon Emeritus, Chelmsford Cathedral

Chaplain to Abberton Manor Nursing Home

Services at St James the Great, East Hill

Sundays Said Mass 08:00

Sung Mass 10:00

Monday Mass PLEASE SEE CALENDAR

Tuesday No Mass

Wednesday Mass 19:00

Thursday Mass 12:30

Friday Mass / Service in School PLEASE SEE CALENDAR

Saturday No Mass

Festivals and Saints Days see monthly calendar.

Confession By appointment

Holy Baptism By arrangement after preparation

Ministry to the Sick Names of the Sick to the clergy/Churchwardens,

the Blessed Sacrament is reserved for the

communion of the Sick, and the Oil of the Sick for

Anointing

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