Patronal Festival of St James the Great 26th July 8.00 am Low Mass and 10:00 am Sung Festival Mass.
- Occurring
- for 3 hours, 30 mins
- Venue
- Colchester: St James the Great
- Address East Hill Colchester, CO1 2QL, United Kingdom
✨ CELEBRATING OUR PATRONAL FESTIVAL ✨
Dear Friends, As Parish Priest of St James the Great with St Paul, I warmly invite you to join us this coming Sunday, 26th July as we gather to celebrate our Patronal Festival (transferred from 25th July).
"We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."
— 2 Corinthians 4:7
If you have ever been baptised, confirmed, or married at St James the Great, or if you have attended a funeral here to remember a loved one, this church remains your spiritual home—and we would be overjoyed to welcome you back.
Together, we have so much to give God thanks for as we honour our wonderful, courageous patron saint, St James the Great, who was martyred for his faith in AD 44.
As Jesus reminds us in our Gospel reading for the day: "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant... even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve" (Matthew 20:26–28).
⛪ Our Festival Services:
• 8:00 am – Low Mass
A quiet, reflective start to our festival morning, followed by light refreshments (including prosecco)
• 10:00 am – Main Festival Sung Mass
Our principal celebration with full choir, featuring Stanford’s Psalm 150 and Margaret Rizza’s moving Broken for You mass setting.
o Preacher: The Reverend James T McCluskey ssc.
o Hymns: Classic favourites including Christ is Made the Sure Foundation, God is Here!, and The Church’s One Foundation.
🥂 Fellowship & Refreshments:
Following the 10:00 am Sung Mass, please stay and celebrate with us! Refreshments will be served in church, including soft drinks, tea, sherry, prosecco, and champagne.
Whether you are a regular face in the congregation, returning after many years, or visiting us for the very first time, please come and celebrate with us.
📍 Location: The Parish Church of St James the Great with St Paul, East Hill, Colchester.
Date: Sunday 26th July (Transferred from 25th July)
With every blessing,
Fr James McCluskey ssc
Rector / Parish Priest
Picture © Jack and Abbie Dixon