Watch: Easter Sunday Mass with Father Jim (4-5-26)
Listen: Pray As You Go Daily Meditations
Read: Scripture for Life by Mary McGlone (4-5-26)
Our Pastor’s Message
What We Say
By Father Jim
Each year at Christmas and Easter, we offer a message of warm welcome to each and every person who joins us for prayer and worship. Now and always, our doors are open to every saint and sinner. Our doors are open to the rich and the poor, the young and the old, and everyone in between. Our doors are open to married couples and single people, straight people and gay people, and anyone who is discerning their way in the world. Our doors are open to healthy people and sick people, and to all people who long for the Lord’s healing presence in their lives.
This year, however, we need to offer more. We need to pray more. We need to say more. As everyone knows, this has been a hard year for our community. On the final night of Saint Peter’s Fiesta, we lost a promising student-athlete in a tragic accident. Last fall, we lost a respected civic leader who spent her whole life in service to the people of Cape Ann. Last winter, we lost the beloved crew of an iconic Gloucester fishing vessel. And throughout the year, we have grieved the losses of all too many friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. It has been a hard year.
Indeed, this is no ordinary time. In addition to the remarkable lives that we read about in the obituary pages, we also mourn for the world around us which is being torn apart by war, division, and harsh judgment. Sister Mary Ann Azanza, a member of the Religious of the Assumption, recently said: “We are living in a time when cruelty is applauded.” Whether online, in-person, or in traffic, we seem more and more willing to snap, criticize, and lash out at our neighbors and loved ones. All too sadly, this trend seems to be worsening on both sides of the bridge.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, Albert Camus (1913-1960), a French novelist and philosopher, challenged Christians to discern their prophetic role in modern society. He wrote: “The world expects of Christians that they will raise their voices so loudly and clearly and so formulate their protest that not even the simplest person can have slightest doubt about what they are saying. Further, the world expects of Christians that they will abstain from all fuzzy abstractions and plant themselves squarely in front of the bloody face of history. We stand in need of persons who have determined to speak directly and unmistakably, and come what may, to stand by what they have said.” So, what do we say to the world?
We plead for peace, truth, and justice. We try to be a family united in prayer, fellowship, and service. We seek only to be humble laborers in the vineyard of the Lord. We strive to live the Gospel, share God’s love, and rebuild the Church. We aspire to imitate God’s style of closeness, compassion, and tenderness. We stand in solidarity with the poor, the persecuted, and the unjustly imprisoned. We proclaim a radical welcome to every person, from every place, from every walk of life. We visit the sick, comfort the grieving, and offer a helping hand to our brothers and sisters in need. With great joy, we profess our shared hope in the Poor and Risen Christ who offers all people his boundless love, mercy, and friendship. Today, tomorrow, and always. We stand by it all. Every word. No matter what. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (4-5-26)
Bringing Home the Word (4-5-26)
The Kids Bulletin (4-5-26)
__________
Easter Worship Schedule
April 4th & April 5th
SAD NEWS FOR EASTER
FATHER RONALD GARIBOLDI (1935-2026)
In the midst of our Easter joy, we share the sad news that our dear friend and former pastor, Father Ron Gariboldi, died on Holy Thursday after ninety years of life. In your kindness, please pray for the soul of this good man and holy priest. In one of Father Ron’s final homilies for CatholicTV which focused on gratitude, he said: “A wonderful motto to live by: I am grateful for what happened in the past; and I say ‘yes’ to my future.” In this spirit of faith, hope, love, and thankfulness for a life well-lived, and for the God’s countless blessings, all friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join us for the celebration of the Resurrection of the Lord at Easter:
Holy Saturday, April 4th
- Easter Vigil Mass at 7:00pm
Saint Ann Church
Easter Sunday, April 5th
- Mass at 7:00am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church - Mass at 8:15am
Saint Ann Church - Mass at 10:00am
Saint Joachim Church - Mass at 11:45am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
For more information, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. On behalf of our pastor, senior priests, and pastoral team, may God bless us with peace, truth, and justice throughout Holy Week and beyond!
Read: Father Ron Gariboldi’s Obituary
__________
Words of Wisdom from Saint John Paul II
We are an Easter people and ‘Alleluia’ is our song!
We do not seek a shallow joy,
but a joy that comes from faith,
that grows through unselfish love,
that respects the fundamental duty
to love our neighbor,
without which it would be unbecoming
to speak about joy at all (1986).
__________
Youth Choir & Music Ministry
Wednesday, April 8th
All young disciples, boys and girls, ages 8 through 17, are invited to share their musical talents with our parishes! Rehearsals continue on Wednesday, April 8th at 5:30pm in Saint Ann Church! Being a part of our youth music ministry is a great way to make new friends and learn about the Lord! For more information, please contact Patty Natti at pnatti@comcast.net. Save the date! Spread the word! Please join us! All are welcome! Happy Easter!
__________
The Assisi Project
Franciscan Virtues – Fraternity
Saturday, April 11th
JUBILEE YEAR OF SAINT FRANCIS (1226-2026)
This year marks the 800th Anniversary of the Life & Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi. In commemoration of this important milestone, Pope Leo XIV has declared a Special Jubilee Year which has inspired us to focus many of our adult faith formation programs on the Poor Man of Assisi. In this spirit, the Assisi Project is going back to the basics, back to the life and good example of our patron saint and his first followers who lived the Gospel in thought, word, and deed.
All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join us on Saturday, April 11th at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church for a two hour mini-retreat that includes Holy Mass, a reflection by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, and a period of prayer and faith sharing. We will continue our reading and discussion of an amazing book called Franciscan Virtues: Fifty-Two Steps to Conversion.
This beautiful but spiritually challenging little book contains a brief weekly meditation on the virtues practiced by Saint Francis of Assisi and the saints and sinners who have tried to follow in his footsteps during the past eight centuries. During the month of April, we are reading about the virtues of faith, fraternity, generosity, gratitude, and honesty. But we will focus primarily on the virtue of fraternity.
Founded in 2007 by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers around the world. We are dedicated to helping believers of all ages and backgrounds more faithfully live the Good News of the Poor Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are also dedicated to promoting a devotion to Pope Francis (1936-2025) as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our suffering world.
For more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. Please join us! Bring a friend! All are welcome! May God bless you! May the Risen Lord give you peace! Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! Pope Francis, pray for us! Happy Easter!
Learn More: The Assisi Project
__________
Words of Wisdom from Saint Francis of Assisi
After the Lord blessed me with brothers,
no one showed us what to do,
but the same Most High God revealed to us
that we should live in harmony with the Holy Gospel.
Watch: The Conversion of Saint Francis (2.5 Minutes)
__________
Divine Mercy
A Celebration of God’s Love
Saturday, April 11th
In 2000, Saint John Paul II (1920-2005) canonized Sister Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) and designated the Second Sunday of Easter as the Feast of Divine Mercy. This devotion reflects a mystical message from Jesus that Sister Faustina shared with the world: “Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy. This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to all people.”
In this spirit, all friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners are invited to join Father Jim and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport for a Celebration of Divine Mercy on Saturday, April 11th beginning at 2:00pm in Saint Ann Church. Here’s our schedule of prayer and worship: Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 2:00pm; Holy Rosary at 2:15pm; Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00pm; Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 3:20pm; and Holy Mass at 4:00pm.
A Prayer for Divine Mercy
Eternal Father,
I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity
of your dearly Beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins
and those of the whole world.
For the sake of his sorrowful Passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One,
have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.
We hope and pray that you and your family can join us for all or at least part of this special day of prayer, devotion, and adoration. For more information, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Now more than ever, let’s pray together! All are welcome! Happy Easter!
Watch: Divine Mercy Chaplet with Bishop Reed (25 Minutes)
__________
Easter Faith & Family Mass
A Youth Faith Formation Special Event
Sunday, April 12th
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: “Let the little children come to me and do not stop them, because it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs (9:14).” In response to the Lord’s call, all young disciples and their families are invited to join Father Jim for our Easter Faith & Family Mass on Sunday, April 12th at 11:45am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church.
During Mass, Father Jim will offer a special homily about the Risen Jesus and the Easter Season. Every child who attends will receive a special blessing from our pastor! In addition, please save these dates for our last two Faith & Family Masses for this school year:
- Mother’s Day Faith & Family Mass
Saturday, May 9th at 4:00pm
Saint Ann Church - Holy Spirit Faith & Family Mass
Sunday, May 24th at 11:45am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
For more information about youth faith formation in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Betsy Works at bworks@ccgronline.com. Mass is our class! Jesus is our teacher! Every family who joins us is a special blessing from God! All are invited! All are welcome! Always! Happy Easter!
__________
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Help Us Help Others!
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society is an international organization that is dedicated to responding to any request from any person or family in need. Here on Cape Ann, we work through Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish to serve the poor and the needy. Help us help others! Donations can be pushed through the mail slot in the parish office, dropped in the collection basket at any Weekend Mass, or mailed to:
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
74 Pleasant Street
Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930
New members and volunteers are always welcome! For more information about the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and its good work in our parishes and hometowns, please contact Harry Miller at 978 281-8672 or Robert Weeks at svdpmember1@gmail.com. If you or someone you know needs our help, please call 978-281-8672. Thank you for your generous support for the Saint Vin- cent de Paul Society! May God bless you! Happy Easter!
Learn More: Saint Vincent de Paul
__________
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Our Clothes Closet
Second, Third & Fourth Saturdays
The Saint Vincent de Paul Clothes Closet is open for business in Saint Ann Church Hall on the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of every month from 9:00am until 12:00pm. All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners are welcome to drop by and check out the Clothes Closet by entering through the Pleasant Street doors of Saint Ann Church Hall.
Donations of gently worn clothing and shoes are gratefully accepted during our regular hours and in the bin located in the Saint Ann School parking lot. Please note that we cannot accept donations of books, toys, or household items. For more information about the Saint Vincent de Paul Clothes Closet, please contact Bridget Nelligan at 781-572-4752 or Cathy Kyrouz at 978-290-1756. As always, thank you for your generous support!
__________
We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
Giving liberates the soul of the giver. — Maya Angelou
Electronic giving has become an essential part of parish support in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport; and it is available in both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. It is safe and easy to make online donations to your home parish using a credit card, debit card, or electronic check.
Donations can be made on a weekly, monthly, or one-time only basis; and it takes just a few minutes to set up a secure personal account. In addition to the weekly offering, you can also give electronically to our church restoration funds which help us plan for the repair and maintenance of our four beloved and historic churches.
Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish always need your generous support! Please prayerfully considering enrolling in our electronic giving program! For more information about creating a new account or assistance with an existing account, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Peace, blessings, and sincere thanks to all!
Support Holy Family Parish
Support Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish
__________
About Us
Established in 2014, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport is a collaborative of two historic parishes: Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. Working together as a family united in prayer, fellowship, and service, we are committed to living the Gospel of Christ, sharing God’s love and mercy with all people, and rebuilding the Church in Gloucester & Rockport. All are invited! All are welcome! Always!
Follow us on Instagram!
This Week’s Homepage
In Memory of Father Ronald Gariboldi