Winter Weather Update
Due to parking problems caused by recent winter storms, all weekday Masses (except Saturdays) during Lent will be celebrated at 8:30am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. On Saturday mornings, Mass will be celebrated at 8:30am in Saint Ann Church. All Sunday Masses will be celebrated according to our regular schedule. Please click here for our complete Mass schedule during Lent. Thank you.
Our Pastor’s Message: The Coming Lent
On Ash Wednesday, February 18th, the Church begins its long journey to the Cross, to Calvary, where Christ Jesus suffered and died for our sake. The Holy Season of Lent begins with ashes, a stark reminder that we are ultimately dust and unto dust we will return. It culminates with the celebration of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. And it concludes with the commemoration of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. But Lent is more than a time for ashes, palms, and the washing of feet. It is a time to get serious about our personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church.
In his annual Message for Lent, Pope Francis warns against the “globalization of indifference.” By this phrase, Pope Francis suggests that the world has grown unconcerned about the suffering of the aged, the poor, and the sick. He suggests that we have become disinterested in the problems of our families, friends, and neighbors. And he suggests that we have forgotten about the challenges facing our parish communities. During these dark days of winter, the Holy Father writes that our hearts have grown cold in the face of so many trials.
But the Gospel holds the key to facing the difficulties of modern life. Like Christ, who withdrew into the desert to pray, we are called during the coming Lent to imitate Him in prayer, penance, and almsgiving. We are called to pray for ourselves and for others. We are called to pray for our parishes. We are called to pray for peace in our community and in the wider world.
In addition, like Christ in the desert, we are called to take stock in our lives: to consider our failings and faults; to think about those things that come between us and those we love; those things that come between us and our Church; and ultimately those things that come between us and our God. And we are called to reconcile ourselves through prayer and penance to God and His Church. Finally, during this coming Lent, we are called to give of ourselves in a spirit of sacrificial love. We are called to share our love, talent, and treasure with our families and friends, with those in need, and with our parish.
During the coming Lent, it is my prayerful hope that each of us is blessed with the grace to enter fully into a spirit of prayer, penance, and almsgiving. It is my prayerful hope that each of us is blessed with the courage and perseverance to grow closer to Christ during this long journey to the Cross. And in the words of Pope Francis: “It is my prayerful hope that this Lent will prove spiritually fruitful for each believer and every parish community. I ask you to pray for me. May the Lord bless you! And may Our Lady keep you!” If you would like to read the complete English text of the Holy Father’s Message for Lent, please click here.
Peace and blessings to all,
Father Jim
Reverend James M. Achadinha
Pastor, Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: jachadinha@rcab.org
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Ash Wednesday | February 18th
Our Mass & Worship Schedule
The celebration of Holy Mass is the source and summit of our community’s joy and its life of prayer, fellowship, and service. All are welcome to join us for Mass and to participate in Holy Communion in accordance with personal conscience and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. This year, the Holy Season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18th. In the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, Masses will be celebrated (with the distributions of ashes) according to the following schedule:
7:00am Saint Joachim
8:30am Our Lady of Good Voyage
12:00pm Saint Ann
7:00pm Our Lady of Good Voyage
In addition, we will also celebrate a Service of the Word (with the distribution of ashes) at 5:30pm at Saint Joachim Church. For more information about Lent in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Father Jim Achadinha at jachadinha@rcab.org or Cliff Garvey at c.garvey@ymail.com; or click here for our Lent page. Please join us as we begin our Lenten journey! All are welcome!
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Heartsavers CPR Course
Saturday, February 21st
Irene Kerr, a longtime friend of our pastor and a member of the Assisi Project will soon join us to offer the American Heart Association’s Heartsaver CPR Course to parishioners and friends of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. Irene is a certified CPR instructor and experienced physical therapist. Her first offering of the Heartsavers CPR Course is scheduled for Saturday, February 21st (weather permitting) from 9:00am until 12:00pm at Saint Ann Parish Center. Upon completion of the course, all participants will receive a certification from the American Heart Association in CPR and other lifesaving techniques. This course is free, but limited to only six participants. If you would like to to enroll in this special course, please contact Cliff Garvey at c.garvey@ymail.com.
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The Assisi Project
Saint Francis of Assisi: The Beginning
Sunday, February 22nd
Founded in 2007 by Father Jim Achadinha and Cliff Garvey, the Assisi Project is an international fellowship of “Franciscans in Spirit” that is dedicated to helping adults of all ages to more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. Each month, we gather for Mass, a community meal, and a period of faith formation and discussion.
Our first meeting of the year is scheduled for the First Sunday of Lent, February 22nd beginning with Mass at 12:00pm in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. After Mass, Cliff Garvey will offer a reflection entitled “Saint Francis of Assisi: The Beginning” which will focus on the early life and times of the man who would become the world’s most beloved and perhaps most misunderstood saint. After Cliff’s reflection, we will adjourn to the parish hall for a light lunch.
If you would like to join us, please contact Cliff Garvey at c.garvey@ymail no later than February 15th (so that we can plan appropriately for food and drink). For more information about the Assisi Project and our upcoming opportunities for prayer, fellowship, and pilgrimage in the Franciscan spiritual tradition, please visit our website at assisiproject.com. Please join us! All are welcome! May the Lord give you peace!
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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. Our collaborative is comprised of Saint Ann Church in Gloucester, Saint Anthony’s Chapel in Gloucester, Saint Joachim Church in Rockport, and Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in Gloucester. We are a Roman Catholic faith community united in prayer, fellowship, and service. For more information about becoming a member of one of our parishes, please contact Father Jim at jachadinha@rcab.org. Please join us! All are welcome!
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