Our Pastor’s Message
Thinking About Traditions
Last summer, when I became pastor of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, the local newspaper published a story about my devotion to various cultural and religious traditions. For the most part, the article was accurate. Since childhood, the traditions of the Church and the traditions of my family’s Portuguese heritage have been a big part of my life. But as numerous seasonal feasts and festivals approach, we would be wise to pray about and reflect upon the enduring value of these traditions.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a tradition is a custom or practice that is passed from generation to generation. For me, this definition raises a simple but challenging question: Why? Why is this custom or that practice passed from one generation to the next? Why do we continue to carry on certain traditions and not others? The dictionary’s definition of tradition misses the point. Customs, practices, and traditions (cultural or religious) can only endure when they serve some good purpose; when they help us to grow in faith, hope, and love; when they build community and bring us closer together in a true spirit of prayer, fellowship, and service. If we continue a particular tradition for reasons of pride, fundraising, or blind devotion to the past, then we rob that tradition of its meaning and purpose. So, we owe it to our ancestors, ourselves, and our children and grandchildren to pass on not just rites and rituals, but also the meaning and value of our traditions.
This coming week, for example, all are invited to the annual Crowning Feast of the Holy Spirit at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. Each evening, we will gather as a community of faith to pray together, eat together, and build friendships under the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. This beautiful week-long feast does not belong to any one group, heritage, or organization. Rather, it belongs to all of God’s people, to everyone in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport and beyond. It is a unique opportunity to come together in prayer for the intercession of Our Lady and for the coming of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, homes, lives, and communities.
All are welcome to join me, the Holy Name Society, Our Lady’s Guild, and all parishioners, friends, and guests of Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport for this wonderful annual tradition in celebration of the coming of God’s Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. As the feast begins, let us pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire us with renewed zeal for prayer, fellowship, and service! And let us pray with one voice: Come, Holy Spirit! Come! Enkindle in us the fire of your love! Amen! Alleluia!
Peace and blessings to all,
Father Jim
Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com
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Crowning Feast of the Holy Spirit
Monday, May 18th thru Sunday, May 24th
All are invited to join Father Jim, Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish, and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport to celebrate the annual Crowning Feast of the Holy Spirit from Monday, May 18th through Pentecost Sunday, May 24th at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. Our Crowning Week will begin on Monday, May 18th at 6:30pm when the crown is entrusted to Imperator Mario Fernandes and his wife, Liduina, as part of a special ceremony. Here’s our schedule for the week:
Monday, May 18th
Imperator Ceremony & Holy Rosary
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 6:30pm
Supper in Our Lady’s Hall | 7:00pm
Tuesday, May 19th
Holy Rosary
Our Lady’s Hall | 6:30pm
Supper in Our Lady’s Hall | 7:00pm
Wednesday, May 20th
Celebration of Mass
Our Lady’s Hall | 6:30pm
Supper in Our Lady’s Hall | 7:00pm
Thursday, May 21st
Holy Rosary
Our Lady’s Hall | 6:30pm
Supper in Our Lady’s Hall | 7:00pm
Friday, May 22nd
Holy Rosary
Our Lady’s Hall | 6:30pm
Supper in Our Lady’s Hall | 7:00pm
Saturday, May 23rd
Celebration of Mass
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 4:00pm
Penny Sale in Our Lady’s Hall | 6:00pm
No Supper | Refreshments Served
Pentecost Sunday, May 24th
Celebration of Mass & Crowning Ceremony
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church | 10:00am
Luncheon in Our Lady’s Hall | 12:00pm
Tickets for Sunday’s Luncheon will be available before and after the evening Rosary. For more information or tickets, please contact Father Jim at 978-281-4820 or frjim@ccgronline.com; or Bill Proposky at william.proposki@verizon.net. Please join us! All are welcome to join us for this beautiful annual celebration of the coming of God’s Holy Spirit! Come, Holy Spirit! Come! Enkindle in us the fire of your love! Amen! Alleluia!
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Our New Worship Schedule
Begins May 30th & May 31st
In Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish, the celebration of Mass is the source and summit of our community’s joy and the center of our life of prayer, fellowship, and service. Regardless of where we might worship, the Holy Eucharist brings God’s consolation, love, and mercy into our midst; and it brings the Real Presence of Jesus Christ into our lives and hearts! 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. Beginning during the weekend of Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport will celebrate Mass according to the following schedule:
Saturday Vigil Masses
4:00pm Saint Ann Church
6:00pm Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
Sunday Masses
7:00am Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
8:15am Saint Ann Church
10:00am Saint Joachim Church
11:45am Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
5:00pm Saint Ann Church (Brazilian Community)
Weekday Masses
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:00am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00am
Saint Joachim Church
Saturday at 8:00am
Saint Ann Church
Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation
As sinners, we acknowledge our faults and failures. We also believe deeply in God’s boundless mercy and limitless love for us. The Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation (Confess) offers each of us an opportunity to reconcile ourselves with both God and the Church. The sacrament is comprised of four elements: sorrow for one’s sins, confession of those sins to a priest, absolution by a priest, and an act of penance. Beginning during the weekend of May 30th and May 31st, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport will celebrate the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation on Saturdays from 3:00pm-3:30pm at Saint Ann Church.
Please note that confessions are also heard by appointment. If you cannot participate in the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation during our regularly scheduled celebrations, please contact our pastoral office at 978-281-4820 or contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. If you have questions or constructive comments about our new worship schedule, please contact Father Jim or a member of our pastoral team. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support! May God bless you, your family, and all people in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport! Saint Ann pray for us! Saint Joachim, pray for us! Saint Anthony, pray for us! Our Lady of Good Voyage, pray for us!
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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 frjim@ccgronline.com. Please join us! All are welcome!
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