Watch: Sunday Mass with Father Jim (5-23-21)
Watch: Worldwide Rosary to End Pandemic
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Pray More: Assisi Project Resources
Our Pastor’s Message
Forever Changed
By Father Jim
Last year on Pentecost Sunday, during one of the darkest moments of the coronavirus pandemic, Pope Francis shared a video reflection with members of the Charismatic Renewal International Service (CHARIS). He said: “We need the Spirit to give us new eyes, to open our minds and our hearts to face this moment and the future with the lessons we have learned: We are a single human family. We cannot save ourselves by ourselves…We have the duty to build a new reality.”
For almost a year, the Holy Father’s words have haunted me. More and more, the pope speaks with real urgency about the need for us to come together, work together, and walk together as brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends, and humble co-workers in the vineyard of the Lord. Pope Francis implores us to set aside the petty disagreements that tear people apart and truly focus on what unites us. We are all God’s children. We are born for love, born to love, and born to serve without counting the cost. We are called together in prayer, fellowship, and service. We are called to live the Gospel, to share God’s love, and to rebuild the Church — now more than ever!
In that same message, Pope Francis issued a challenge to all disciples: “When we come out of this pandemic, we will no longer be able to do what we have been doing and how we have been doing it. Everything will be different. All of the suffering will have been pointless if we do not build together a more just, more equitable, more Christian society, not in name, but in reality, a reality that leads us to Christian behavior…From the great trials of humanity, including the pandemic, we emerge either better or worse. We do not come out the same.” Are you the same person that you were fifteen months ago?
I am certainly not the same person, not the same priest, and not the same pastor. Because of the pandemic, I learned that small sacrifices, when offered together for the common good, can save lives and make a real difference in the world. I learned that our prayers, when offered together in a church or in spiritual communion from home, can make miracles happen all around us. Because of the pandemic, I learned about love and loss; about the beauty and fragility of every human life. And at long last, I learned that I simply can’t do it all. I need your help. Because of the pandemic, I am forever changed and glad of it.
Someone recently asked when things would be “back to normal” in our parishes. Of course, we all long for normalcy. We all long for life without face masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing. We all long to gather as we did before with our friends, families, and fellow parishioners. But Pope Francis cautions us against being content with “back to normal.” Instead, he encourages us to change and grow; to be better and act better. He dares us to reconsider what we’ve been doing and how we’ve been doing it. Our new Daily Mass Schedule is the product of this kind of discernment (see below).
In the coming weeks and months, we will pray together and work together to renew our faith, rebuild our parishes, help the poor, care for the sick, and do what we can to keep each other safe and healthy. Please continue to pray for me, for our pastoral team, and for all who live, work, and worship in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. Always together! Come, Holy Spirit! Show us the way! Amen! Alleluia!
Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (5-23-21)
Bringing Home the Word (5-23-21)
The Kids Bulletin (5-23-21)
Home Prayer Service
Watch: Vatican News Service
Watch: Praying the Rosary with Father Jim
Pray: Assisi Project’s A Franciscan Rosary
Pray: Assisi Project’s A Franciscan Night Prayer
Pray: The Angelus
Pray: The Holy Rosary
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Call to Prayer
A Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, into my heart
so that I might see
the things that are of God.
Come, Holy Spirit, into my mind
so that I might know
the things that are of God.
Come, Holy Spirit, into my soul
so that I might belong to God alone.
Come, Holy Spirit, into my life,
sanctify all that I think, say, and do
so that all will be for the Glory of God.
Amen! Alleluia!
Listen: Sunday Soundbite for Pentecost
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Our New Daily Mass Schedule
Begins Wednesday, June 2nd
Mondays & Tuesdays
No Masses Scheduled
Wednesdays
Mass at 5:30pm
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
Thursdays & Fridays
Mass at 8:00am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
First Saturdays (Only)
Mass at 8:00am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
Learn More: Sacrament of Holy Eucharist
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Our New Confessions Schedule
Begins Wednesday, June 2nd
Wednesday Evenings
Confessions Begin at 6:05pm
Last Confession at 6:45pm
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
And By Appointment
Learn More: Making a Good Confession
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Holy Family Women’s Guild
Spring Plant & Bake Sale
Saturday, May 29th
The Holy Family Women’s Guild is back and ready for action! On Saturday, May 29th from 9:00am until 12:00pm at Saint Ann Church, the Women’s Guild will host an outdoor Spring Plant & Bake Sale! Part of the spring plant sale are log shaped cemetery baskets with fresh annual flowers for Memorial Day. Preordering is appreciated! All pre-orders must be placed by Saturday, May 22nd for pick-up on Saturday, May 29th. For more information or to pre-order a cemetery basket, please contact Cecilia Gray at 978-281-2072. All safety protocols (including masks and social distancing) are still in place. All proceeds will benefit Holy Family Par- ish. Please join us! All are welcome!
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The Assisi Project
Saturday Morning with Saint Francis
Saturday, June 5th
Founded in 2007 by Father Jim and Cliff Garvey after their first pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers in North America, Europe, and Africa. Our mission is to help believers of all ages and backgrounds better live the Gospel of Christ through the inspiration and intercession of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi.
Our first Saturday Morning with Saint Francis in fifteen long months is scheduled for Saturday, June 5th beginning with Mass at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. With God’s help, we will gather in-person to pray and to renew the bonds of faith, friendship, and mutual support that have sustained us for more than a decade! If you haven’t joined us before, please prayerfully consider joining us now!
After Mass, we will adore the Blessed Sacrament and pray the Franciscan Rosary (based on the Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary) in heartfelt praise and thanksgiving for God’s mercy, healing, and protection from the coronavirus; and we will remember all those we have lost during the past year, especially two long-time members of our fellowship.
If you plan to join us, please register via our parish we For more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please contact Cliff at cgarvey@ccgronline.com. Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! May the Risen Lord give you peace — now and always!
Learn More: The Assisi Project
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Call to Share
Our Lady of Good Voyage
Grand Annual Collection
URGENT GOAL: $27,053 BY JUNE 30TH
Each year, the Grand Annual Collection at Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish bridges the gap between our weekly offerings and our overall financial obligations. These expenses include insurance premiums, utility bills, maintaining our historic church buildings, and the salaries and benefits of our pastoral team (including me). Although our parish is part of a collaborative, we are solely responsible for paying our bills and balancing our budget.
Because of the ongoing pandemic and the limitations on the number of parishioners who can safely gather for Sunday Mass, overall parish income is down 25% during the past fourteen months. Despite ongoing efforts to cut costs and streamline our operations, we cannot make ends meet without your help. Put simply, the financial stability and long-term pastoral viability of our parish is at stake.
On June 30th, the current fiscal year will end. In just six short weeks, we must raise $27,053 to reach our goal of $45,000 for the Grand Annual Collection. So far, we have raised just $17,947. We can do better! We must do better!
If every parish family can share $46 (in addition to your weekly support), we will reach our goal, balance our budget, and ensure the financial security of our parish for another year. Once we reach this all-important goal, we can begin raising funds for the repair and restoration of our bell towers, one of which was seriously damaged during a wind storm last winter.
By this time next week, all registered parish families will receive a donation envelope in the mail. Your gift can be placed in the collection basket, dropped off at the rectory, made electronically at ccgronline.com, or mailed to: Our Lady of Good Voyage Grand Annual Collection, 74 Pleasant Street Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930.
If you have questions or need more information about how you, your family, or your small business can support our beloved and historic home parish, please contact me at frjim@ccgronline.com. Let’s pray together that all of us, according to our means, will contribute something to the Grand Annual Collection! Thank you for your prayers and support for Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish! Peace, blessings, and sincere thanks to all! — Father Jim
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WeShare
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
Electronic giving is available at both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. It is safe and simple to make online donations to your home parish using a credit cared or debit card. Donations can be made on an ongoing or one-time-only basis. And it takes just a few minutes to set up a secure personal account. For assistance or more information about this important fundraising resource for the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Thank you for your generous support for our parishes during these difficult times! Peace, blessings, and many thanks to all!
Support Holy Family Parish
Support Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish
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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. Working together as a Roman Catholic community 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!
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