Property insurance bills are up 17%. Gas and oil bills are up 35%. And electric bills are up an almost unbelievable 40%. Meanwhile, gifts and donations are down 13% from last year. All across the country and around the world, faith communities like ours are struggling to survive. Some are making ends meet, and some are not. But I don’t need to tell you about inflation because you already know all about it. Anyone who has stepped inside a grocery store knows these are challenging times.

On the bright side, our churches are open. Our young disciples are preparing for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Babies are being baptized. Confessions are being heard. Funerals and weddings are being celebrated. Our sick and suffering brothers and sisters are being anointed. Our online ministries attract more than 2,000 visitors every week. And thanks to your ongoing generosity, our bills are paid and our budget is balanced as we enter the final quarter of the current fiscal year.

We are blessed by monthly rental payments from the City of Gloucester for Saint Ann School. This income, however, is being set aside for any emergency or necessary repairs that may be needed to our historic churches and church buildings. In addition, we should remember that our weekly offerings simply do not cover the costs of basic expenses and essential parish ministries like music, groundskeeping, and adult and youth faith formation. For these reasons, I need your help to raise $60,000 by the end of the fiscal year. Our goal right now is to raise $30,000 by Easter Sunday, April 17th. If every parish family gives $30 between now and then, we will reach our goal, balance our budget, and ensure the financial security of our parish.

Anyone who knows me knows that economy and thrift were taught to me at an early age. My parents worked day and night to provide for our family and make ends meet. Believe me, we are doing everything we can to control expenses. But the short and long-term financial stability of Holy Family Parish is in our hands. We are solely responsible for our own fundraising and for paying our own bills. The future of our parish depends on fellow parishioners like you and me.

All registered parish families have been sent a donation envelope by mail. At your earliest convenience, please give electronically; drop your gift in the collection basket during any weekend Mass; or mail it to Holy Family Parish, 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930. All checks should be made payable to Holy Family Parish. Please be sure to write HF Grand Annual in the memo line of your check. If you have questions or need more information, please see me before or after Mass; or contact me at frjim@ccgronline.com. Thank you in advance for your kind and generous support of Holy Family Parish! Peace and blessings to all!

Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com

Easter Triduum Schedule 2022
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (3-27-22)
Bringing Home the Word (3-27-22)
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (3-27-22)

Pastor’s Note: On behalf of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, we give thanks for our dear friend, Jody Cole of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, who allows us to use her beautiful icons in our weekly newsletter and online. This week, we feature a detail from Jody’s icon from the Way of the Cross: Jesus Falls for the Second Time. For more information about Jody and her work, visit jcoleicons.com. Peace and blessings! — Father Jim

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Welcome, Father Ben!
Our New Weekend Assistant

The Assisi Project
Saturday Morning with Saint Francis
Saturday, April 2nd

Eight centuries ago, Saint Francis of Assisi taught his first followers that “no good can be accomplished in the service of God without prayer.” In this sense, prayer must come before everything else in our lives. Prayer brings us closer to Christ so that we can grow closer to each other. It is the fuel, foundation, and inspiration for our love of God and our love of neighbor.

It has been nearly fifteen years since Father Jim and Cliff founded the Assisi Project during their first pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. Their hope, then and now, has been to bring the light and spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare into the lives of our fellow parishioners through prayer, simple acts of fraternal kindness, and dedicated service to the Church.

On Saturday, April 2nd, beginning with Mass at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, the Assisi Project will gather to profess its creed, renew its mission, and reflect on the pattern of life that was lived and preached by the Poor Man of Assisi. It is a way of life rooted in prayer, work, healing, simplicity, and teaching that reflects the life and ministry of Christ.

After Mass, Father Jim and Cliff will lead a reflection and discussion (with time for questions and faith sharing) about how we can imitate Saint Francis and Saint Clare by creating a plan of life that we can keep in a prayer book, post on the refrigerator door, or share with family and friends on social media. We’re not talking about a set of rules that can cause us to become discouraged or feel guilty. Instead, we’re talking about embarking on a way of life that is aspirational, compassionate, and practical. We’re talking about a way of life that will bring us closer to Christ, closer to the Church, and closer to each other.

If you haven’t join us before, please join us now! All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners are welcome! Members of the Assisi Project range in age from 13 to 97 and live in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, in the Archdiocese of Boston, the Diocese of Manchester, the Diocese of Portland, and in eight countries around the world. For more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please contact Cliff Garvey at cgarvey@ccgronline.com. All are invited! All are welcome! May the Lord give you peace!

Learn More: The Assisi Project

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Call to Prayer
A Prayer for Peace in Ukraine