Our Pastor’s Message
Love Brings Everything Together
By Father Jim
This weekend throughout the whole world, the Catholic Church commemorates Pentecost Sunday, a joyful celebration of that moment in sacred scripture (cf. John 20:19-23) when God’s Holy Spirit descends upon the apostles and blesses them with the grace, strength, and courage to preach the Gospel of Christ to all nations and peoples. More specifically, the Holy Spirit blesses the apostles and all of us with seven important gifts: Counsel, Knowledge, Wisdom, Fortitude, Piety, Understanding, and Wonder & Awe.
These Gifts of the Holy Spirit help the disciples of Jesus to accomplish what seems (then and now) like an impossible task — the conversion of the world to faith in Christ as humankind’s merciful savior and redeemer. For more than two thousand years, these same Gifts of the Holy Spirit have inflamed and inspired the hearts of countless believers who have worked so tirelessly to live the Gospel, share God’s love and mercy, and build up the Church.
These believers are young and old, men and women, saints and sinners. We live in every country and culture all around the world. We are confronted with disbelief, mockery, skepticism, and sometimes persecution. We are tempted by lust, greed, pride, envy, anger, laziness, and gluttony. Sometimes we fall and fall hard into the depths of despair and sinfulness. And sometimes, so many times throughout history, we rise up, embrace our faith and our particular crosses, and continue the hard and humbling work of preaching the Good News of Christ with every thought, word, and deed.
In our own time, the beautiful burden of preaching the Gospel falls upon us, each one of us, in our families, workplaces, and neighborhoods. It falls upon us, each one of us, to pry open our hearts and minds, to accept the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit, and to carry the Cross of the Risen Jesus to the four corners of the world, even if our world barely extends beyond the borders of Gloucester, Rockport, and Cape Ann.
Indeed, it is easier to preach the gospel than it is to actually live it. It is easier to fulfill our Sunday obligation than it is to actually live daily as a disciples. It is easier to toss some cash into the collection basket than it is to volunteer our time and talent in the Lord’s vineyard. It is easier to say a few prayers than it is to reach out to a poor neighbor or to reconcile with an estranged friend, family member, or fellow parishioner. It is easier to exchange the Sign of Peace than it is to refrain from gossip, to resist the temptation to criticize, or to reject the ugly divisions created by our reality show world. It is easier for me to write these words than it is to live them.
Pope Francis says: “Without the Holy Spirit, our Christian lives unravel because we lack the love that brings everything together (6-9-19).” The love that brings us all together and keeps us all together is the love of God’s Holy Spirit. This is the love that unites people, builds bridges, transcends differences, and helps us become artisans of peace and communion in the world.
This weekend, as we recite the Sequence of the Holy Spirit (see page four), let us embrace the divine gifts being offered to us. Let us commit ourselves to the work of discipleship. Let us rededicate ourselves to prayer, fellowship, and service. Let us renew our mission to live the Gospel, share God’s love, and rebuild the Church. And let us together cry out in heart and voice: “Come, Holy Spirit! Come! Amen! Alleluia!”
Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (5-19-24)
Bringing Home the Word (5-19-24)
The Kids Bulletin (5-19-24)
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Pentecost Sunday
Crowning Mass & Luncheon
Sunday, May 19th
During the Crowning Feast of the Holy Spirit, friends and neighbors from both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish have been gathering each morning and evening to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday. We pray together, break bread together, and connect with each other as brothers and sisters brought together by our shared faith and love for one another.
Crowning Week culminates with the Crowning Mass of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday, May 19th at 11:45am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. After Mass, all are invited to join us in Our Lady’s Hall for a delicious home-cooked luncheon of braised beef marinated in vinha d’alhos, mashed potatoes, and peas. We’ll also have coffee, dessert, and a cash bar. Believe me, no one ever leaves hungry!
A donation of $20 per person is requested. Please reserve your ticket to the luncheon by Saturday, May 18th at 6:00pm by contacting Matt Parisi at mparisi101@gmail.com; Beth Fosberry at jcbf33@yahoo.com; or Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. We hope and pray that you and your family are able to join us! All are welcome! Come, Holy Spirit! Come!
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Call to Prayer
Pentecost Sunday
Sequence of the Holy Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
And from your celestial home
shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine!
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul’s most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
shine within these hearts of yours,
and our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
nothing good in deed or thought,
nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
on our dryness pour your dew;
wash the stains of guilt away;
bend the stubborn heart and will;
melt the frozen, warm the chill;
guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
and confess you, evermore
in your sevenfold gift descend;
give them virtue’s sure reward;
give them your salvation, Lord;
give them joys that never end.
Amen! Alleluia!
Glory to the Father,
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit, come!
Amen! Alleluia!
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Holy Family Women’s Guild
Spring Plant & Bake Sale
Saturday, May 25th
All friends and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join the Holy Family Women’s Guild for a Spring Plant & Bake Sale on Saturday, May 25th from 9:00am until 1:00pm at Saint Ann Church. We’ll be offering an array of raffles, baked goods, cemetery baskets (see below), plants & flowers, and colorful hanging baskets. All proceeds will support Holy Family Parish. For more information about this special event, please contact Cecelia Gray at 978-281-2072. For more information about the Holy Family Women’s Guild and its good work in our parish, please contact Lydia Bertolino at 978-281-4820 or bertolino4msn.com. New members are always welcome! Please join us! Bring a friend! Thank you for your generous support!
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Memorial Day Cemetery Baskets
Now Accepting Orders!
Available for Pick-Up on May 25th
In preparation for Memorial Day, Our Lady’s Guild and the Holy Family Women’s Guild are working together with Cressey & Sons in Rowley to offer memorial baskets to honor our fallen heroes. The log-shaped baskets are fully decorated for $30 each. Proceeds will support Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. We are now accepting orders for baskets that can be picked up on Saturday, May 25th from 9:00am until 1:00pm in Saint Ann Church Hall. To place an order, please call Cecelia Gray at 978-281-2072; Jane Marshall at 978-290-2702; or Beth Fosberry at 978-790-0196. May God bless you and your family! Thank you for your support!
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Saints for All Seasons
Annual Mini-Retreat Series
Thursday, May 30th
Praying with Saint Joan of Arc
Now more than ever, we need to step back from the business and busyness of daily life and focus on our relationships with Jesus and those we are called to love. Unfortunately, few among us are able to leave behind home, work, and family for a real retreat from the responsibilities of the world. For this reason and for the third consecutive year, we are very pleased to announce a special series of mini-retreats called Saints for All Seasons.
Throughout his long priestly ministry, Pope Francis has called people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about and pray with the saints. The Holy Father believes in his heart that the saints bring us closer to Christ, closer to the Church, and closer to each other. He says: “The saints are still here, not far from us; and their images [and relics] in our churches evoke the ‘cloud of witnesses’ that always surrounds us (cf. Hebrews 12:1)…The saints remind us that even in our lives, however weak and marked by sin, holiness can unfold (4-7-21).”
In this spirit of unfolding holiness, all are invited to join us in April, May, and July for a series of two-hour mini-retreats. These times of prayer, reflection, and adoration will focus on the lives of three amazing saints: Saint Zita of Lucca, Saint Joan of Arc, and Saint Veronica. Each mini-retreat will begin with the celebration of Holy Mass in Saint Anthony Chapel. After Mass, Father Jim and Brother Patrick will offer a reflection on the life and veneration of a saint whose life of holiness and love of neighbor has inspired men and women all around the world. There will be time for questions and faith sharing, too.
After each reflection, we will pray in silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and in veneration of the holy images of each saint of the day. We will conclude by praying the Holy Rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Here’s our upcoming schedule:
- Saint Zita of Lucca
An Assisi Project Podcast
Always Free! Always Available!
assisiproject.com - Saint Joan of Arc
Thursday, May 30th
Begins with Mass at 5:30pm
Saint Anthony Chapel - Saint Veronica
Friday, July 12th
Begins with Mass at 5:30pm
Saint Anthony Chapel
We hope and pray that you and your family will be able to join us for all or even just part of this special series in celebration of the saints which was so popular last year! For more information, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@ccgronline.com. Save the dates! Spread the word! Bring a friend! All are invited! All are welcome!
Listen: Saint of the Day Podcast
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The Assisi Project
The Mother’s Heart
Saturday, June 1st
Praying with Our Lady, Queen of Apostles
For more than one hundred years, the stained glass windows in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church have inspired men and women of faith to reflect on the Blessed Virgin Mary under her various titles and patronages. Under her mantle, generations of good and hardworking people have found comfort, consolation, and the strength to carry on during challenging times.
Throughout this year, Father Jim, Brother Patrick, and the Assisi Project are focusing our prayers and reflections on the Blessed Mother as she is depicted in the windows of our beloved church. We will not focus so much on the art and architecture of the windows, but on the deep devotion and spirituality inspired by each image of Mary.
In this spirit, all are invited to join us for the Mother’s Heart: A Morning of Prayer with Our Lady, Queen of Apostles on Saturday, June 1st beginning with Mass at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. After Mass, Father Jim and Brother Patrick will offer a brief reflection on Our Lady, Queen of Apostles. We will also have plenty of time for questions and faith sharing.
Since the 12th century, Mary has been venerated as mother and queen of apostles. This devotion is rooted in the sacred scriptures where we find Mary walking with and offering guidance to those who believe in her Son. As the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport prepares for Saint Peter’s Fiesta (June 26th through June 30th), it seems right and fitting that we reflect on the Blessed Mother’s love for the apostles.
For more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please see Brother Patrick or contact him at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. Save the date! Spread the word! Bring a friend! Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome! Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, pray for us! May the Lord give you peace!
Learn More: The Assisi Project
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Pastor’s Note
Grand Annual Collection
Every Dollar Makes a Difference!
Along with our weekly offerings, the Grand Annual Collection is a crucial component of our efforts to balance our budgets and ensure the financial stability of our beloved home parishes. As we begin the final quarter of the fiscal year, all friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners are encouraged to prayerfully consider a gift to the Grand Annual Collection in either Holy Family Parish or Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. Donations can be mailed to the following address:
Holy Family Parish
or Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish
74 Pleasant Street
Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930
Please join me in praying that each one of us will give what we can to these vitally important fundraising campaigns. For more information, please contact me at frjim@ccgronline.com. Thank you for your generous support! May God bless you! Peace and blessings to all! — Father Jim
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WeShare
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
The only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. — C.S. Lewis
Electronic giving has become an essential component 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 additional to the weekly offering, you can also give electronically to our church restoration funds which helps us plan for the repair and maintenance of our beloved and historic churches.
During these challenging times, Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish need your support more than ever before! Please prayerfully consider enrolling in our ‘We Share!’ electronic giving program! For more information about setting up a new account or for assistance with your existing account, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Thank you for your generous support for our parishes! May God bless you and your family, now and always!
Support Holy Family Parish
Support Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish
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About UsEstablished 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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