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15TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Our Pastor’s Message
Even With a Limp

By Father Jim

Ten years ago, Pope Francis offered a series of reflections on family life, including one on death and grief. He said: “For parents, surviving their own children is particularly heartbreaking. It contradicts the fundamental nature of the relationships that give meaning to a family. The loss of a son or daughter is like time stopping altogether. It opens a chasm that swallows both past and future. Death, which takes away a child or young person, is a blow to the gifts, promises, and sacrifices of love that are joyfully brought to the life of a child (6-17-15).”

The death of a child, teenager, or young adult can seem like a wall of anguish whose heights cannot be climbed. It can seem like a crater of sadness whose depths cannot be measured. In his autobiography, Pope Francis calls grief an “abyss of pain.” When Brother Patrick talks about the death of a friend from a heart attack at the age of twenty-six, he clenches and unclenches his fists as if grasping for someone or something to hold on to. Grief can feel like a forever falling.

Earlier this week, we mourned the death and celebrated the life of Christopher Dailey (2006-2025) who passed away as a result of injuries suffered in a recent car accident. Chris was a gifted student and accomplished athlete. He was a much loved son, brother, friend, teammate, and fellow parishioner. He was just beginning a life full of hope and promise. His loss makes no sense. It is not right. It is devastating. It is infuriating. Reacting to the news of Christopher’s death, someone said bitterly: “Our God has a lot of explaining to do.”

Although grief can be defined simply as the sorrow caused by someone’s passing, the history of the word reaches back to the thirteenth century. It was first used in association with hardship, injustice, and suffering. So our pain and anger are right, fitting, and understandable. It is okay to be cross with God. Tell him. Yell at him. Shake your fists at him. God can take it. Expressed in this context, our strong feelings rise like a chorus of prayer to the heavens.

Our grief is not, however, the end of the story. Anne Lamott writes: “You will lose someone…and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that does not seal back up. And you come through. It is like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly, that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with a limp.” Learning this dance is how we climb the wall and emerge from the abyss.

As Christians, we know that God has already explained the defeat of death through the Lord’s own life, passion, and resurrection. Despite their grief, Rich and Nicole Dailey know this, too. In planning their son’s funeral, they chose a hymn called City of God because it sings of eternal life: “Awake from your slumber, arise from your sleep, a new day is dawning for all those who weep. The people in darkness have seen a great light, the Lord of our longing has conquered the night!” In this blessed light, we pray for the soul of Christopher Dailey. We pray for his family and friends. And we pray for the grace to dance again someday — even with a limp.

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

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (7-13-25)
Bringing Home the Word (7-13-25)
The Kids Bulletin (7-13-25)

Listen!
City of God Hymn
Dan Schutte

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Call to Prayer
Death Is Nothing At All

By Reverend Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all. It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Nothing has happened.

Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together
is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no difference in your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name ever be
the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort,
without the ghost of a shadow upon it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute and unbroken continuity.
What is this death but a negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.

All is well.
Nothing is hurt. Nothing is lost.
One brief moment
and all will be as it was before.
How we will laugh at the trouble of parting
when we meet again!

About the Author

Reverend Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) served as Canon of Christ Church, Oxford; Canon of Saint Paul Cathedral, London; and as a Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. This poem-prayer is part of a sermon delivered in memory of King Edward VII.

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Catholic Social Teaching
On Caring for the Poor

The Legacy of Pope Leo XIII

In the first social encyclical, Rerum Novarum or On the Condition of Labor, Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903) establishes that people have a right to live well and support their families. Issued in 1891, at the height of the Industrial Revolution and the so-called Gilded Age, the Holy Father stresses the common good, dignity of the human person, rights of workers, and responsibilities of families, local communities, and national governments to care for the poor.

Although the “preferential option for the poor” does not appear directly in Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, it does lay the foundation for future developments in Catholic Social Teaching, especially among Latin American bishops and theologians, and eventually the late Pope Francis.

In Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII condemns the excesses of both socialism and unfettered capitalism. He affirms the right to private property and the dignity of work. At the same time, he encourages workers to form unions and professional organizations. And he calls for the care and protection of the poor, the sick, and the weak.

Inspired by the life, legacy, and good example of Pope Leo XIII, Cardinal Robert Prevost chose the name “Pope Leo XIV” when he was elected by his brother cardinals as Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff on May 8, 2025.

Learn More: Rerum Novarum (Complete English Text)

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Words of Wisdom from Pope Leo XIII

Richer classes have many ways of shielding themselves,
and stand less in need of help from the state;
whereas the mass of the poor
have no resources of their own to fall back upon,
and must chiefly depend upon the assistance of the state.
And it is for this reason that wage earners,
since they mostly belong to the mass of the needy,
should be specially cared for
and protected by the government.

Learn More: Leo – A Name Steeped in History & Hope

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A Pastor’s Note
Our Online Community
Celebrating One Million Visitors

Eleven years ago, I asked Brother Patrick to create new websites for the Assisi Project and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. Our websites initially attracted a few hundred visitors each week. During the pandemic, traffic more than doubled to approximately one thousand visitors each week. Five years later, visits to our online community have doubled again to more than two thousand visitors every single week.

Needless to say, one small fellowship and one large collaborative cannot compare with CNN, Google, or the New York Times. But recently, we reached a combined milestone of one million visitors to our online community! The success of our websites is a testament to your ongoing interest, the rich content offered, and the user-friendly and welcoming atmosphere of both websites. No ads. No pop-ups. No sign-ins. All of our online resources are free. And there is something new and interesting every single week! Here is a small sampling of some of the resources recently linked or added to our websites:

Thank you, Brother Patrick, for your ongoing stewardship of our online community. Thank you, one and all, for your ongoing support! Peace and blessings! — Father Jim

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The Holy Rosary
Let’s Pray Together!

All are invited to join us as we pray the Holy Rosary before all Weekday Masses: Wednesdays at 5:00pm, Thursdays at 8:00am, and Fridays at 8:00am. When we pray the Rosary as a community, we grow closer to Jesus and closer to each other by meditating on the mysteries of the Lord’s life, passion, and resurrection. And we grow closer to our Blessed Mother by begging her powerful intercession for ourselves, our parishes, and our world.

You can also pray the Rosary with Father Jim (via video) on our YouTube Channel; or with Brother Patrick (via podcast) at assisiproject.com/rosary. Now more than ever, let’s pray together for our divided country, our wounded church, and our sick, suffering and war-torn world! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us! Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us! Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us! Our Lady of Good Voyage, pray for us!

Pray: A Rosary for Peace

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The Assisi Project
We Never Stop Praying For You!

Founded in 2007 by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers from around the world. We are dedicated to helping believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of the Poor Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are now also dedicated to promoting Pope Francis as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our suffering world.

Members of the Assisi Project range in age from 17 to 100. We pray every day for peace, for an increase in faith, hope, and love; and for all who ask for our prayers. If you would like our fellowship to pray for you, your family, or your special intention, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. May God bless you! May the Lord give you peace!

Learn More: The Assisi Project

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Words of Wisdom from Francis of Assisi

If you are upset for any reason,
commit yourself immediately to prayer
and remain in the presence of the Most High God
for as long as it takes for the Lord
to restore in you the joy of your salvation.

Watch: About Saint Francis (5 Minutes)

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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving

No one has ever become poor from giving. — Anne Frank

Electronic giving has become an essential part 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 addition to the weekly offering, you can also give electronically to our church restoration funds which help us plan for the repair and maintenance of our four beloved and historic churches.

Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish always need your generous support! Please prayerfully considering enrolling in our electronic giving program! For more information about creating a new account or assistance with an existing account, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Peace, blessings, and sincere 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 family 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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This Week’s Homepage
In Memory of Christopher Dailey