This Week’s Message
The Poor Man of Assisi
By Brother Patrick
In the book, We Drink from Our Own Wells, Father Gustavo Gutierrez (1928-2024) teaches us that the Christian life is less about orthodoxy and more about orthopraxis. He writes: “To believe in Christ is to assume his practice.” By this, Father Gutierrez means that discipleship is less about memorizing lines from the catechism and more about practicing the faith that we profess every week. He means that theology, which is our understanding of God, follows spirituality, which is our “distinctive way of being Christian.”
By his life, preaching, passion, death, and resurrection, Jesus affirms this truth. And throughout the centuries, the saints have been living examples of it. For example, Saint Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), and Saint Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) all remind us that our faith seems empty if it is not lived and shared in communion with others. Father Gutierrez writes: “For all of them, the following of Jesus entails a commitment to a mission that requires them, like their master, to pitch camp in the midst of human history and there give witness to the Father’s love.”
Few saints embody this commitment more clearly than Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). Francis lived during a period in history known as the High Middle Ages. More than ninety percent of the world’s population lived in rural peasantry under the heavy hand of kings, barons, and warlords. Social and political divisions were resolved by war. Only the male nobility, who owned most of the land, enjoyed any rights and privileges. Women had no legal rights at all and many died in childbirth. Most children were forced to work. And for those lucky enough to survive childhood, life was hard and short — perhaps just fifty or sixty years.
Saint Francis of Assisi lived as a sign of contradiction in this world. During a time of stark inequality, Francis, a son of wealth and privilege, chose to live among the poor. During a time of vice and corruption, Francis chose fasting, prayer, and penance. During a time of war and violence, Francis chose the path of peacemaking. During a time of greed and plunder, Francis chose to love and care for all creation.
In the daily devotional, All Saints, Robert Ellsberg writes: “Francis was a troubadour and poet, who identified so closely with Christ that he received the marks of the stigmata. Poverty was his cherished bride, and his mission in the world, which drew him close to the sick and the poor, was a witness to the beatitudes.” Indeed, centuries before it became part of the teachings of the Catholic Church, Saint Francis showed a preferential option for the poor with every thought, word, and deed. For these reasons, Francis is often called a Second Christ.
The Poor Man of Assisi sought to live his faith by literally living the Gospel. He sought to imitate the Poor Christ in every way. Like Jesus, Francis and his followers begged for food. They slept in sheds, stables, or under the stars. They retreated from the world to pray. They cared for the poor, the sick, and the lepers of their time. They traveled the countryside to preach the Gospel and give witness to it by their holy lives.
As death approached, Francis asked to be dressed in his oldest habit and laid on the dirt floor of his shelter. He then turned to his friends and said: “I have done what is mine to do. May Christ show you what is yours to do.” May these words become our hope, our prayer, and our mission. Amen.
Brother Patrick Garvey
Associate Minister & Diocesan Hermit
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: brpatrick@ccgronline.com
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Call to Prayer
A Prayer for Collaboration
By Pope Leo XIV
Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV offers a special prayer intention each month and invites all believers and people of goodwill around the world to pray with him. In October, the Holy Father calls us to pray for collaboration between the world’s different religious traditions. In spiritual communion with the pope, we pray:
Lord Jesus,
you, who in diversity are one
and look lovingly at every person,
help us to recognize ourselves as brothers and sisters,
called to live, pray, work, and dream together.
We live in a world full of beauty,
but also wounded by deep divisions.
Sometimes, religions, instead of uniting us,
become a cause of confrontation.
Give us your Spirit to purify our hearts,
so that we may recognize what unites us,
and from there, learn again
how to listen and collaborate without destroying.
May the concrete examples
of peace, justice, and fraternity in religions
inspire us to believe that it is possible
to live and work together, beyond our differences.
May religions not be used
as weapons or walls,
but rather lived as bridges and prophecy:
making the dream of the common good credible,
accompanying life, sustaining hope,
and being the yeast of unity
in a fragmented world. Amen.
Watch: The Pope Video – October 2025
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Our Lady’s Guild
Fall Meeting & Potluck Supper
Monday, October 6th
Since 1944, Our Lady’s Guild has worked to build community among women of all ages in Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish through prayer, good works, fundraising, and social events. The Guild’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 6th at 6:30pm in Our Lady’s Hall.
Dinner is potluck! Bring a dish to share! All are encouraged to bring three $1.00 scratch tickets so that we can play “Left, Right, Center” after dinner! For more information about Our Lady’s Guild and its good work in our parish, please contact Beth Fosberry at jcbf33@yahoo.com. Please join us! Bring a friend! New members are always welcome!
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Holy Family Women’s Guild
Christmas Fair Planning Meeting
Monday, October 6th
The Holy Family Christmas Fair is scheduled for Saturday, November 22nd! Save the date! Our Christmas Fair is the biggest fundraising event of the year! And as autumn begins, planning for the fair is underway! All are invited to join the Holy Family Women’s Guild for a Christmas Fair Planning Meeting on Monday, October 6th at 7:00pm in the Parish Office, which is located at 74 Pleasant Street in Gloucester.
Friends and fellow parishioners are welcome to join us in making this year’s fair our best ever! The Guild is now asking for donations of prizes for Bea’s Raffle Table, crafts, Christmas decorations, homemade baked goods, and baskets for our world famous spinning wheel!
Established in 2005, the Holy Family Women’s Guild brings together women of all ages and\ backgrounds in prayer, fellowship, and service to our parish and the wider community. For more information about how you can help with this year’s Christmas Fair, please contact Lydia Bertolino at lbbglosta1929@outlook.com. Please join us! New friends, members, and volunteers are always welcome and appreciated!
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Knights of Columbus
Annual Mass & Breakfast
Sunday, October 12th
All friends and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join the Knights of Columbus (Council 215) for Mass on Sunday, October 12th at 8:15am in Saint Ann Church. After Mass, all are welcome to join the Knights in Saint Ann Hall for a delicious breakfast!
Since 1897, the Knights of Columbus (Council 215) has sponsored countless acts of charity in Gloucester, Rockport, and beyond. If you have twenty-fours to volunteer for charity, the Knights of Columbus can transform that commitment into meaningful results for you, your family, and our community.
For more information about the Knights of Columbus (Council 215) and their good work in our parishes, please contact Mark Natti at info@kofc215.com.Please join us! New members and volunteers are always welcome!
Learn More: Knights of Columbus – Council 215
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The Holy Rosary
Pope Leo’s Call to Pray for Peace
Month of October 2025
A Rosary for Peace
Saturday, October 11th
The Roman Catholic Church traditionally dedicates the Month of October to the Our Blessed Mother and her Holy Rosary. In the face of war, division, and violent conflicts all around the world, Pope Leo XIV has called all Catholics to pray the Rosary for peace every day throughout the month. He said: “I invite everyone, each day of the coming month, to pray the Rosary for peace: personally, in the family, and in your community.”
In this spirit, all are reminded that the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport prays the Holy Rosary on Wednesdays at 5:00pm; Thursdays at 7:30am; and Fridays at 7:30am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. In addition, Brother Patrick will lead a Rosary for Peace (Featuring Prayers by Pope Francis) on Saturday, October 11th at 5:00pm and Saturday, October 25th at 5:00pm in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church.
Whether you pray alone or with family and friends, all are also invited to pray with our various online prayer resources that are dedicated to the Blessed Mother:
By praying the Holy Rosary, we grow closer to Jesus by meditating on the mysteries of his life, death, and resurrection; and we grow closer to our Blessed Mother by begging her powerful intercession for ourselves, for our community, and for peace in our suffering world. Now more than ever, let’s pray together! Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome! Holy Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Learn More: Pope Leo XIV’s Call to Prayer
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Living the Gospel
Sacrament of Baptism
Reborn as Children of God
The Sacrament of Baptism is the first of the three Sacraments of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Church. The two others are Holy Eucharist and Confirmation. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the door which gives access to the other sacraments. Through Baptism, we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission (CCC 1213).” In September, Father Jim baptized the following young disciples:
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated during any Sunday Mass at 10:00am in Saint Joachim Church; on the second Saturday of the month at 11:30am in Saint Ann Church; and on the third Saturday of the month at 11:30am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church.
For more information about having your child or grandchild baptized in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Sheila McCarthy-Durkin at smccarthy@ccgronline.com. If you are an adult who has not received the Sacraments of Baptism, First Eucharist, or Confirmation, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@ccgronline.com. Please pray for our newly baptized young disciples, along with their parents, siblings, godparents, and grandparents! Peace, blessings, and congratulations to all!
Watch: Sacrament of Baptism (1 Minute Video)
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Words of Wisdom from Pope Leo XIV
God does not want war. God wants peace.
God strengthens those who are committed to leaving behind
the spiral of hatred and taking the path of dialogue.
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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
It is in giving that we receive. — Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi
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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In Memory of Beverly Luster