This Week’s Message
The Gospel from Exile
By Yolanda Chávez
No exile begins at the airport. It begins much earlier, when the soul senses that something beloved is about to be stripped away.
For more than thirty years, I lived in Los Angeles. There, I formed my family, my ministry, and my community. There, I grew among migrant catechists, women of faith, who with tired hands, taught God’s tenderness to new generations. There, I discovered my vocation as a theologian, accompanying those who live between two worlds. But one day, the country that had for so long been my home closed its door on me. I received the order of deportation, and with it, a silence so deep it could only turn into prayer.
On the day they came looking for me, I wasn’t home; the agents were received by my son. They informed him that I had to leave the country — and that they would return to ensure that I did. No documents were signed, no words of comfort were offered, only the cold presence of a threat that crossed the threshold of our home. When my son told me, his voice trembled.
That night, I realized that staying would mean placing that weight on the shoulders of those I love most. So I decided to leave, not out of fear, but out of love, so that my children would not have to bear the shame or terror so many migrant families know. It was a farewell without an airport: a domestic exodus, the beginning of my inner exile. The return to Mexico was a journey without maps. I packed three decades of life into a few suitcases. I left behind my husband, my adult children, and my sisters in ministry. I left the house where my dreams had taken root.
I returned to a land both familiar and strange. The streets spoke to me with an ancient accent, but my soul had changed. I was sent back to the starting point to understand everything anew. At first, it felt as if the ground beneath me had dissolved; I didn’t fully belong here or there. Yet in that emptiness, something new began to take root: a deeper faith, stripped of certainties. I learned that uprooting is not only a loss, it is also a revelation.
In the midst of confusion, God spoke to me differently, without temple, without platform, without microphone, only with the obstinate presence of silence. In that silence, I came to understand that exile is not only a geographic place, but a spiritual condition. Anyone who has had to release a life, a certainty, or a familiar land has also passed through their own inner exile.
I discovered that authentic faith is nourished not by stability, but by trust. I remembered Mary hurrying to the mountain; Ruth walking behind Naomi; Hagar in the desert hearing her name spoken by God. All of them experienced loss as a sacred threshold. And I understood that the Gospel, when lived from the margins, becomes a seed of radical hope. Where the world says ‘failure’, God says ‘flourishing.’
In the solitude of return, that promise began to pulse in me: the certainty that faith can be reborn even among ruins, and that every displaced, misunderstood, or wounded person carries within her a revelation of God that the world — and the church — still needs to hear.
I have seen how current immigration policy has become a desert wherein human dignity evaporates. People who for years have worked, prayed, and served quietly are suddenly treated as threats. The system that deports those who sustain the daily life of communities through their labor and faith wounds not just bodies, but also souls. When power decides who is allowed to stay and who is ordered to disappear, Jesus is crucified once again at the margins. And yet, even there, hope rises.
There is something I have heard for years from the lips of migrant women: The Gospel blooms amid uprootedness. I have seen it in the faces of those who serve the church without recognition, in the mothers who pray in low voices while their sons are hunted like criminals because of their brown faces, in the catechists who prepare lessons after cleaning other people’s houses. In each, I have discovered that faith does not need stability to be fruitful. That truth, which I had so often helped others to name, became my own.
From Mexico, I continue accompanying my migrant sisters — now through online gatherings and retreats. Our conversations are a liturgy woven of nostalgia, resistance, and hope. They, with their quiet wisdom, remind me that God carries no passport and knows no borders: God travels with God’s people, crosses walls, and dwells wherever love is welcomed.
My exile has become my altar. I did not seek it, but it has returned to me the heart of the Gospel, one not preached from power but from fragility. God did not bring me back to close a story, but to continue it from another land. I still believe in the God who crosses borders, in the God who remains with those who remain. And in this new stage, more interior than geographical, I discover that returning after decades is always a way of departing, that the promise remains alive in those who choose to believe even when everything seems lost. “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and forevermore (Psalm 121:8).”
About the Author: Yolanda Chávez is a Catholic theologian and doctor of ministry candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary. With more than twenty years of experience, she specializes in contextual and inclusive theology, focusing on migrant spirituality. Despite her self-deportation, she continues to lead formation and accompaniment projects in Hispanic communities.
Pastor’s Note
This essay is reprinted here with permission from NCR Publishing Company. We are deeply grateful for allowing us to share this compelling reflection with our friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. Founded in 1964, the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) is published biweekly and focuses on issues related to the Catholic Church around the world. Learn more via the link below!
National Catholic Reporter (NCR)
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Art Credit: Our Lady Who Removes Walls by Kelly Latimore
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Words of Wisdom from Pope Leo XIV
Every migrant is a person,
and as such, has inalienable rights
that must be respected.
Read: Pope Leo’s Address to Diplomats
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Call to Prayer
The Bright Daybreak
By Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
God grant that this tragic midnight
of man’s inhumanity to man will soon pass
and the bright daybreak
of freedom and brotherhood will come into being.
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Youth Faith Formation
First Penance & Reconciliation
Saturday, January 24th
As a new year begins, fifty-seven young disciples from Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish are preparing for First Holy Communion. As part of their ongoing formation to receive the Body & Blood of Christ, these young fellow parishioners will soon participate in the Sacrament of Penance & Reconciliation (Confession) for the first time.
This celebration is an important milestone in every child’s faith journey. It teaches them and reminds us all about the importance of conscience, forgiveness, humility, and God’s boundless gifts of love, mercy, and friendship. As our young disciples make their first confession, we entrust them into God’s loving care:
All good and gracious God,
help our children to be kind and patient.
Do not let pride or envy take root in their hearts.
Keep them from being angry and hateful.
Help them to forgive others
and to let go of grudges and rivalries.
Help our children preserve family ties,
love each other, hope for the future,
and build up their community
in prayer, fellowship, and service.
We make this prayer through Christ Jesus,
our Risen Lord and Savior. Amen.
Our celebration of First Penance & Reconciliation is scheduled for Saturday, January 24th at 9:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. For more information about youth faith formation in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Betsy Works at bworks@ccgronline.com.
As our children, godchildren, and grandchildren continue to prepare for the Sacraments of First Penance and First Eucharist, please pray for them and for their families. May God bless us with faith, hope, love, and true happiness throughout the new year! Peace and blessings to all!
Watch: Penance & Reconciliation (1 Minute)
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Youth Faith Formation
Sacrament of Confirmation
Saturday, January 24th
Along with Baptism and Eucharist, Confirmation is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation in the Roman Catholic Church. The Sacrament of Confirmation completes the grace of Baptism through the outpouring of the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Courage, Knowledge, Wisdom, Reverence, Right Judgment, Understanding, and Wonder & Awe of the Lord.
These powerful gifts seal or confirm the mystical union between Jesus and the candidates. These precious gifts also prepare the candidates to actively participate in the prayer, fellowship, and service of God’s family in their home parish and beyond.
This year, sixty-four students from Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish have completed the requirements of our Confirmation Preparation Program. During the past two years, they prayed together, attended Mass together, and completed a rigorous journey of formation as a community of young disciples. They are now well-prepared to publicly renew their baptismal vows, profess their faith, and live as faithful and faith-filled Catholic Christians.
The Very Reverend Brian Flynn, Episcopal Vicar for the North Region of the Archdiocese of Boston, will join us as special guest celebrant and homilist for our annual celebrations of the Sacrament of Confirmation on Saturday, January 24th at 4:00pm in Saint Ann Church and on Saturday, February 14th at 10:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. Welcome to the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, Father Brian!
As we make ready for these celebrations, please pray for all of our candidates, sponsors, parents, and catechists. In a special way, we pray in thanksgiving for Betsy Works, Associate Minister of Youth Faith Formation, for her good work, dedication, and creative spirit. Peace, blessings, and congratulations to all! Come, Holy Spirit! Enkindle in us the fire of your love!
Watch: Confirmation (1 Minute)
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Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Help Us Help Others
The Saint Vincent de Paul Society is an international organization that is dedicated to responding to any request from any person or family in need. Here on Cape Ann, we work through Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish to serve the poor and the needy. Help us help others! Donations can be pushed through the mail slot in the parish office, dropped in the collection basket at any Weekend Mass, or mailed to:
Saint Vincent de Paul Society
74 Pleasant Street
Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930
New members and volunteers are always welcome! For more information about the Saint Vincent de Paul Society and its good work in our parishes and hometowns, please contact Harry Miller at 978-281-8672 or Robert Weeks at svdpmember1@gmail.com. If you or someone you know needs our help, please call 978-281-8672. Thank you for your generous support for the Saint Vincent de Paul Society! May God bless you!
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Saint Vincent de Paul Society
Our Clothes Closet
Open 2nd, 3rd & 4th Saturdays
The Saint Vincent de Paul Clothes Closet is open for business in Saint Ann Church Hall on the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of every month from 9:00am until 12:00pm. All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners are welcome to drop by and check out the Clothes Closet by entering through the Pleasant Street doors of Saint Ann Church Hall.
Donations of gently worn clothing and shoes are now gratefully accepted during our regular hours and in the bin located in the Saint Ann School parking lot. Please note that we cannot accept donations of books, toys, or household items. For more information about the Saint Vincent de Paul Clothes Closet, please contact Bridget Nelligan at 781-572-4752 or Cathy Kyrouz at 978-290-1756. Thank you for your generous support!
Learn More: Saint Vincent de Paul
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Pastor’s Note
Winter Weather Advisory
The Season of Winter is upon us! For the latest information about weather related cancelations during the coming months, please check our homepage: ccgronline.com. All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners are reminded that if public schools are closed due to inclement weather, then all parish programs (including weekday Masses) are canceled too. Stay safe! Stay warm! Peace and blessings to all! — Father Jim
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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
It is in giving that we receive. — Prayer of Saint Francis
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 Genry Guillén