Watch: Sunday Mass with Father Jim
Listen: Pray As You Go Daily Meditations
Read: Scripture for Life by Mary McGlone
This Week’s Message
The Seventh Commandment
Not So Easy
By Kathy Coffey
You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15). We might think: “Whew! Got off easy on that one!” As law-abiding people, we do not shoplift, rob banks, pilfer office supplies, or skim from the collection basket. At last, this is one commandment that we are handily observing, right? Right, if we stick to the letter of the law. But the commandments are demanding, calling us beyond superficial observance. There are more forms of theft than we might recognize.
Let’s look first at homegrown forms of stealing, then at the larger picture of social justice. For example, we rob our families of hours together when we work overtime at jobs to buy more than necessities. The Church has long taught that people created by God are too precious to be merely a means of profit. Our birthright gifts as God’s children include dignity, security, and a divine transcendent love. So do we hoard lesser things?
We steal a person’s enthusiasm with negative comments. We quash plans that sound naïve, quell a child’s creativity, stifle the initiative of a new employee. Unfounded fears block imaginative solutions, and the inspiration of the spirit. Two forms of theft steal from the present: anxiety about the future or mulling over the past. Both rob the present of grace and potential.
The items in closets that do not fit or are not worn: these, too, are stolen from those who could be using them, who might actually be thrilled to have them. As Saint Basil reminds us: “The coat in your closet belongs to the naked. The shoes rotting in your basement belong to the barefoot.” Our talents and treasures belong to us but were given by God for the benefit of others. Here again, our model is Christ, who “became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).”
A look through the Catechism of the Catholic Church reveals the social dimension of this commandment: condemning the payment of unjust wages, bribes to legislators, breaking a contract, and poor quality work. In addition, discrimination against women, immigrants, and minorities and denying them access to gainful employment violates the Seventh Commandment.
How Las Vegas must tremble to hear these words: “The passion for gambling risks becoming an enslavement (CCC 2413).” We may cringe at the busloads of people pumping their savings into slot machines. So, too, people who lavish more money and attention on pets than some poor children receive are not exercising proper stewardship. The Catechism says: “One can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons (CCC 2418).”
On a global scale, the arms race plunders the planet’s resources by substituting weapons for basic human needs. In his farewell address to the nation, President Dwight D. Eisenhower prophetically warned that the military-industrial complex could sap our country’s riches.
On a brighter note, many people are making efforts at reparation. Corporate pollution may steal clean air and water, but it is heartening to think of a youth group at Saint Edward the Confessor Parish in Richmond, Virginia. The kids sponsored a fast from every beverage except tap water. They then donated the money that would have been spent on soda and energy drinks to a project that provides clean water in Nicaragua. As Helen Keller said: “The world is full of suffering. It is full also of the overcoming of it.” Those who repay the thefts that occur in homes and society at large are honoring brilliantly the Seventh Commandment.
About the Author
Kathy is the author of thirteen books and countless articles about prayer and spirituality. She is also a regular contributor to “Bringing Home the Word” which is posted every week at the link below. In addition to writing, Kathy is a retreat leader and university lecturer. She is the mother of four children and a grandmother. She and her family live near Denver, Colorado.
CCGR Weekly Newsletter (8-16-26)
Bringing Home the Word (8-16-26)
The Kids Bulletin (8-16-26)
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Call to Prayer
Evangelization in the City
By Pope Leo XIV
Following in the footsteps of his beloved 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 August, the Holy Father calls us to pray for inspired evangelization in our cities, towns, and villages. In spiritual communion with the pope, we pray:
Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd,
you walk through our streets and squares,
enter tall buildings and humble neighborhoods,
and silently accompany millions
who seek meaning amid noise and haste.
You know, Lord, the heart of the city:
its lights and shadows, its noise and loneliness.
We know that cities are called
to be places of freedom and opportunity,
but they can also become spaces of anonymity and isolation.
That’s why today we ask you for a renewed gaze,
able to discover in urban life
fertile ground for proclaiming your Gospel.
Give us a creative and deep faith,
that doesn’t remain in words, but becomes flesh
through simple and loving gestures.
Make us a Church that goes forth, able to reach out
to the peripheries,
to console those who are lonely,
and to sow fraternity and connection
instead of giving in to indifference.
Lord, may our communities be open and welcoming homes,
places where hope is shared, where no one feels invisible,
and where the joy of your Gospel shines
in the hidden lives of so many brothers and sisters.
Make us your witnesses in the city,
bold and creative missionaries,
who proclaim your love with their lives:
a love capable of overcoming haste,
noise, and anonymity. Amen.
Watch: The Pope Video – August 2026
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Our Lady of Good Voyage
Summer Carillon Concerts
Begins Friday, August 21st
A popular summer tradition is returning to Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport! Our Summer Carillon Concerts begin on Friday, August 14th at 6:30pm! This year, Luann Pallazola, Cynthia Cafasso, and Thomas Dort have prepared programs that include faith-filled hymns, patriotic melodies, and classical and international music, along with selections especially for children!
Installed in 1922, the carillon at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church is the first toned bell set ever in the United States. The carillon’s thirty-one bronze bells hang from a steel beam within the west tower. And our bells range in weight from 16 pounds to 3,000 pounds. The carillon bells at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church were forged by the Taylor Foundry in Loughboro, England.
In order to avoid the payment of a tariff upon their arrival in Gloucester, the church was declared a warehouse by the Collector of Customs in Boston, who happened to be a friend of the local congressman. Soon after, a bill declaring them a “work of art” was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Warren G. Harding.
Although our bells can be heard from blocks away, the sound is always best near the church. Once again this year, Our Lady’s Guild will be selling snacks, cold drinks, and raffle tickets to support the parish. Our Summer Carillon Concerts are an awesome opportunity for the whole family to enjoy the gift of music with friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners!
Additional concerts are scheduled for Friday, Friday, August 28th at 6:30pm and Friday, September 4th at 6:30pm. For more information, please contact Luann Pallazola at lpallazola@gmail.com. Save the dates! Bring a friend! Bring your family! All are invited! All are welcome!
Watch: Our Lady of Good Voyage Carillon
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Living the Gospel
Saint Michael’s Lent 2026
Turning to God by Fasting
Prayer and fasting are weapons of love that can change history. — Pope Francis
By Brother Patrick
In Our Sunday Visitor’s Catholic Encyclopedia, fasting is defined as not eating, drinking, or engaging in some pleasurable activity for a period of time. In this book, we read: “It is by means of the fast that one stops what is automatic and waits upon God — the hunger pains acting like constant reminders to listen for the voice of God in personal and liturgical prayer, through conversations and events of the day, and in reading sacred scripture.”
Of course, we know that some of us should not fast from food and drink because of age, illness, or disability. At the same time, each of us can fast from some activity that can separate us from God and neighbor: gossip, television, or social media. All of us can deny ourselves some small thing that takes our attention away from growing closer to Christ and closer to each other.
In the book, Fasting: The Ancient Practices, Scott McKnight explains that a fast is our way of recognizing and reacting to the increasingly harsh world around us. He writes: “Fasting is a response to a serious, grievous, or sacred moment…People fasted in the Bible in response to some grievous event in life — like death or the realization of sin when the nation was threatened.”
These serious, grievous, and sacred moments are now all too common: wars, climate crises, rising prices, political divisions, countless threats to human life and dignity, cuts to health care and other essential services, cruelty toward immigrants and refugees, and a rising tide of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
The point of fasting is not to solve problems or change the world. It is to remind ourselves of humanity’s complete dependence on God for all good things; and to entrust our bodies, minds, and spirits into the loving and merciful arms of the Lord — who listens to our poor prayers, smiles upon our small sacrifices, and leads us toward treating each other with mutual love and respect.
Brother Patrick Garvey
Associate Minister & Diocesan Hermit
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
brpatrick@ccgronline.com
Saint Michael’s Lent Resources
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Sharing God’s Love
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 the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport to serve the poor in our midst.
We are seeking new members to help us serve our brothers and sisters in need with dignity and compassion. Members of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society are honest, humble, and selfless workers in the vineyard of the Lord.
We call those who can help us help others! We call those who will listen to our brothers and sisters and respond to their needs. We call those who desire to grow in faith, hope, and love by seeing the Lord in the least among us.
We offer our services by responding to the needs of every person and every family that asks for our help. We also meet with both individuals and families in order to respond to their needs in God’s style of closeness, compassion, and tenderness.
If you seek to live the Gospel, share God’s love, and rebuild the Church, then please prayerfully consider becoming a member of the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. We meet once every month to reflect on our experiences and to be good stewards of your generous gifts.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19th at 4:00pm in Our Lady’s Hall. For more information about how you can share your gifts and talents with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, please contact Marty Bolcome at 978-821-3499; Cindy Cafasso at 978-473-2312; or Robert Weeks at svdpmember1@gmail.com. Thank you for your generous support! May God bless you!
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Words of Wisdom from Saint Vincent de Paul
Go to the poor: you will find God.
The poor have much to teach you.
You have much to learn from them.
Learn More: Saint Vincent de Paul
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The Assisi Project
In Constant Prayer for You!
Intercessory Prayer Ministry
Founded in 2007 by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers around the world. Our mission is to help believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of the Poor Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi.
Members of the Assisi Project range in age from 18 to 102. Each of us serves our parishes in some way. But our most important contribution is the gift of prayer. So we pray each day 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.
In communion with Pope Leo XIV and in solidarity with people of faith and goodwill everywhere, we also pray each day for peace, truth, and justice in our world; and for the poor, the persecuted, and the unjustly imprisoned. You can pray with us by visiting assisiproject.com! May God bless you! May the Lord give you peace!
Learn More: The Assisi Project
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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
Give as the air gives its vital breezes, unrestrained and free. — Saint Augustine
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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