Watch: Sunday Mass with Father Jim
Listen: Pray As You Go Daily Meditations
Read: Scripture for Life by Carol J. Dempsey

This Week’s Message
Lord, Lead Me Forth

By Brother Patrick

Fifteen summers ago, I traveled alone to Assisi, Italy for a retreat. In my room overlooking the Basilica of Saint Francis, the plan was for a week of prayer, silence, and solitude. But Assisi was hot, crowded, and pulsing with a vibrant energy. A regional cultural festival attracted thousands of people. Good food. Good music. Too much good wine. By the end of the fifth day, I called Father Jim and admitted to wasting the week. I begged him to rearrange my flight home and to ask the sisters if they had a room available for a second week.

When I arrived back at the convent, Sister Marcellina met me at the door. She said: “You may stay for another week under my supervision. Each morning, you will go to the Church of San Masseo. Bring only a breviary. Pray there in silence until lunch. In the afternoon, we will talk. After supper, you may visit Assisi to enjoy the sunset.” In her quiet way, Sister Marcellina placed me under an obedience. Nobody questions Sister Marcellina.

On the first day of this new retreat, I walked down into the valley and found the Church of San Masseo. Its crypt dates back to 1059. In 2009, the Bose Community, an ecumenical religious order of lay men and women, purchased the property. In just three years, the church was completely restored. Its orchard and vineyard were brought back to life. A retreat and conference center was built, along with studios for producing icons, fruit preserves, olive oil, and specialty sauces. The site is a hidden oasis of beauty and holiness.

In the perfect silence of an ancient church, I opened the breviary and whispered aloud the psalms and scriptures of Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours. Moved by the experience, I repeated the prayers and realized that the words from the first psalm were speaking to me: O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting. My body pines for you like a dry weary land without water (Psalm 63:1). I left the church, sat beneath an old olive tree, and whispered again and again the words of the psalm.

I did not have visions or hear voices. But the Lord grafted this psalm onto my heart. He imprinted its words at the core of my being. It became the first track on the playlist of my spiritual life. Before leaving Assisi, I learned that the desert fathers and mothers of the early church often prayed and meditated on Psalm 63. Saint John Chrysostom (347-407) wrote: “No day should pass without praying with this psalm.” I also learned that it is sometimes called the hermit’s song. Through this experience, a vocation was born.

Upon returning home, I met with my longtime spiritual director, Father Mark Noonan (1934-2025). Father Mark was a quiet and deeply prayerful man. He did not suggest prayers, recommend books, or readily offer advice. He always listened patiently. He almost always responded by saying: “Let the Lord lead you forth.” When I told him about my retreat in Assisi and confessed a growing interest in living as a hermit, he leaned back in his chair, smiled broadly, and said slowly: “Finally.”

This weekend, when you hear the words of Psalm 63 proclaimed at every Mass, please pray for me and for all men and women who discern a vocation to the eremitic life. And always remember that one poor hermit prays for you, for your family, and for your special intentions each and every day. May God bless you. May the Lord give you peace.

Brother Patrick Garvey
Associate Minister & Diocesan Hermit
brpatrick@ccgronline.com

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (8-30-26)
Bringing Home the Word (8-30-26)
The Kids Bulletin (8-30-26)

New!
Dolly Parton’s Legacy of Hope
By Michael O’Loughlin
National Catholic Reporter

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Words of Wisdom from Pope Francis

The desert about which the psalmist speaks is our life.
We are that dry land thirsting for fresh water,
water that slakes our deepest thirsts…
In this thirst lies the great mystery of humanity.
It opens our hearts to the living God of love,
who comes to meet us and make us his children (9-4-23).

Learn More: Assisi Project – Pope Francis Resources

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Call to Prayer
Psalm 63
The Hermit’s Song

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed, I remember you.
On you, I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
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.

What’s On Your Spiritual Playlist?

Did a passage from the scriptures ever change your life?
If so, please share it with us!
Contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@ccgronline.com!

Listen: Psalm 63 – My Soul Thirsts (3 Minutes)

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Annual Mission Appeal
Welcome, Father Sean!
August 29th & 30th

Next weekend, August 29th and August 30th, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport is blessed to welcome Father Sean McGillicuddy, C.Ss.R. from the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Boston. Father Sean has been a Redemptorist for forty years. He was a missionary in Brazil; and he also served parishes in Manhattan, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.

Father Sean will talk with us about the good works of the Perpetual Help Project in Brazil. Inspired by the life and ministry of the late Father Patrick McGillicuddy, the Perpetual Help Project (which includes Redemptorists, lay people, and religious men and women) work with the poor and homeless in and around Curitiba, Brazil.

This ministry inspired the founding of Sarnelli College, a residence and fully accredited school for homeless adult men. The students are invited to live and study until they complete the equivalent of a high school education. After graduation, the men can continue studies at the University of Curitiba. Inspired by Father Pat, they formed a community in which the Lord is clearly present and active.

Over the years, the participants in this program have become valued members of local parishes and the wider community. They contribute to the well being of their friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners by putting their new skills into practice and by living lives of deep faith, hope, and love.

At all of our weekend Masses in all of our churches, Father Sean will speak with us about his missionary work and about building a spiritual communion between our parishes, the Perpetual Help Project, and all those whose daily lives may be very different from our own culture and customs.

In support of these ministries, both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish will ask for a second collection on August 29th and August 30th. Your generous support will be much appreciated. On behalf of our senior priests and pastoral team, we welcome Father Sean McGillicuddy to the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport! Peace, blessings, and sincere thanks to all! — Father Jim

Learn More: The Redemptorists – Boston

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Our Lady of Good Voyage
Summer Carillon Concerts
Friday, September 4th

A popular summer tradition culminates this week to Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport! Our Summer Carillon Concerts conclude on Friday, September 4th 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! For more information, please contact Luann Pallazola at lpallazola@gmail.com or 978-281-4820. Save the date! Spread the word! Bring a friend! Bring your family! Please join us as we celebrate the gift of beautiful music! All are invited! All are welcome!

Watch: Our Lady of Good Voyage Carillon

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The Assisi Project
Franciscan Virtues – Loving Our Enemies
Saturday, September 5th

This year marks the 800th anniversary of the life and death of Saint Francis of Assisi (1226-2026). In commemoration of this sacred milestone, Pope Leo XIV has declared a Special Jubilee Year which has inspired us to focus our adult faith formation programs on the Poor Man of Assisi. In this spirit, the Assisi Project is going back to the basics, back to the life and good example of our patron and his first followers to learn more about the virtues that can help us follow Saint Francis and live the Gospel of Christ in thought, word, and deed.

All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join us on Saturday, September 5th at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church for a two hour mini-retreat that includes Holy Mass, a reflection by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, along with a period of prayer and faith sharing. At this gathering, we will focus on the Franciscan virtue of loving our enemies.

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. We are dedicated to helping believers of all ages more faithfully live the Good News in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. We are also dedicated to promoting a devotion to Pope Francis (1936-2025) as a patron of peace, mercy, and fraternity in our troubled world.

You do not need to be a member of our fellowship to join us for this special morning of prayer and reflection! So, please join us! Bring a friend! If you would like us to pray for your special intention or if you would like more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com.

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us! Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us! Pope Francis, pray for us! All are invited! All are welcome! May God bless you! May the Lord give you peace!

Learn More: The Assisi Project

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Words of Wisdom from Saint Francis of Assisi

No one showed me what to do,
but the Most High God revealed to me
that I was called to live
according to the form of the Holy Gospel.

Live Camera: Tomb of Saint Francis of Assisi

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Special Invitation
Diaconate Ordination of Peter Brau
Saturday, September 12th

On Saturday, September 12th, our friend and fellow parishioner, Peter Brau, will be ordained as a permanent deacon at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston by Archbishop Richard Henning. This is a moment of prayer and celebration for all who live, work, and worship in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport.

All are invited to join Father Jim and members of our pastoral team in attending the ordination Mass at 10:00am. A bus will depart at 8:30am sharp from Our Lady of Good Voyage Church and return immediately afterward. The requested donation is $25 per person. If you would like to reserve a seat on the bus, please contact Father Jim frjim@ccgronline.com by Monday, August 31st at 5:00pm.

For those unable to join us due to age, illness, or disability, Brother Patrick will lead Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours and the Franciscan Rosary from 9:00am until 10:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. Everyone who joins us will also have an opportunity to venerate a relic of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

We hope and pray that you will be able to join us for this special morning of prayer and celebration for Peter Brau and his family! Congratulations, Peter! May God bless you! Peace and blessings to all!

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Holy Family Women’s Guild
Bakeless Bake Sale
Month of September

During September, the Holy Family Women’s Guild is sponsoring a Bakeless Bake Sale! Why? Because now more than ever, our parish needs your support, especially in light of rising utility costs. Every dollar makes a difference! Checks should be made payable to Holy Family Parish. All donations (cash or check) should be mailed to the following address:

Lydia Bertolino
Holy Family Women’s Guild
10 Orchard Street
Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930

Established in 2005, the Holy Family Women’s Guild brings together women of all ages in prayer, fellowship, and service. New members are always welcome. For more information about the Women’s Guild and its good work in our parish, please contact Lydia at lbbglosta1929@outlook.com. May God bless you! Thank you for your generous support!

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