Watch: Sunday Mass with Father Jim
Listen: Pray As You Go Daily Meditations
Read: Scripture for Life by Sister Mary McGlone

This Week’s Message
A Stumbling Block

By Brother Patrick

In German, a stolperstein is an obstacle, hindrance, or stumbling block. It is a person, problem, or circumstance that causes difficulty or gets in the way. In this sense, there was nothing about her education, family history, or vocational training to suggest that Helene Kafka (1894-1943) would become a stolperstein for Adolph Hitler’s reign of terror.

Born in 1894 in Czechia (then part of Austria-Hungary), Helene was the daughter of a shoemaker and homemaker. After the family moved to Vienna, she entered the workforce as a maid, then as a cashier for a tobacconist. Shortly before the outbreak of the First World War, Helene began nursing school at a municipal hospital. As a young nurse, Helene Kafka met and felt drawn to the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity. In 1914, she entered the order and was given the name Sister Maria Restituta. During the war, she became known for her skill, compassion, and dedication as a nurse.

When Adolph Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, Sister Maria Restituta was not afraid to speak truth to power. She called Hitler a “madman” and described herself as a “Viennese who will not remain silent.” When the hospital built a new wing, she placed a crucifix in every room as a form of witness to God’s grace in the midst of suffering and unspeakable cruelty. When the government ordered her to remove the crosses, she refused.

For a time, Sister Maria Restituta’s value to the hospital trumped the Gestapo’s desire to detain her. But on Ash Wednesday 1942, a doctor who was a fervent supporter of the Nazi cult, denounced her as a traitor. She was arrested for mocking the regime, hanging the crucifixes, and writing a humorous poem about the fuhrer. In prison, she diligently cared for her sick and tortured fellow inmates. One year after her arrest, the so-called People’s Court, which was nothing more than a servile instrument of Nazi tyranny, offered her a deal: renounce your faith and save your life. Sister Maria Restituta refused again.

In one of her last letters from prison, Sister Maria Restituta wrote: “It does not matter how far we are separated from everything, no matter what is taken from us: the faith that we carry in our hearts is something that no one can take from us. In this way, we build an altar in our own hearts.” Sister Maria Restituta was soon beheaded and buried in a mass grave. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II, who called her the “first virgin martyr of Vienna.” Her feast day is celebrated there on October 29th.

Almost fifty years after her death, Gunter Demnig founded The Solperstein Project, which is now the largest decentralized memorial in world history. It honors the courageous men and women from all backgrounds and religions who sacrificed their lives in opposition to the Nazi tyrannies of hatred, racism, deportation, euthanasia, and mass extermination.

The Solperstein Project imbeds in the street a small copper plate with the name, date, and place of execution at the last voluntary address of the victim. So far, nearly 200,000 plates have been placed in nearly 2,000 communities all across Europe. Among these is one that honors a nun, nurse, and person of extraordinary faith, courage, and persistence. May the life and martyrdom of Blessed Maria Restituta inspire all of us to become stumbling blocks to the bigotry and injustice of these troubled times.

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

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (10-25-26)
Bringing Home the Word (10-25-26)
The Kids Bulletin (10-25-26)

New!
The Stolperstein Project
Remembering the Victims of Nazism
One Hour Documentary

__________

Call to Reflection
Remembering Blessed Maria Restituta

By Saint John Paul II

Sister Restituta Kafka was not yet an adult
when she expressed her intention to enter the convent.
Her parents were against it,
but the young girl remained faithful to her goal
of becoming a sister ‘for the love of God and men.’
She wanted to serve the Lord especially in the poor and the sick.
She was accepted by the Franciscan Sisters of Charity
to fulfill her vocation in everyday hospital life,
which was often hard and monotonous.
A true nurse, she soon became an institution.
Her nursing warmth, ability, and determination
caused many to call her Sister Resoluta
instead of Sister Restituta.
Because of her courage and fearlessness,
she did not wish to be silent
even in the face of the Nazi regime.
Challenging the political authority’s prohibitions,
Sister Restituta hung crucifixes in every hospital room.
On Ash Wednesday 1942,
she was taken away by the Gestapo.
In prison, her ‘Lent’ began.
It was to last for more than a year.
It ended with her execution.
Her last words passed on to us were these:
“I have lived for Christ. I want to die for Christ.”
Looking at Blessed Sister Maria Restituta,
we can see what heights of inner maturity
to which a person can be led by the divine hand.
She risked her life for her witness to the Cross.
And she kept the Cross in her heart,
bearing witness to it again before her execution
when she asked the prison chaplain:
“Make the Sign of the Cross on my forehead.”
Many things can be taken from us Christians.
But we will not let the Cross,
as a sign of our salvation, be taken from us.
We will not let it be removed from public life.
We will listen to the voice of conscience which says:
“We must obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).”

Read: Homily – Beatification of Sister Maria Restituta (6-22-98)

__________

Words of Wisdom from Saint John Paul II

Do not be afraid to insist on your rights.
Refuse a life based on lies and double thinking.
Do not be afraid to suffer with Christ.

Learn More: Saint John Paul II

__________

Month of All Souls
Masses of Remembrance
Begin Saturday, October 31st

During November, the Month of All Souls, all are invited to join Father Jim and the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport as we celebrate Masses of Remembrance for family, friends, and fellow parishioners whose funerals were celebrated in our parishes during this year.

• Mass of Remembrance I
  Saturday, October 31st at 4:00pm
  Saint Ann Church
• Mass of Remembrance II
  Sunday, November 1st at 11:45am
  Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
• Mass of Remembrance III
  Sunday, November 8th at 10:00am
  Saint Joachim Church

A Prayer for All Souls

Loving God,
through the resurrection of Jesus,
you call us to eternal life and happiness.
During the Month of All Souls,
we remember our brothers and sisters
who have gone before us into heaven’s glory.
May they share in the joy and blessing
that you promise to all who love you
and have faith in you.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
God forever and ever. Amen.

Please pray for our departed brothers and sisters! May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace! For more information about the Month of All Souls and our Annual Masses of Remembrance, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome!

Watch: In the Company of Angels Choral Recital (60 Minutes)

__________

All Saints Faith & Family Mass
A Youth Faith Formation Special Event
Sunday, November 1st

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs (Matthew 9:14).” In response to the Lord’s call, all children, parents, grandparents, and godparents are invited to join Father Jim for our All Saints Faith & Family Mass on Sunday, November 1st at 11:45am in Our Lady’s Church.

During Mass, Father Jim will offer a special homily for children about the celebration of Halloween and the Solemnity of All Saints. After Mass, all are invited to join us outside on the church lawn where our pastoral team and parish service organizations will offer treats to the kids! All parishioners, especially parents, grandparents, and their children are invited to wear costumes!

We believe that Mass is our class! We believe that Jesus is our teacher! And we believe that every family that joins us for Mass is a precious gift from God! So, please save these dates for our upcoming Faith & Family Masses which are an essential component of our youth faith formation programs:

• Christ the King Faith & Family Mass
  Sunday, November 22nd at 11:45am
  Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
• Advent Faith & Family Mass
  Sunday, December 13th at 11:45am
  Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
• Epiphany Faith & Family Mass
  Annual Christmas Pageant
  Saturday, January 2nd at 4:00pm
  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. Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome!

Learn More: Solemnity of All Saints 

__________

All Souls Day
Celebration of Holy Mass
Monday, November 2nd

In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read: “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven (CCC 1030).” This purification is purgatory, which is not a punishment but a cleansing of the soul through God’s boundless love and mercy.

Since the eleventh century, Catholics have gathered for Holy Mass to pray for the souls of their friends and loved ones. In this spirit, all are invited to join Father Jim for Holy Mass on All Souls Day, Monday, November 2nd at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. For more information, please contact Father Jim at frjim@ccgronline.com. All are welcome!

Learn More: Commemoration of All Souls

__________

The Assisi Project
Franciscan Virtues – Trust in God
Saturday, November 7th

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 declared a Special Jubilee Year which 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 beloved patron in order to learn more about the timeless 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, November 7th at 8:00am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church for a two-hour mini-retreat that includes Mass, a reflection by Father Jim and Brother Patrick, along with a period of prayer and faith sharing. At this retreat, we will focus on trusting in God.

Founded in 2007, 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 and backgrounds 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 suffering world.

New members and friends are always welcome! So please join us! Bring a friend! Bring your family! For more information about the Assisi Project and its good work in our parishes, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com. May God bless you! May the Lord give you peace!

Learn More: The Assisi Project

__________

Words of Wisdom from Saint Francis

With complete trust, let us beg alms
as pilgrims and strangers in this world,
serving the Lord in poverty and humility.

Watch: How Francis Saw the World (1 Minute)

__________