This Week’s Message
Becoming Pilgrims of Hope
By Pope Francis
The Jubilee of 2025, a holy year dedicated to the theme of Pilgrims of Hope is an auspicious occasion to reflect on hope, a decisive and fundamental Christian virtue, especially during these times, during which a third world war is unfolding before our eyes, which can lead us to assume attitudes of gloomy discouragement and cynicism.
Hope is a gift and task for every Christian. It is a gift because it is God who offers it to us. Hope, in fact, is not a mere act of optimism…No, hope is waiting for something that has already been given to us: salvation in God’s eternal and infinite love. That love and salvation gives flavor to our lives, and it constitutes the hinge on which the world remains standing, despite all of the wickedness and nefariousness caused by our sins. To hope, then, is to welcome the gift that God offers us every day. To hope is to savor the wonder of being loved, desired, and sought by a God who has not shut himself away in an impenetrable heaven but has made himself flesh and blood in history and to share our lot.
Hope is also a task that Christians have a duty to cultivate and put to good use for the sake of their brothers and sisters. The task is to remain faithful to the gift received as pointed out by Medeleine Delbrel, who wrote: “The place that Christian hope assigns us is that narrow ridge, that borderline at which our vocation requires that we choose, every hour and every day, to be faithful to God’s faithfulness to us.” God is faithful to us. Our task is to respond to his faithfulness. But take care. It is not we who generate this faithfulness. It is a gift from God that works in us if we allow ourselves to be shaped by his power of love, the Holy Spirit who acts as a breath of inspiration in our hearts. It is up to us to invoke this gift: “Lord, help me to be faithful to you in hope!”
Hope is a gift from God and a task for Christians. To live in hope requires what Johann-Baptist Metz calls a “mysticism with open eyes.” Knowing how to discern evidence of hope, the breaking through of the possible into the impossible; of grace where it would seem that sin has eroded all trust. Some time ago, I had an opportunity to talk with two exceptional witnesses of hope — two fathers — one Israeli and one Palestinian. Both lost daughters in the conflict that has bloodied the Holy Land for too many decades. Nevertheless, in the name of their pain, they became friends, indeed brothers. They live forgiveness and reconciliation as concrete, prophetic, and authentic gestures. Meeting them gave me so much hope. Their friendship and brotherhood taught me that it is possible that hatred may not have the last word. Their reconciliation as individuals, a prophecy of a larger and broader reconciliation, is an invincible sign of hope. And hope opens us up to unimaginable horizons.
I invite all who read this message to offer a simple gesture. Each evening before going to bed, as you think over the events of the day, search for a sign of hope. An unexpected smile. A small gesture of help. A good turn observed in the classroom. A kindness encountered in the workplace. As Charles Peguy once wrote, hope is a “childlike virtue.” And we need to be like children with their sense of wonder to meet the world, know it, and appreciate it. Let us train ourselves to recognize hope. We will then be able to marvel at how much good exists in the world. Our hearts will light up with hope. And we will become beacons of the future for all around us (11-6-24).
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Watch: The Pope Video
December 2024 – Praying for Pilgrims of Hope
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Call to Prayer
The Jubilee Prayer
Pilgrims of Hope
By Pope Francis
Father in heaven,
may the faith you have given us
in your son, Jesus Christ, our brother,
and the flame of charity
enkindled in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit,
reawaken in us the blessed hope
for the coming of your kingdom.
May your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators
of the seeds of the gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth,
when with the powers of evil vanquished,
your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the jubilee
reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope,
a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread
the joy and peace of our Redeemer
throughout the whole earth.
To you our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
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A Rosary for Peace
Featuring Prayers by Pope Francis
Saturday, December 7th at 5:00pm
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
All are invited! All are welcome!
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Calling Young Disciples
Advent Faith & Family Mass
Sunday, December 8th
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 (Mt 9:14).” In response to the Lord’s call, all young disciples and their families are invited to join Father Jim for our Advent Faith & Family Mass on Sunday, December 8th at 11:45am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church.
During Mass, Father Jim will offer a special homily about the Christmas Star and a special blessing for all of God’s children and their families. In addition, every child in attendance will receive a small gift from our parishes.
Please save the dates for our upcoming Faith & Family Masses: Saturday, January 4th at 4:00pm in Saint Ann Church; Sunday, March 9th at 11:45am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church; Sunday, April 13th at 11:45am in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church; and Saturday, May 10th at 4:00pm in Saint Ann Church.
For more information about our youth faith formation programs in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, please contact Betsy Works at bworks@ccgronline.com. Mass is our class! Jesus is our teacher! Every family is a precious gift from God! Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome!
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The Immaculate Conception
A Holy Day of Obligation
Monday, December 9th
In prayerful commemoration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport invites you and your family to join us for the celebration of Holy Mass on Monday, December 9th:
- Mass at 8:00am
Saint Joachim Church - Mass at 12:00pm
Saint Ann Church - Mass at 5:30pm
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church
Since late antiquity, the People of God have believed that the Blessed Virgin Mary was conceived immaculately and without original sin in the womb of her mother, Saint Ann. In 1854, the Catholic Church defined this ancient devotion as doctrine. Since then, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception has been patroness of many causes and countries, including the United States of America. Please join us! All are invited! All are welcome!
Learn More: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Our Lady of Good Voyage
Annual Christmas Fair
Saturday, December 14th
All friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join Our Lady’s Guild for the Annual Christmas Fair on Saturday, December 14th from 9:00am until 1:00pm in Our Lady’s Hall.
Browse our sale tables for unique treasures! Look for special gifts, beautiful jewelry, and religious books and gifts. Take a chance to win an Apple iPad, Electric Lawnmower, or the Gift Card Super Raffle! Buy a loaf of our world famous homemade sweet bread! Enjoy a delicious pancake breakfast! Best of all, Santa Claus will join us for photographs from 10:00am until 10:30am!
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, social activities, and fundraising projects. The Guild meets on the first Monday of the month at 6:30pm in Our Lady’s Hall. For more information about Our Lady’s Guild and its good work in our parish, please contact Beth Fosberry at jcbf33@yahoo.com. New members always welcome! Spread the word! Bring your family! Bring a friend! All are welcome!
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Our Lady’s Guild
Annual Christmas Party
Monday, December 16th
Begins at 6:00pm in Our Lady’s Hall
Catered by the Causeway Restaurant
Bring a Dessert to Share!
RSVP by Saturday, December 14th at 12:00pm
Contact Celia Doucette at 978-281-2031
All are invited! All are welcome!
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Saints for All Seasons
Mini-Retreat Series
Saturday, December 21st
Now more than ever, we need to step back from the business and busyness of daily life and focus on our relationships with Jesus and those we are called to love. Unfortunately, few among us are able to leave behind home, work, and family for a real retreat from the responsibilities of the world. For this reason and for the fourth consecutive year, the Assisi Project is pleased to announce a special series of seasonal mini-retreats called Saints for All Seasons.
Throughout his long priestly ministry, Pope Francis has called people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about and pray with the saints. The Holy Father believes in his heart that the saints bring us closer to Christ, closer to the Church, and closer to each other. He says: “The saints are still here, not far from us; and their images [and relics] in our churches evoke the ‘cloud of witnesses’ that always surrounds us (cf. Hebrews 12:1)…The saints remind us that even in our lives, however weak and marked by sin, holiness can unfold (4-7-21).”
In this spirit of unfolding holiness, all are invited to join us in the next few months for a series of two hour mini-retreats. These times of prayer, reflection, and adoration will focus on the lives of amazing holy men and women: Jacopane of Todi, Saint Margaret of Cortona, Blessed Giles of Assisi, Blessed John of LaVerna, and Our Lady of the Angels. Each mini-retreat will begin with the celebration of Holy Mass. After Mass, Father Jim and Brother Patrick will offer a reflection on the life and veneration of a saint whose life of holiness and love of neighbor has inspired men and women all around the world.
After each reflection, we will pray in silent adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and in veneration of the holy images of each saint of the day. We will conclude by praying the Holy Rosary and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Here’s our schedule for the winter season:
- Jacopane of Todi
Saturday, December 21st
Begins with Mass at 8:00am
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church - Margaret of Cortona
Friday, February 21st
Begins with Mass at 5:30pm
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church - Our Lady of the Angels
Saturday, March 22nd
Begins with Mass at 8:00am
Saint Anthony Chapel
We hope and pray that you and your family will be able to join us for all or even just part of this special series in celebration of the saints which was so popular last year! For more information, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@ccgronline.com. Save the dates! Spread the word! Bring a friend! All are invited! All are welcome!
Listen: Saint of the Day Podcast
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Words of Wisdom for Advent
By Saint Teresa of Calcutta
This Christmas, when Christ comes,
will he find a warm heart?
Mark the Season of Advent
by loving and serving others
with God’s own love and concern.
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We Share
Safe & Easy Electronic Giving
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give (Matthew 10:8)
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 Ronald Mountain