The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport HOLY FAMILY PARISH ∙ OUR LADY OF GOOD VOYAGE PARISH __________________________________________________ A Community United in Prayer, Fellowship, and Service ∙ All Are Welcome! Solemnity of Christ the King ∙ November 22, 2015 Christ in Majesty! The Solemnity of Christ the King · This Week’s Message | Page 3 ________________________ Thanksgiving Mass Schedule | Page 2 Mary Ann Fittro· Bishop Cheverus Medal Recipient | Page 3 Our Lady’s Turkey Giveaway| Page 4 The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport Mail: 60 Prospect Street ∙ Gloucester, Massachusetts 01930 Phone: 978-281-4820· Fax: 978-281-4964· Email: [email protected] · Online: ccgronline.com Pastoral Office: 74 Pleasant Street · Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-4:00pm Please Join Us! All Are Welcome! We welcome new parishioners to Gloucester & Rockport! Please introduce yourself and contact the pastoral office to register as a parishioner! The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport Solemnity of Christ the King Holy Season of Advent News & Notes _____________________ ____________________ ADVENT & CHRISTMAS CONCERT THANKSGIVING MASS SCHEDULE Sunday, December 6th· 2:00pm· Saint Ann Church Have a Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving! All parishioners, friends, and visitors of the Catholic Com- All parishioners, friends, and visitors are welcome to join munity of Gloucester & Rockport are invited to join the the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport as we Holy Family Parish Music Ministry for its Eleventh Annu- gather for Holy Mass in celebration of the Thanksgiving al Advent & Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 6th Holiday. On Wednesday, November 25th at 7:00pm, Fa- at 2:00pm in Saint Ann Church. ther Jim will celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Good Voyage As always, this year’s musical selections have been chosen Church. And on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Novem- to help prepare our hearts to celebrate the Nativity of Our ber 26th at 8:00am, Father Jim will celebrate Mass at Saint Lord Jesus Christ at Christmas. Our Adult Choir and Joachim Church. Please join us as we give thanks and Youth Choir will perform with our team of talented instru- praise for God’s abundant goodness and blessings! mentalists. In addition, members of our Brazilian Commu- nity’s music ministry will perform for us! So, please join us MASS INTENTIONS BOOK as we share the gift of music this holiday season! For more Thursday, December 3rd· 10:00am—2:00pm information, please contact Tom Misuraca at 978-281-4820 The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport’s or [email protected]. Please join us! All are invited! All Mass Intentions Book (January 2016—June 2016) will be are welcome! opened on Thursday, December 3rd from 10:00am until 2:00pm at our Pastoral Office (74 Pleasant Street). On that SOLEMNITY of the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION day, all parishioners are welcome to book one Sunday Holy Day of Obligation· Tuesday, December 8th and one weekday Mass at Saint Ann Church, Saint Joa- In celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Concep- chim Church, or Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. A tion of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Tuesday, December 8th, donation of $10 per Mass intention is requested. the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport will Please note that on December 3rd, all Mass intentions celebrate Masses according to the following schedule: must be booked in person. No email or phone requests Monday, December 7th· Vigil Mass will be accepted; no exceptions. Any remaining Masses Our Lady of Good Voyage Church· 4:00pm can be booked on or after December 4th. If you have Tuesday, December 8th· Holy Day Masses questions or need more information, please see Father Saint Joachim Church· 8:00am Jim or contact Linda Rogers at [email protected] or Saint Ann Church· 12:00pm 978-281-4820. Thank you in advance for your cooperation Our Lady of Good Voyage Church· 7:00pm and generous support of our parishes. Please join us as we honor our Blessed Mother Mary! All BULLETIN SUBMISSIONS are invited! All are welcome! Our Lady, pray for us! All submissions to our bulletin & website must be sent to ADVENT MISSION & RETREAT Father Jim at [email protected] by Friday at 12:00pm “MERCY & DISCIPLESHIP” for publication in the following week’s bulletin. All sub- December 8th through December 10th missions may be edited for content and must include All are invited to join us for the Catholic Community of clear and concise details about a program or event; date, Gloucester & Rockport’s Advent Mission & Retreat from time, and location; and contact information. Please note Tuesday, December 8th through Thursday, December 10th that not all requests can be honored. Priority is given to at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. Each evening will programs and events sponsored by the Catholic Commu- begin with Mass at 7:00pm, followed by a reflection based nity of Gloucester & Rockport. If you have questions or on the theme of “Mercy & Discipleship.” need more information, please contact Father Jim at [email protected] or 978-281-4820. Thank you! Our guest celebrant and homilist will be the Reverend Gary M. Gurtler, S.J. Father Gurtler is a member of the So- BRINGING HOME THE WORD ciety of Jesus, a graduate of Fordham University, and since Join us: ccgronline.com/news 1992, has served as an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Boston College. Bringing Home the Word is a weekly resource for indi- viduals and families that offers suggestions for prayer Our Advent Mission & Retreat is free but donations will be and reflection based on the Sunday Mass readings. It also gratefully accepted at each evening’s Mass. For more infor- includes great ideas for sharing the faith with family, mation, please contact Cliff Garvey at 978-281-4820 or friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Every Saturday, a [email protected]. All are welcome! new issue is posted at ccgronline.com/news! 2 The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport November 22, 2015 Pastor’s Notes This Week’s Message _____________________ _____________________ CONGRATULATIONS MARY ANN FITTRO CHRIST IN MAJESTY! BISHOP CHEVERUS MEDAL RECIPIENT By Cliff Garvey· Associate Minister On behalf of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & As a young graduate student at the Catholic University of Rockport, Father Jim congratulates Mary Ann Fittro who America in Washington, D.C., I was just beginning to ap- will receive the Bishop Cheverus Medal during a Solemn preciate and understand the depth and beauty of our Vespers Service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on shared faith. As Advent approached during my first se- Sunday, November 29th at 3:00pm. All parishioners and mester at the university, I had begun attending Daily friend are invited to attend! Mass in the Crypt Church of the Basilica of the National For more than fifty years, Mary Ann has worked in Saint Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, but I had not yet Ann Rectory where she serves as our cook and helps with ventured upstairs into the main church. So, I was under- laundry, maintaining our altar cloths, and other important standably stunned to see the mosaic of “Christ in Majes- chores that often go unnoticed by most parishioners. ty” which appears on the cover of this weekend’s bulletin. Mary Ann is a person of deep faith and prayer who works This powerful image looms over the sanctuary of the Ba- hard and gives witness to Christ’s love for his people in silica. Some people love it; some do not. For some, Jesus all that she does and says. seems angry, perhaps even threatening. But nothing could The Bishop Cheverus Medal was created in 2008 to recog- be further from the truth. Christ’s eyes are blue and sym- nize exemplary service given in the name of the Lord by bolize the glory of heaven. His arms are outstretched and parish staff or volunteers. This award is often given in invite us to meditate on the wounds of his crucifixion. He grateful appreciation for the unsung heroes of God’s is clothed in red which symbolizes his martyrdom on the Church. In his letter announcing Mary Ann’s award, Car- cross for the sake of our salvation. Indeed, this image of dinal Sean wrote: “I have learned of your selfless dedica- “Christ in Majesty” is consistent with the earliest images tion and commitment and your many contributions to of Christ that can be found in the Roman catacombs. advancing Christ’s mission. We are blessed by your ser- As we commemorate the Solemnity of Christ the King, vice to the Archdiocese and we are privileged to name journey through the last week of Ordinary Time, and pre- you for this honor.” pare for the Holy Season of Advent, this awesome mosaic Please join Father Jim, our pastoral team, and all of our should remind us that Christ is both King of the Universe fellow parishioners in congratulating Mary Ann Fittro for and a humble servant of God who embraced his vocation, receiving the Archdiocese of Boston’s Bishop Cheverus his mission, and ultimately his cross. And through these Medal! Please thank her for all that she does with love acts of extreme humility, God raises Christ Jesus from and good cheer for our parish communities! And please death, exalts him among the angels, glorifies him in the pray for Mary Ann and her ministry! Mary Ann, may God heavens, and entrusts him with an everlasting kingship. bless you always! The mosaic of “Christ in Majesty” covers more than 3,600 square feet and contains more than 3 million tiles, but it is ADVENT MASS FOR FAMILIES not just a magnificent work of religious art. It is an instru- WEEKEND OF DECEMBER 5th-DECEMBER 6th ment of evangelization and a teaching tool.