About Our Lady of Good Voyage · Gloucester, Massachusetts
Our Lady of Good Voyage is a historic Roman Catholic parish in Gloucester, Massachusetts, founded in 1889 to serve the large Portuguese (mainly Azorean) immigrant community that worked in Gloucester's fishing industry. The present Spanish/Mission Revival church, designed by architect Halfdan M. Hanson and modeled on the Santa Maria Madalena church in Madalena on the island of Pico in the Azores, was built in 1915 after a fire destroyed the original 1892 church. Since 2014 the parish has been paired with Holy Family Parish under the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport collaborative, sharing one pastor and pastoral team. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1990) and houses one of the oldest full sets of carillon bells in the United States, cast in 1922 by the same English foundry that cast Philadelphia's Liberty Bell.
- Established
- 1889
- Patron
- Our Lady of Good Voyage (Madonna of Safe Voyage)
- Rector
- Rev. James M. Achadinha (Father Jim)
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Our Lady of Good Voyage welcomes anyone seeking prayer, fellowship, and service on Cape Ann. The parish offers daily and weekend Mass in a beautifully restored Spanish Revival sanctuary listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with weekly silent Eucharistic Adoration, a Wednesday-evening Sacrament of Reconciliation heard in English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, and monthly devotions such as the Healing Rosary and the Assisi Project. Lifelong faith formation is provided for all ages — youth Confirmation preparation, the adult RCIA program called The Way, Scripture study with Father Jim, and the Franciscan-inspired Assisi Project — together with a Knights of Columbus council and a Collaborative Pastoral Council where parishioners can help rebuild and reimagine parish life across the four churches of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport.
Mass times at Our Lady of Good Voyage
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday 6:05 PM – 6:45 PM (Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish Hall; heard in English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese)
- By appointment — contact Father Jim at [email protected]
Adoration times
- Wednesday evenings — Silent Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament following 5:30 PM Mass (Our Lady of Good Voyage Church)
- Wednesday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM (per catholicmasstime.org schedule listing)
Our Lady of Good Voyage — A Portuguese-American Catholic Parish on Cape Ann
Our Lady of Good Voyage is one of two historic parishes that make up the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, a collaborative established in 2014 and led by one pastor, Father Jim, and a single pastoral team. Founded in 1889 to serve the Azorean immigrants who came to work the Gloucester fishery, the parish continues that legacy today with weekly Mass, devotions in four languages, and a Franciscan-inspired lay fellowship. Its twin-towered Spanish Revival church at 142–144 Prospect Street is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Cape Ann.
History & Heritage
The parish was established in 1889 after Portuguese families around the Inner Harbor — the largest Portuguese colony on the East Coast by 1888 — petitioned the Boston See for a church of their own. The first church was dedicated in July 1893 and burned in 1914; the present Mission-style church, designed by Halfdan M. Hanson and modeled on the church of Santa Maria Madalena in Madalena on Pico in the Azores, was built in 1915 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. In 2014 the parish entered into a collaborative with Holy Family Parish, sharing clergy and ministries across four Cape Ann churches.
- Founded 1889; first church dedicated July 1893
- First church destroyed by fire in 1914
- Current church built 1915; designed by Halfdan M. Hanson
- Modeled on Santa Maria Madalena, Madalena, Pico, Azores
- Carillon bells installed 1922 (John Taylor & Co., England)
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, May 10, 1990 (#90000706)
- Entered the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport collaborative in 2014
Devotions and Special Services
Beyond the regular Mass schedule, the parish hosts a monthly Healing Rosary on the first Saturday evening and periodic Saints for All Seasons Mini-Retreats — evenings of Mass, Exposition, reflection on a saint, Confession, silent Adoration, Benediction, and veneration of relics. Sunday Mass is also livestreamed as 'Sunday Mass with Father Jim' for the homebound and those at a distance.
- Healing Rosary — First Saturday of the Month, 5:00 PM
- Saints for All Seasons Mini-Retreats (selected Wednesdays)
- Sunday Mass Online with Father Jim
- Assisi Project Podcast (free audio catechesis)
Faith Formation for All Ages
The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport offers a layered program of lifelong faith formation, much of it coordinated from Our Lady of Good Voyage. Adults who have not received the Sacraments of Initiation are welcomed into The Way, the collaborative's RCIA-style journey that culminates at the Easter Vigil; youth in seventh grade and older embark on a two-year Confirmation preparation with workshops and Sunday Mass; and all adults are invited into ongoing formation through Scripture study with Father Jim, spiritual direction, and the Assisi Project.
- The Way (Adult Faith Formation / RCIA)
- Youth Faith Formation & Confirmation Preparation (two-year, seventh grade and up)
- Saints for All Seasons Mini-Retreats
- Scripture Study with Father Jim
- Individual Spiritual Direction
- Assisi Project — Franciscan fellowship, podcasts, and prayer network
The Assisi Project
Founded by Father Jim and Cliff, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit dedicated to helping believers of all ages live the Gospel in the spirit of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. It began in the pandemic as a podcast ministry led by Brother Patrick and has grown into an international prayer community with members in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Italy, Spain, and Angola. Members pray daily for submitted intentions and gather for podcasts, reflections, and retreats.
- Founded by Father Jim and Cliff (Brother Patrick)
- More than 75 podcasts produced (free, online)
- Daily prayer for intentions submitted worldwide
- Ages 15–99; members across the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Italy, Spain, Angola
Music, Liturgy, and Pastoral Staff
Liturgy and music at Our Lady of Good Voyage are coordinated by Associate Minister of Music Thomas Misuraca, supported by a team of liturgical ministers. The parish is served by a single pastoral team alongside Holy Family Parish, led by Pastor Rev. James M. Achadinha and including Brother Patrick Garvey (Associate Minister), Sheila McCarthy-Durkin (Associate Minister & Archivist), Betsy Works (Youth Faith Formation), and Melissa Joseph (Administrative Assistant).
- Pastor: Rev. James M. Achadinha (Father Jim)
- Associate Minister: Brother Patrick Garvey
- Associate Minister & Archivist: Sheila McCarthy-Durkin
- Associate Minister of Music: Thomas Misuraca
- Associate Minister of Youth Faith Formation: Betsy Works
- Administrative Assistant: Melissa Joseph
Parish Life, Outreach, and the Knights of Columbus
Parishioners can plug into the life of the community through the Collaborative Pastoral Council, the long-running Knights of Columbus Council 215 (active on Cape Ann since 1897), the WeShare electronic giving program, and various fellowship and outreach efforts. The Knights support blood drives, food drives, golf tournaments, and Coats for Kids. The parish and collaborative explicitly describe their mission as 'rebuilding the Church in Gloucester & Rockport,' and they rely on the gifts of time, talent, and treasure of their parishioners to sustain four historic Cape Ann churches.
- Collaborative Pastoral Council (CPC) — [email protected]
- Knights of Columbus Council 215 (since 1897)
- WeShare Electronic Giving
- Contact: Tony Favaloro, 978-360-4820 / [email protected]
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Since 2014, Our Lady of Good Voyage has shared a pastor and pastoral team with Holy Family Parish under the name Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. The collaborative serves four historic Cape Ann churches: Our Lady of Good Voyage Church and Saint Ann Church in Gloucester, Saint Joachim Church in Rockport, and Saint Anthony-by-the-Sea Chapel in Gloucester. The pastoral office is at 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, and is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM during the summer; pastoral assistance is always available by phone or email.
- Established 2014
- Two parishes, four churches, one pastor and one pastoral team
- Parish Office: 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
- Phone: 978-281-4820 · Fax: 978-281-4964
- Email: [email protected]