About St. Gregory (Parish of The Holy Eucharist) · Gray, Maine
St. Gregory the Great is a Catholic church in Gray, Maine, that today worships as one of four worship sites of the Parish of the Holy Eucharist, a clustered Roman-Latin rite parish of the Diocese of Portland that also includes Holy Martyrs (Falmouth), St. Jude (Freeport), and Sacred Heart (Yarmouth). The Gray church traces its origins to a Catholic boys' camp founded in the mid-1920s on Crystal Lake, grew into a summer chapel blessed in 1959, was winterized in 1964, and was canonically established as its own parish in April 1967 with 200 registered Catholic families. In 2011, St. Gregory was canonically merged into the Parish of the Holy Eucharist and continues today as an active weekend Mass site in partnership with its sister churches.
- Established
- 1967
- Patron
- St. Gregory the Great (Pope Gregory I)
- Rector
- Rev. Steven G. Cartwright
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland
Why belong here
St. Gregory the Great in Gray offers the warmth of a small-town Catholic church with the resources of a four-site clustered parish. Weekend Mass is celebrated with live piano, cantor, and a folk/guitar choir at the Saturday 4:00 pm anticipatory Mass and Sunday 8:30 am Mass, Friday morning daily Mass at 8:00 am, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Friday mornings, and Saturday confessions from 2:30–3:30 pm. The parish is active in faith formation for all ages, sacramental preparation (baptism, matrimony, anointing of the sick, RCIA), and lay-led groups such as the Knights of Columbus (with a St. Gregory council led by Brother Charles Thurston) and the St. Monica Club prayer group for wives and mothers — making it a welcoming, generations-deep community for Catholic families on the Gray–New Gloucester–Cumberland Plateau.
Mass times at St. Gregory (Parish of The Holy Eucharist)
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday 2:30–3:30 PM (also by appointment)
Adoration times
- Friday 8:30–9:30 AM (St. Gregory the Great)
About St. Gregory the Great, Gray
St. Gregory the Great Church is the Gray, Maine worship site of the Parish of the Holy Eucharist, a four-church Catholic cluster in the Diocese of Portland that also includes Holy Martyrs of North America (Falmouth), St. Jude (Freeport), and Sacred Heart (Yarmouth). The Gray church is rooted in a 1920s Catholic summer camp on Crystal Lake and today serves as a vibrant weekend Mass site for the surrounding Gray, New Gloucester, and West Cumberland communities. Its mission statement, published in the parish bulletin, reads: 'We are the Parish of the Holy Eucharist, a Catholic community called to discipleship, seeking deeper communion with God, each other, and our neighbors by celebrating the Sacraments, sharing God's Word, and serving all in need.'
- Address: 24 North Raymond Road, Gray, ME 04039
- Parish Office / Mailing: 266 Foreside Road, Falmouth, ME 04105
- Phone: (207) 847-6890
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: pothe.org
Parish History
The Gray church's history runs from a 1920s Catholic boys' camp to a year-round clustered parish. Key milestones include the camp's founding (1925/1926), the chapel's dedication (1959), its winterization and first Christmas midnight Mass (1964), canonical establishment as a parish (April 15, 1967), and the 2011 merger into the Parish of the Holy Eucharist. The most recent chapter was the construction and consecration of the Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex in 2025.
- 1925/1926 — St. Gregory Boys' Camp founded on Crystal Lake in Gray; summer Mass celebrated in the camp recreation hall
- 1958 — Drive to build a chapel to accommodate summer attendance
- August 2, 1959 — Chapel named in honor of St. Gregory the Great, dedicated and blessed by Most Rev. Daniel J. Feeney, Bishop of Portland; became a Mission of Sacred Heart, Yarmouth
- Fall 1964 — Chapel winterized at the encouragement of Bishop Feeney
- December 1964 — First midnight Christmas Mass in the heated chapel; year-round Masses offered by priests from the Cathedral
- April 15, 1967 — St. Gregory established as a parish with its own resident pastor, Rev. James Knox; 200 registered Catholic families at founding
- 1968 — Rectory built (Lewiston contractor with substantial parishioner labor)
- 1969–1970 — Parish Hall built by parishioners
- 1969 — Chapel built at Pineland; first Mass December 14, 1969; served by the pastor of St. Gregory
- 1973 — Final boys' camping season at St. Gregory
- 1977 — Campground property purchased by St. Gregory Parish
- 2011 — St. Gregory canonically merged into the Parish of the Holy Eucharist
- April 8, 2025 — Groundbreaking for the Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex (Fr. Morrison's birthday)
- November 20, 2025 — Bishop James Ruggieri consecrates the new narthex
Our Clergy & Staff
The parish is led by Pastor Rev. Steven G. Cartwright, assisted by two Parochial Vicars (Rev. Joseph Jum and Rev. Paul Marquis), a senior priest in residence (Rev. Peter Kaseta, OFM Cap.), and Senior Deacon Dennis Popadak. Lay staff coordinate sacraments, faith formation, music, liturgy, family life, communications, and facilities for all four worship sites.
- Pastor: Rev. Steven G. Cartwright — 553-7041
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Joseph Jum — 553-7041
- Senior Priest: Rev. Peter Kaseta, OFM Cap. — 553-7041
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Paul Marquis — 207-847-6890
- Senior Deacon: Dennis Popadak — [email protected]
- Sacraments Coordinator: Kim Lovett — 553-7042
- Business Manager: Nicole Clavette — 553-7158
- Bookkeeper: Terrie Casavant — 847-6877
- Communications & Technology Director: Joyce Hale — 553-9075
- Director of Sacred Music: Jennifer Runge — 553-6877
- Director of Faith Formation: Joe Moreshead — 847-6885
- Faith Formation Assistant: Kate McGrath Holmquist — 553-9076
- Director of Liturgical and Parish Life: Regina Price — 553-7158
- Coordinator of Family Life: Kalee Gwarjanski — 553-9076
- Facilities Maintenance Manager: Dave Therrien
- Facilities Maintenance: Chip Metevier
Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex
On April 8, 2025 — the birthday of the late Fr. James 'Jim' Morrison — St. Gregory broke ground on a new narthex addition to the Gray church. On the evening of November 20, 2025, Bishop James Ruggieri of the Diocese of Portland consecrated the completed Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex. Pastor Fr. Steven Cartwright dedicated the space 'as a lasting tribute to the late Father Jim Morrison, whose priestly heart, pastoral love, and joyful spirit helped shape our parish family in countless ways.' The new narthex fulfills long-standing congregational desires, including the addition of public restrooms, and was funded through the parish's 'Fulfillment of a Dream' capital campaign. Bishop Ruggieri described the narthex during his homily as a threshold where worshipers move from the world into mission.
- Groundbreaking: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 (Fr. Morrison's birthday)
- Consecrated: November 20, 2025 by Bishop James Ruggieri
- Funded by the 'Fulfillment of a Dream' campaign
- Honors Fr. Jim Morrison (pastor 1983–1986)
Sacraments
The Parish of the Holy Eucharist prepares parishioners for and celebrates all seven sacraments across its four worship sites. Information for each sacrament is published in the bulletin and on pothe.org, with dedicated staff contacts for sacramental preparation, family life, and pastoral care.
- Baptism (infants) — request form at pothe.org/baptism
- Matrimony — contact the parish office at least 6 months before the desired wedding date
- Anointing of the Sick — call the parish office (after hours press 7 to reach the on-call priest)
- Communion to the Homebound — email Regina Prince ([email protected])
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic — email [email protected]
- Funerals — coordinate through the funeral home
Faith Formation & Lifelong Learning
Faith Formation is led by Director Joe Moreshead and Assistant Kate McGrath Holmquist, with programming for children, adolescents, and adults. The parish also supports family-life ministry under Coordinator Kalee Gwarjanski and offers RCIA (Becoming Catholic) for those inquiring about entering the Church. The Diocese of Portland additionally publishes resources on marriage preparation, Natural Family Planning, the Catholic Youth Leadership Team (CYLT), and lifelong faith formation that parishioners can access through the diocesan site.
- Director of Faith Formation: Joe Moreshead — 847-6885
- Faith Formation Assistant: Kate McGrath Holmquist — 553-9076
- Coordinator of Family Life: Kalee Gwarjanski — 553-9076
- RCIA / Becoming Catholic inquiries: [email protected]
Sacred Music
Music at St. Gregory the Great features a piano and cantor at the Saturday 4:00 PM anticipatory Mass and a guitar and folk choir at the Sunday 8:30 AM Mass. Parish-wide, Director of Sacred Music Jennifer Runge (553-6877) coordinates ensembles at all four worship sites, ranging from organ and cantor, organ and choir, a quiet Mass setting, piano and choir, pipe organ and men's schola, to the folk/guitar ensemble at the Gray church.
- St. Gregory the Great: Saturday 4:00 PM — Piano and cantor; Sunday 8:30 AM — Guitar and folk choir
- Director of Sacred Music: Jennifer Runge
Knights of Columbus
The Parish of the Holy Eucharist hosts an active Knights of Columbus council (Council 12178) with Brother Charles Thurston serving as the St. Gregory the Great representative. The Knights support vocations, run an annual scholarship program (applications due April 30, 2026), and direct charitable outreach to organizations across greater Portland and the parish's service area.
- Grand Knight: Jonathan Fuller
- Financial Secretary: John DeFusco
- Treasurer: William Dennis Carraway
- Faith Director: Brother George Spino
- Community Director: Brother Matthew Martino
- Family Director: Brother Dan Hayes
- Pro-Life Director: Brother John DeFusco
- St. Gregory the Great representative: Brother Charles Thurston
- Sacred Heart representative: Brother Paul Metevier
- Holy Martyrs representative: WDGK Dennis Carraway
- St. Jude representative: Brother Dan Hayes
- Supported ministries: ABBA Center (Portland), St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen (Portland), Yarmouth Food Pantry, Togus Veterans Homes, Freeport Food Pantry, Abbey Catholic Book and Gift Shop
Prayer Groups & Devotions
In addition to the regular Mass and adoration schedule, the parish sustains several lay-led prayer and devotional opportunities, including the St. Monica Club for wives and mothers and the monthly Extraordinary Form Latin Mass at Holy Martyrs. Eucharistic Adoration is offered daily across the cluster.
- St. Monica Club — monthly prayer group for wives and mothers, praying for the conversion of their families
- Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) — first Saturday of the month, 9:00 AM at Holy Martyrs, with Confession at 8:00 AM, Rosary at 8:05 AM, and a teaching on the Latin Mass 8:15–8:45 AM
- Eucharistic Adoration — Monday 12:00–8:00 PM at Holy Martyrs (except holidays); Friday 8:30–9:30 AM at St. Gregory; Friday 3:00–6:00 PM at St. Jude; Saturday 8:45–9:45 AM at Sacred Heart
Parish Cemetery & Facilities
The Parish of the Holy Eucharist maintains Holy Cross Cemetery at 75 Smith Street, Yarmouth (contact Michele at 773-5796) for the use of parishioners across all four worship sites. Sacramental records for the parish are kept at the Administration Center at 266 Foreside Road, Falmouth.
- Holy Cross Cemetery — 75 Smith Street, Yarmouth
- Cemetery contact: Michele — (207) 773-5796
- Sacramental records: Parish Administration Center, 266 Foreside Rd, Falmouth
Getting Involved
The parish invites new and returning Catholics to register, supports a robust parish bulletin and Flocknote email system, and offers lay formation through the Knights of Columbus, faith-formation teams, liturgical ministries, the St. Monica prayer group, and a Lenten seminar on stewardship and planned giving ('Lenten Path to Discerning Stewardship'). Office hours at the central administration center are Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed Fridays and major holidays).
- Parish registration via the website's 'new to our Parish' link
- Bulletin submissions: [email protected] (10 days prior to publication)
- Volunteer scheduling: Ministry Scheduler Pro login on pothe.org
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (closed Fri & major holidays)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James Knox1967–1971
First resident pastor; oversaw the original 1967 establishment as a parish, the building of the rectory (1968) and parish hall (1969–1970), and the final boys' camping era.
- Rev. P. Robert Roche1971–1974
- Rev. Donald Lonsdale1974–1983
- Rev. James 'Jim' Morrison1983–1986
Had a lifelong connection with St. Gregory, having spent many summers there as a camper and counselor in the mid-20th century when the site served as a Catholic summer camp. The new narthex addition (consecrated November 2025) was named the Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex in his honor.
- Rev. Raymond Gauthier1986–1989
- Rev. Maurice Morin1989–1991
- Msgr. Raymond1992–1997
- Msgr. Robert Lavoie1997–2007
- Rev. Joseph Ford2007–2012
- Rev. Daniel Greenleaf2012–2019
- Rev. Philip A. Tracy2019–2022
- Rev. Steven G. Cartwright2022–present
Current pastor of the Parish of the Holy Eucharist; shepherded the Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex project to completion and consecration in November 2025.