About St. Joachim · Rockport, Massachusetts
Saint Joachim Church is a Roman Catholic worship site in the coastal town of Rockport, Massachusetts, and is one of two parishes that make up the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport (CCGR), a collaborative established in 2014. It belongs to Holy Family Parish alongside Saint Ann Church and Saint Anthony-by-the-Sea Chapel in Gloucester, sharing one pastor and one pastoral team with the neighboring Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish. Saint Joachim's traces its origins to the Irish quarry workers who settled in Rockport beginning around 1830, and its present church building on Broadway was dedicated in August 1948. The parish is a part of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston and serves as the Sunday morning home for many Rockport Catholics at its 10:00am Mass.
- Established
- 1856
- Patron
- Saint Joachim (father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, husband of Saint Anne)
- Rector
- Rev. James M. Achadinha
- Diocese
- Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston
Why belong here
Saint Joachim's is a small, historic coastal Catholic parish that shares a single pastoral team with the rest of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport, meaning parishioners get the warmth of a neighborhood church on Rockport's Broadway together with the resources of a larger collaborative. Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10:00am in a church first built by Irish quarry workers in 1856 and rebuilt in 1948, and the community celebrates the Sacraments of Baptism and Marriage right at Saint Joachim. Faith formation for children preparing for First Holy Communion, a year-round Assisi Project of Franciscan prayer and reflection, weekday devotions, and seasonal programs like the Rosary for Peace and Saints for All Seasons mini-retreats give parishioners real ways to grow in prayer, fellowship, and service. The parish's plain message is simple: all are invited, all are welcome, always.
Mass times at St. Joachim
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Wednesday evenings at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church: confessions begin at 6:05 PM, last confession at 6:45 PM (after the 5:30 PM Mass and Eucharistic Adoration)
- Saturdays 3:00–3:30 PM at Saint Ann Church, Gloucester (per Archdiocese of Boston directory listing for Holy Family)
- By appointment with Father Jim ([email protected] or 978-281-4820)
Adoration times
- Wednesday evenings after the 5:30 PM Mass at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (silent adoration follows Mass, ending with Benediction)
- First Fridays: 24 Hours of Eucharistic Adoration at Saint Joachim Church (parish sign-up form used in past years)
- Special 'Rosary for Peace' with Eucharistic Adoration at Saint Joachim Church (announced in weekly newsletter)
About the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Saint Joachim Church in Rockport is one of four worship sites in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport (CCGR), a collaborative established in 2014. The collaborative brings together two historic parishes — Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish — served by a single pastor, Father Jim Achadinha, and a single pastoral team. The four worship sites are Saint Ann Church and Saint Anthony-by-the-Sea Chapel in Gloucester, Saint Joachim Church in Rockport, and Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in Gloucester. The collaborative describes itself as 'a Roman Catholic faith community united in prayer, fellowship, and service,' 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.
- Collaborative established in 2014
- Pastor: Rev. James M. Achadinha
- Worship sites: Saint Ann Church (Gloucester), Saint Anthony Chapel (Gloucester), Saint Joachim Church (Rockport), Our Lady of Good Voyage Church (Gloucester)
- Pastoral office: 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
- Tagline: 'All are invited! All are welcome! Always!'
History of Saint Joachim Parish
Saint Joachim's is the church the quarry men built. Irish immigrants began arriving in Rockport around 1830 to work the town's famous granite quarries, and they gave Rockport its first population of Catholics. By 1850 a priest from Salem was visiting to say Mass in local halls and homes. The original Saint Joachim's Church was built on Broadway in 1856 as a one-story building set level with the ground, at a cost of $3,000. In the 1880s it was raised six feet, re-roofed, given a new altar, and fitted with red stained-glass windows for $3,600. A new heating system was added in 1936, and the building was repainted and refit in 1946. In 1947 the old church was razed and replaced by the present building, which was dedicated in August 1948 at a cost of $65,000; during construction, Masses were held in the auditorium of the old Rockport high school on Broadway. Sacramental records for the parish begin in 1870. Today Saint Joachim continues as a worship site of Holy Family Parish within the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport.
- Catholic worship in Rockport documented from 1850 (priest visits from Salem)
- Original church built 1856 on Broadway, cost $3,000
- Renovated 1880s: raised 6 feet, new roof, new altar, red stained-glass windows
- New heating 1936; repainted and refit 1946
- Old church demolished 1947; current church dedicated August 1948, cost $65,000
- Parish records begin 1870
- Second-oldest Catholic church in use in the Boston diocese when razed, after St. John's, Quincy (1853)
Baptism, Marriage, and Other Sacraments
Saint Joachim Church is a regular site for the celebration of Baptism and Marriage within the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport. The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass at Saint Joachim Church, and is also celebrated on the second Saturday of the month at 11:30 AM at Saint Ann Church and on the third Saturday at 11:30 AM at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church; Baptisms are not celebrated during Lent. Marriages are celebrated at any of the four CCGR worship sites, with arrangements made at least six months in advance; non-registered couples must arrange their own clergy. The Sacrament of the Sick (Anointing of the Sick) is available by appointment with Father Jim, and First Holy Communion and Confirmation are prepared through the collaborative's faith-formation programs. The parish website quotes the Catechism: 'Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (CCC 1213).'
- Baptism at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass at Saint Joachim Church
- Baptism on 2nd Saturday 11:30 AM at Saint Ann; 3rd Saturday 11:30 AM at Our Lady of Good Voyage
- No Baptisms during Lent
- Marriage at any of the four CCGR sites; six months' notice required
- Anointing of the Sick by appointment with Father Jim
- First Holy Communion and Confirmation through collaborative faith formation
Faith Formation, Youth, and the Assisi Project
The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport runs faith formation for children and youth out of the collaborative office, with Betsy Works serving as Associate Minister of Youth Faith Formation. The 'Way for Kids' is a special Sacramental preparation program for children preparing for First Holy Communion; it meets on Saturday afternoons and leads into the annual First Holy Communion Mass celebrated at Saint Joachim's 10:00 AM Sunday Mass. The Assisi Project, led by Brother Patrick Garvey, is the parish's signature Franciscan prayer and formation ministry, with online daily prayers, a Franciscan Rosary, and the Rosary for Peace podcast. The collaborative also hosts a series of Saints for All Seasons Mini-Retreats on Wednesday evenings throughout the year, including reflections on the early followers of Saint Francis in this 800th-anniversary year of his life (1226–2026). Adults who have not received the Sacraments of Initiation are invited to contact Brother Patrick for inquiry into RCIA preparation.
- Youth Faith Formation: Betsy Works, [email protected]
- The Way for Kids (First Communion prep)
- Assisi Project led by Brother Patrick Garvey (online prayers, podcasts)
- Rosary for Peace podcast
- Saints for All Seasons Mini-Retreats
- RCIA / adult initiation inquiry through Brother Patrick
Pastoral Team and Staff
The Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport is served by one pastor and one pastoral team, all reachable through the central pastoral office at 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, at 978-281-4820. Father Jim Achadinha (Rev. James M. Achadinha) serves as pastor. Brother Patrick Garvey is the Associate Minister and lead of the Assisi Project. Sheila McCarthy-Durkin is Associate Minister and Archivist and coordinates Baptisms and Marriages. Betsy Works coordinates youth faith formation, Thomas Misuraca is Associate Minister of Music, and Melissa Joseph serves as Administrative Assistant. The Archdiocese of Boston directory also lists Cliff Garvey as Pastoral Associate, LuAnn Pallazola in Liturgy and Music, and Melissa Unis in Operations. The pastoral office is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays in summer from 9:00 AM until 1:00 PM; pastoral assistance is always available by phone or email.
- Pastor: Rev. James M. Achadinha ([email protected])
- Associate Minister: Brother Patrick Garvey ([email protected])
- Associate Minister & Archivist: Sheila McCarthy-Durkin ([email protected])
- Youth Faith Formation: Betsy Works ([email protected])
- Music: Thomas Misuraca ([email protected])
- Liturgy & Music: LuAnn Pallazola
- Pastoral Associate: Cliff Garvey
- Operations: Melissa Unis
- Administrative Assistant: Melissa Joseph ([email protected])
Contact, Location, and Getting Involved
Saint Joachim Church is located on Broadway in the heart of Rockport, Massachusetts, in the heart of Cape Ann. The parish is part of the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport; all mail and office inquiries go through the central pastoral office at 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 (phone 978-281-4820, fax 978-281-4964, email [email protected]). To register as a parishioner, schedule a Baptism or wedding, or join a ministry, the parish invites you to contact Father Jim or a member of the pastoral team. Electronic giving is available through the WeShare program for both Holy Family Parish and Our Lady of Good Voyage Parish, and donations of sanctuary candles, gifts, and flowers can be made in memory of loved ones at any of the four churches by contacting the office. Weekly bulletins, newsletters, and the parish's online resources are published at ccgronline.com.
- Saint Joachim Church: Broadway, Rockport, MA 01966
- Pastoral office: 74 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
- Phone: 978-281-4820 | Fax: 978-281-4964
- Email: [email protected]
- WeShare online giving for both parishes
- Sanctuary candle / gift / flower memorial program
- Weekly newsletter and bulletins at ccgronline.com