Diocesan News

The first day of September is celebrated by Christians around the world as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. It also marks the beginning of the Season of Creation, which will conclude on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on October 4.

The collection coincides with the feast day of St. Teresa of Calcutta on September 5.

The Office of Lifelong Faith Formation will host an evening of learning and reflection for older teens and adults focused on each person’s vital service in the community worship of Mass.

Each year, hundreds of people participate in this event by purchasing candles in honor of a loved one which are placed around Mizpah’s pond for the luminary walk.

The renovations are made possible by the successful “Rebuild His Church” capital campaign held by the Parish of the Resurrection of the Lord, of which the Newman Center is a part.

Please join in praying for the people of Maui, and if you would like to make a financial contribution to assist the residents, donations may be made through Catholic Charities Hawai'i or Catholic Charities USA, which pledges that 100% of your gift will be directed to where it is needed most.

Hispanic Ministry has also announced a special healing service in Lewiston on August 25.

This free event is for the whole family and will feature African dancers and music, guest speakers, kids’ games and activities, refreshments, and much more.

Parishioners in the Diocese of Portland combined to raise $44,968.89 for the Catholic Relief Services’ (CRS) Rice Bowl program during the forty days of Lent in 2023.

​​​​​​​The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15) is a holy day of obligation which celebrates Mary’s Assumption into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life.

The festival, a celebration of Italian heritage, faith, and community, included Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley, homemade Italian food, games, live music, and more.

All are welcome at any of the gatherings, which will include question and answer periods as well as the opportunity to speak privately to a canonist.

August 15 is both the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and National Acadian Day.

It will take over 120 dozen eggs, 200 pounds of sugar, and 350 pounds of flour to create the anise cookies, filled cookies, lemon cookies, cannoli, pizzelles, tiramisu, almond cream cake, and limoncello cake.

Bishop Robert Deeley, surrounded by over 40 priests and deacons, served as the main celebrant for the Memorial Mass remembering Bishop Joseph, who died on July 2 in Manchester, New Hampshire, at the age of 94.

A Maine retreat that aims to offer a “blueprint” for prayer to help people discern God’s presence in their lives will be offered virtually via Zoom starting this October and running through June 2024.

The Catholic Charities Maine Parish Social Ministry Matthew 25 Award was given to the Social Justice and Peace Ministry of St. Anthony of Padua Parish for its work meeting the needs of the homeless and others in the community.

Pax Christi Maine and the Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, with support from St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Bangor, invites all to participate in a novena for nuclear disarmament, including a special prayer vigil on August 5 in Bangor.

For years, Barbara Russell has served as director of the St. Thérèse Food Closet in Sanford which is located in St. Ignatius Gym on 25 Riverside Avenue. But offering help to those in need has never looked like this before.

Parishioners and community members in Benedicta gathered together to participate in a different centennial celebration of sorts, as a building that has hosted a parish school, faith formation classes, and countless other special events over the past century turned 100.

Dozens of parishioners filled the island church for the Mass marking the 100th anniversary since the founding of the parish. The bishop also blessed the new walkway leading to the chruch.

During a retreat at St. Anthony’s Franciscan Monastery in Kennebunk last week, seminarians of the Diocese of Portland, along with Monsignor Andrew Dubois (diocesan director of the Office of Seminarians), joined in the jubilee celebration of Bishop Robert Deeley.

In an effort to do all they can to help Maine individuals and families in need, several Maine parishes operate thrift stores, with the assistance of many generous volunteers, to raise funds for parish and community initiatives, provide venues for giving, and to offer local people the opportunity to purchase quality goods at reasonable prices.

Mass on the Mountain will be held at Tumbledown Mountain on Byron Road.

This year’s beneficiary will be the newly established Family Promise of Mid-Coast Maine, a community-based organization that will shelter and support local families experiencing homelessness.

All are welcome at the supper and the outdoor celebration.

They will gather on Friday, July 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., just like the third Friday of every month, in the hall of St. John Church in Bangor to cut, iron, sew, and of course, chat.

Fr. Maurice Agbaw-Ebai, Ph.D., will offer special retreats on the Pope Benedict XVI’s rich teaching on the Eucharist at two Maine churches on July 22-23.

With the halls and walls at St. Benedict Church decorated by volunteers and staff, over 40 children in Benedicta were able to spend a week walking the “cobblestone streets” in Babylon, learn about Daniel’s courage, and grow on their own faith journeys during the Vacation Bible School on June 26-30.

Bishop Robert Deeley marked 50 years of the priesthood with a Mass celebrated with family, friends, and coworkers in the chapel of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

From June 26-30, over 100 children, youth and adult volunteers, and parish staff members gathered at St. Joseph Church in Brewer to learn about the mystery of the Mass and deepen their love for Jesus with crafts, snacks, games, music, and lessons in our faith.

Over the course of the next two weeks, the parish will raise a little Christmas “spirit” to offer a helping hand once again.

In an effort to do all they can to help Maine individuals and families receive the food they need, parishes across the state offer community meals, soup kitchens, and food pantries for tens of thousands of people of all faiths to utilize.

For three consecutive days in late June, nearly 40 children from the Calais area gathered for the St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parish “Stellar” Vacation Bible School at Immaculate Conception Church in Calais. A special experience incorporating music, art, science, drama, and more as the children grew closer to Jesus.

On behalf of Pope Francis, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent condolences to Bishop Robert Deeley and the Church in Maine upon learning of the death of Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB

A Mass of Christian Burial is celebrated for Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB, in the church of Saint Anselm Abbey in Goffstown, N.H. Bishop Joseph died July 2 at the age of 94.

It is impossible to quantify the effect the Catholic Appeal has had on the lives of thousands and thousands of Maine people, Catholic and non-Catholic, through the years.

All are welcome to gather for an evening centered around a practical exploration of the Catholic faith and the ways it is meant to impact your work, spirituality, and life.

A public Mass, celebrated by Bishop Nkuo and concelebrated by the priests from Cameroon, will be held at St. Joseph Church on 231 Main Street in Ellsworth on Thursday, July 27, at 9 a.m.

The performances are free and open to the public, but donations to help with the preservation of the historic Casavant organ, celebrating its 85th birthday, will be gratefully accepted. Here is the schedule, including several evening concerts.

Bishop Joseph Gerry, OSB, a native of Millinocket who served as bishop of Portland from 1989 to 2004, died on July 2, 2023. Calling hours will be July 5 and a funeral Mass will be celebrated on July 6 at Saint Anselm Abbey in Manchester, NH.

The 30th Summer Recital Series on Maine’s largest 19th-Century mechanical-action pipe organ, E. & G. G. Hook’s magnificent Opus 288, at St. John Church on 207 York Street in Bangor, will begin on July 27 and the complete schedule has now been announced.

The gathering, which will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., will begin with Mass followed by a social and refreshments, a talk by a Sister of Life, and the exposition, adoration, and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

A special Mass in honor of their patron saint and an outdoor festival will draw parishioners and community members to Windham on Saturday, July 15, for the third annual St. Anthony of Padua Festival.

Couples celebrating more than 1,200 years of marriage combined received a blessing from Bishop Deeley during the Silver & Gold Anniversary Mass.