Fr. Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex completed, will be blessed by Bishop Ruggieri

The Parish of the Holy Eucharist has announced the completion of a significant construction project – the Fr. Jim Morrison Memorial Narthex at St. Gregory the Great Church, 24 N. Raymond Road in Gray. Funded by the successful $400,000 “Fulfillment of a Dream” campaign, the narthex is named in honor of Father Jim Morrison, who served as pastor in the mid-1980s.

On Monday, November 17 at 5:30 p.m., the narthex will be blessed during a special Mass with Most Reverend James Ruggieri, bishop of the Diocese of Portland. Pastor of the Parish of the Holy Eucharist, Reverend Steven Cartwright, will concelebrate.

Ground was broken this past April for the 788 square foot addition to the front of the church. The narthex includes a gathering area, two ADA compliant private bathrooms, an expanded sacristy, a soundproof confessional, new electrical service, fiber optic high-speed internet, and a bell tower with carillon visible from the main road. The project was designed by Callendar & Delaney Architects, and Great Falls Construction served as general contractors. Peter Petit Excavation and Peter Wilson Electric and Diocesan Construction (DICON) also contributed to the project.

“This beautiful new space stands as a lasting tribute to the late Fr. Jim Morrison, whose priestly heart, pastoral love, and joyful spirit helped shape our parish family in countless ways,” said Fr. Cartwright. “More than just a new entrance or an architectural improvement, a narthex is a sacred threshold: the place where the faithful cross from the world into the house of God. It is where we greet one another, welcome new faces, prepare our hearts before Holy Mass, and share the joy of community after sacred worship.”

The history of the site dates back nearly 100 years when St. Gregory, a Catholic camp for boys, was founded in 1925 and Mass was offered in the recreation hall in the summers. Over time, the site evolved with a chapel built in the 1959 (winterized in 1964), and St. Gregory the Great established as a parish in 1967. Renovations over the years have included a rectory in 1968 and a parish hall in 1970. By 1977, the parish purchased the entire campground following the camp operations closing in 1973. Today, St. Gregory the Great remains an active church and vibrant worship community within the Parish of the Holy Eucharist, which also includes Holy Martyrs in Falmouth, St. Jude in Freeport and Sacred Heart in Yarmouth.

A native of Portland, Fr. Morrison attended Cheverus High School and went on to complete studies in philosophy and theology at St. Paul’s Seminary in Ottawa, Canada. He was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Portland on May 11, 1974, at St. Joseph's Church in Portland and then earned a Master of Church Administration from the School of Canon Law of the Catholic University of America in 1979. During his years of full-time ministry in Maine, Father Jim served in many assignments in addition to his role as pastor at St. Gregory the Great, including in Old Orchard Beach, Old Town, York, Scarborough, Norway and more. He also held administrative roles in the diocese.

To learn more about the project, www.pothe.org/narthex