Christ the Divine Mercy Parish will celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary with a novena and special Mass. A novena and Rosary will be prayed at Mother Mary's Shrine at 58 Cedar Street at 5:30 p.m. nightly beginning August 30. On September 3, the gathering will be at 6:30 p.m. Then, On the Nativity itself, Friday, September 8, there will be a Mass at 6 p.m. followed by a procession and then a celebration with birthday cake.

The event in the parish hall will include a luncheon, sales tables, delicious homemade jams, jellies, baked goods, and more.

Fr. Bill Clark from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, will facilitate the retreat at the St. Joseph Center in Winslow.

The monthly series will be offered in person and via Zoom starting in October.

The event will begin with Mass at 10 a.m. followed by a festival at 11 a.m. that will feature a free lunch provided by the Knights of Columbus, games, face painting, and inflatable obstacle course, s’mores, a fire truck tour, music, and more.

The Portland Catholic Center for Faith will offer “Sequitur: A Course in Catholic Foundations” for local adults starting on September 20. The 34-week course, which will meet in the hall of St. Peter Church in Portland on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will run through June 26, 2024. Those who cannot attend in person on Wednesday nights can still participate by attending a secondary session.

Directors of music, cantors, and volunteer choir members from around New England will gather at Sacred Heart Church in Yarmouth on October 12-14 for a three-day workshop that will offer an enriching and transformative experience including the fundamentals of singing, music theory and structure, cantor training, and even introduction to chant.