Author: Matthew Green

I am a translator, origami artist/teacher, and photographer, a blogger, former philosophy professor, and I love to sing. You can see my photos on Flickr and buy prints of some of them on Fine Art America. You can find me on Instagram, Twitter (@mehjg), and in various and sundry other social media sites on the web.

Clergy and the “New Media”

Posted on by Matthew Green

This post is in response to the suggestion of our blog leader, Joey.

Although many members of the clergy (Catholic and otherwise) are of a generation that is not all that accustomed to using the “New Media” (blogs, social media, etc.), there are exceptions to that rule.  A notable exception is Cardinal Seán O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston, who has his own blog (updated weekly).  But there are also more local clergy who are involved in sharing information over the internet.

I started my own blog, “Perpetual Learner“, back in July of 2010, at my first parish (St. Patrick’s) in Newburgh, NY, and  I have continued here at Holy Family Parish on Cape Ann.  I post the text and podcast the recordings of most of my homilies from Masses on weekdays and Sundays (usually that’s three or four homilies a week).  If you open one of the podcast posts, there are also instructions for subscribing to my “homilycast” so you get the latest one automatically in iTunes or your favorite podcast client software.  I blog on other topics from time to time (religious or not), and post some of my photographs, although now most of my non-religiously-themed posts appear here on GoodMorningGloucester instead.  I also send out notifications of my blog posts via Twitter (@mehjg), Facebook, and sometimes Google+.

If you know of any other local clergy who are podcasting or blogging, please share the address with us! It would be interesting to know.

St. Ann School

Posted on by Matthew Green

…reflected in a puddle on a low roof.

There’s a little bit of distortion from the software I used to stitch several images together to get this wide a view.

Meeting of the clergy of Cape Ann

Posted on by Matthew Green

Every month, a group of  clergy from the region meet to discuss various issues of interest to all people of faith and the community in general (such as the Grace Center day shelter for the homeless). I was unaware of the time of the meeting yesterday, but I ran into it by a fortuitous coincidence, and asked someone to take a group photo with my iPhone.  I think it’s great we have this kind of ecumenical / interfaith communication, and I hope to get more involved in it myself.

Those in attendance were, from left to right (titles like “Rev.” omitted, because I’m not sure who likes which title, or who wants none at all):

  • Art McDonald (First Unitarian Universalist Church, Essex)
  • Ronald Garibaldi (Holy Family R.C. Parish, Gloucester; retired)
  • Deirdre White (Annisquam Village Church)
  • Lehlohonolo Henrietta Montjane (Gloucester and Rockport United Methodist Churches)
  • Bret Hays (St. John’s Episcopal Church, Gloucester)
  • Matthew Green (Holy Family R.C. Parish, Gloucester, parochial vicar)
  • Jesse Fallon (Najramudra Center, Rockport)

Fr. Thomas Fleming, R.I.P.

Posted on by Matthew Green

Fr. Thomas Fleming was the pastor of St. Peter’s Church in Gloucester from 1991 to 2002.  He was much loved, and many of his former parishioners here still have very fond memories of him.  He died last Dec. 23, at the venerable age of 80, at the Regina Cleri Residence in Boston.  His funeral was held on Dec. 29, but since many Gloucester residents were unable to attend his funeral, a memorial Mass was held yesterday (Saturday, January 2) at St. Ann’s Church in Gloucester (one of the churches of Holy Family Parish).

A good number of people turned out for the service, and after the homily, the main celebrant, Fr. John Kiley (pastor of Holy Family), invited former parishioners and friends of Fr. Fleming to share some of their memories and experiences of him. The picture that emerged was one of a welcoming, caring pastor with a good sense of humor.  His impact on the community remains even today, both in the hearts of the people of Gloucester and in the local cartography; a small road next to the former St. Peter’s Church bears his name.

May he rest in peace, and may the Lord reward him for his labors!

His full obituary can be found here.  Photos graciously provided by John Wheeler.

The Mass was presided by Fr. John Kiley (right), Pastor of Holy Family Parish, and concelebrated by Fr. Matthew Green, his parochial vicar.

 

Condensation

Posted on by Matthew Green

Seen on New Years’ Day in the morning, on a window in the old St. Ann’s High School building on Prospect St.  This is sort of follow-up to my other recent post with a photo of this building; this is a detail of the same window, but on a different day. I like the jeweled effect of the beads of condensation on the glass, absent in the other photo.

GMG contributors at the Matz gallery (Sawyer Free Library)

Posted on by Matthew Green

Not to toot our own horn, but I want to share a couple of photos of the exhibit of photos, painting, pottery, and origami by GoodMorningGloucester contributors!  The exhibit started on New Years Day and runs through the month of January.

A panoramic overview of the exhibit

It was hard to take this panorama, because it required a series of photos, and the library is (thankfully) a busy place, with lots of people walking in and out!

Closeup of some of the non-photographic work

Stop in to see the work closer up for yourself!  The library is located across the street from City Hall.   Directions and hours (and more, of course!) are available on the library website.

Waiting

Posted on by Matthew Green
The boarded-up door to a (missing) fire escape, on the former St. Ann High School.

Efforts are being made to either recuperate this beautiful old building for a good purpose, or to remove it and dedicate the property to something new.  Turns out there are legal issues to work out.  I hope it is saved before it is too late.  The granite and brick work are beautiful, even in decay.

New Sculpture Garden

Posted on by Matthew Green

Where the old Moose lodge used to be…

Panorama from multiple photos, stitched with the excellent free and open-source program “Hugin”.