Blue-eyed Our Lady 
Our Lady of Good Voyage Church in the morning sun
Our Lady of Good Voyage was designed to resemble the Church of Santa Maria Magdalena on the island of Pico in the Azores. The west tower houses one of the oldest collections of carillon bells in the nation. The community is treated to a concert of the bells of Good Voyage on Tuesday evenings during the warmer months.
The above photo is of the original Our Lady, which now lives on at the Cape Ann Museum. She was shared by Anita Coullard Dziedzic.
Excerpt from the Maritime History of Gloucester
“Originally dedicated in 1893, Our Lady of Good Voyage was built for the Portuguese community in Gloucester, after they petitioned the Roman Catholic Church for the establishment of a place to worship dedicated to the Madonna. Large numbers of Portuguese immigrants migrated from the rugged Azores Islands and began settling around Gloucester’s Inner Harbor as early as 1829 to work in the city’s active fishing industry. By 1888, approximately 200 Portuguese families lived in Gloucester making it the largest Portuguese colony on the East Coast. According to the story of Our Lady of Good Voyage, a stranded fisherman in the rough Atlantic Ocean broke one of his oars and could not return to his homeport. He sought help from the Madonna and the sea miraculously calmed allowing him to reach port safely.”
Read more about the history of Our Lady of Good Voyage here on the Maritime History of Massachusetts website.
Church of Santa Maria Magdalena, Madalena, Pico Island, Azores, Portugal
Church of Santa Maria Magdalena photo courtesy Google image search.
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