Bishop Robert Deeley is pleased to announce the winners of the Diocese of Portland’s Christmas Card Art Contest, conducted by the diocese’s Office of Development.

Eleven men were admitted as candidates for ordination to the permanent diaconate during the Rite of Candidacy celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley on November 19 at St. Francis Xavier Church in Winthrop.

Bishop Robert Deeley will visit with the students, faculty, and staff at St. Michael School, located on 56 Sewall Street in Augusta, on Monday, November 21, starting at 9 a.m.

The annual Catholic Campaign for Human Development Collection will be held at Maine churches this weekend (November 19-20). Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) grants support local parish initiatives that aim to solve community-wide problems, empowering the poor to make life changes that allow them to become more self-sufficient.

Bishop Robert Deeley will celebrate the Rite of Candidacy to the permanent diaconate for eleven men on Saturday, November 19, at 11 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church on 130 Route 133 in Winthrop. All are welcome to gather at the Mass.

Many parishes and schools around Maine are holding Christmas fairs in the coming weeks. The fairs serve as wonderful opportunities to join with other members of the community and as valuable fundraisers that help support many church ministries. Below you will find a list of fairs around the Diocese of Portland, listed chronologically. All are welcome at any fair.

All are welcome to gather for an evening of prayer, Scripture, and reflection focused on our shared responsibility to care for our common home. The “Care for God’s Creation” prayer service will be held on Tuesday, October 25, at 7 p.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption Church on 41 Western Avenue in Augusta.

Students at St. Michael School in Augusta put down their books and iPads on Friday, September 30, and picked up rakes, rags, and gloves to help make their community a better place through the United Way Day of Caring.

The Maine Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will host a “Walking with Moms in Need” information session and prayer service on Saturday, October 29, starting at 9 a.m. The event will also include guest speaker Pat Bonney from the Open Arms Pregnancy Center in Augusta and is open to women of all faiths or no faith who are facing an unplanned pregnancy or anyone looking to learn more about the initiative.

Students at St. Michael School in Augusta will put down their books and iPads on Friday, September 30, and pick up rakes, rags, and gloves to help make their community a better place through the United Way Day of Caring.

Bishop Robert Deeley has announced that Fr. Frank Murray has been named the temporary administrator of St. Michael Parish (St. Mary of the Assumption Church, Augusta; St. Augustine Church, Augusta; St. Michael School, Augusta; St. Joseph Church, Gardiner; Sacred Heart Church, Hallowell; St. Denis Church, Whitefield; St. Francis Xavier Church, Winthrop), effective immediately.

In an effort to develop and cultivate a supportive network of professionals and peers, the superintendents of Catholic schools in New England gathered for a two-day retreat in Wells to share, explore, and learn.

In an effort to honor Our Lady of the Assumption, all are welcome to gather for a public praying of the Rosary for nine days leading up to the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary which celebrates Mary’s Assumption into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life.

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 2023.

In the coming weeks, St. Michael Parish in Augusta will help local single mothers who need assistance keeping up with the expenses of caring for their children.

The Catholic Foundation of Maine (CFM) distributed more than $1 million in endowment dividends this year, providing welcome assistance to parishes, schools, and other religious organizations. The endowment grants benefit Catholic ministries and programs, including seminarian education, religious congregations, lay continuing education, Catholic Charities Maine, Hispanic ministry, music ministry, parish social ministry, pro-life initiatives, and more.

Today’s decision reaffirms the truth that every life is sacred, and it promotes protection for women and children from the grave injustice of abortion.

Celebrating Mass on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as the Feast of Corpus Christi, on Sunday, June 19, Bishop Robert Deeley called the Eucharist the greatest sign of God’s love for us during a morning Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

As part of an initiative for parishioners to learn, act, and pray on the life and dignity of the human person, St. Michael Parish in Augusta held a collection for items and financial assistance for the Open Arms Pregnancy Center in Augusta, which offers encouragement and support to pregnant women and young families.

The annual Travis Mills Walk-A-Thon at St. Michael School in Augusta raised $13,700 on May 25.