Harvest Supper on the lawn, Saturday October 10 — everyone in Port Haven is invited.
Harvest Supper on the lawn, Saturday October 10 — everyone in Port Haven is invited.
Who we are
Star of the Sea was built by fishermen, for fishermen — granite hauled up from the quarry at low tide, clapboard milled in town, a bell paid for with a season's catch. The ship that hangs in our nave was carved by a man who came home when three others didn't, and it has hung there ever since.
We are smaller than we were and closer for it. Summer people, year-rounders, families here five generations and families who arrived in August: the door faces the water and it is open.
Through the years
The first Mass in Port Haven was said in a sail loft in 1868. The church was dedicated on the Assumption, 1874, and its bell — cast in Troy, New York, and brought up the coast by schooner — has rung the Angelus and tolled for every boat lost since. The 1938 hurricane took the steeple; the square granite tower that replaced it has been a mark for mariners on the chart ever since. The Portuguese families who came to fish in the 1920s brought the Festa and the procession of Our Lady down to the wharf, and the parish has kept both.
Shepherds & servants
Rev. Thomas Gallagher
Pastor
Fr. Tom grew up two harbours north and was a merchant seaman before seminary. He blesses the fleet every July and knows most of the boats by name.
Dcn. Luc Pelletier
Deacon
A lobsterman for thirty years and a deacon for twelve. Luc leads baptism preparation and the Tuesday rosary for those at sea.
Katherine O'Shea
Director of Faith Formation
Katherine runs religious education for forty children and the summer Bible camp on the lawn.
Rosa Medeiros
Parish Secretary
Rosa has kept the parish office — and the Festa — running since 1998. Se fala português, ligue para ela.
Serve & belong
Apostleship of the Sea
Prayer, visits and practical help for fishing families and the crews of visiting vessels.
Festa Committee
The August feast of Our Lady: the procession to the wharf, the sopas, and the band.
festa@starofthesea-demo.org
Parish Choir
Sings the 10:30. Rehearsals Thursday evenings in the loft — new voices welcome.
Harbor Pantry
Groceries and heating help through the winter, no questions asked. Open Saturdays.
Altar Guild
Linens, flowers, and the brass — and the ship in the nave, dusted every Easter.
Youth Crew
Grades 7–12: service days, bonfires on the beach, and the World Youth Day fund.
In pictures
