Reverend Eugene Loring Alves, 87, former Pastor of Our Lady of Good Voyage Church passed away peacefully on February 8, 2019 at the Kaplan Family Hospice House with his loving family by his side. Born in Gloucester on July 30, 1931 he was the son of former Police Lt. Eugene Alves and Blanche (Matos) Alves.
Father Gene was a graduate of Gloucester High Class of 1949, where he was a recipient of the Sawyer Medal and held the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the ROTC. He received his Bachelor’s degree in 1953 and graduated cum laude from The College of the Holy Cross. In 1954 he received his Master of Arts degree from Boston College Graduate School.
After a 2 year duty in the U.S. Army, he entered St. John’s Seminary in 1956 and was ordained to the priesthood on February 2, 1961. Father Gene began his journey with assignments to St. Anthony’s Parish in Woburn and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Medford. In 1965 he became a Newman Chaplain serving U-Mass, Boston and Suffolk University and Chaplain to the Catholic Alumni Club of Greater Boston.
In 1972 he took a four month sabbatical to study at the North American College in Rome and then upon his return continued his work as Newman Chaplain . In 1974 at 42 years of age he was appointed Administrator of Our Lady of Good Voyage Church. This was the church where he was baptized and served mass as an altar boy.
He grew up within a stone’s throw from the church at 11 Taylor Street. Though at first he had second thoughts of moving back to Gloucester he was extremely pleased to come home to his childhood parish. He mentioned that it is often said, “People are never heroes in their home towns” and summed it up with this Bible quote, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country”.
Parishioners might say, “what’s he talking about? I knew him when he was a kid”. The move proved to be the perfect fit for him and for the people of Our Lady’s as he led the church onward carrying out the traditions and customs unique to Gloucester and its Portuguese heritage.
He retired in 2014 with 40 years service and assisted at Our Lady’s in spiritual duties until his decline in health over this past year. He celebrated his 58th anniversary in the priesthood on February 2nd. Fr.
Alves is survived by; his sister, Blanche L. Alves, his nephews; Mark B., and his wife Yvonne T. (Figurido) Davis, Kenneth E., and his wife Lisa E. (Moody) Davis, and his niece Anita M. (Davis) and her husband, Stephen E. McCarthy, all of Gloucester. He is also survived by his great-nephews and great-nieces; Andrew M. Davis and his wife, Jenny D. (Doane), and their daughters Ellie and Isla, Jilleen T. Davis and her companion, John Rizzo, Jeffrey B. Davis and his wife, Kathryn (Spoon) and their children, Aiden and Harper, and Lauren A. (Davis) and her husband Mitchell Rein, and Conor H., Aidan B. and Erin B. McCarthy. Father Alves was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Florence M. (Alves) and her husband Guy B. Davis, and great-nephew, Michael K. Davis.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated on Saturday, February 16, at 9:30 a.m. in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Father Alves will lie in state on Friday, February 15, in Our Lady of Good Voyage Church from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. His burial will be held in Calvary Cemetery, Gloucester.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his name to Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, 142 Prospect Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 or to Kaplan Family Hospice House, 78 Liberty Street, Danvers, MA 01923. Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home, 212 Washington Street, Gloucester. For online condolences, please visit www.
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