Lent in Our Parish

The Penitential Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, February 9. During this season Catholics traditionally prepare for the most sacred time of the Liturgical year, Holy Week and Easter, the commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Spiritual preparation might include fasting, prayer and participating in liturgy and personal reflection upon the need in each of our lives for sacrifice, repentance and the simplification of our lifestyles. Daily Mass, personal acts of penitence and devotion, almsgiving and doing the works of justice, coming to the Stations of the Cross, making a retreat in each of these ways we may enter contemplatively into the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ in anticipation of a joyous Easter.

Ash Wednesday is a Day of Fasting (One complete meal; with two smaller meals permitted, nothing in between meals except liquids required of all Catholics age 18 until their 60 birthday) and Abstinence (no meat required of all Catholics 14 years of age and older).   Masses on Ash Wednesday will be held at 8:00 A.M., 9:30 A.M. (School Mass), 12:00 Noon, 6:00 P.M., and 8:00 P.M. Ashes will be distributed during the Masses only.

During Lent, as we did last year, we will add a 6:15 P.M. Wednesday Mass beginning on February 16, in addition to the Tuesday and Thursday evening Masses at 6:15, and the 8:00 A.M. Masses Monday through Friday.

Confessions during Lent

Confessions will be heard every Tuesday after 8:00 A.M. Mass until 9:30 A.M., every Thursday (except Holy Thursday) from 5:00 until 6:00 P.M., every Saturday from 2:45 until 3:45 P.M. Please make use of these times early and throughout the season of Lent, as no special penance service will be scheduled. No Confessions are scheduled for Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday.

Stations of the Cross will be held on Fridays at 2:00 P.M. (when school is in session) and at 7:00 P.M.

During Lent, organ and choral concerts will be held each Friday after the evening Stations.