Lent, Ash Wednesday, February 17 - Holy Thursday, April 1

Lent is the penitential season of the Church's year. It begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17 and ends with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, April 1. Lent has six Sundays. The sixth is called Passion or Palm Sunday and marks the beginning of Holy Week.

The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday. It commemorates the Lord's passion and death on Good Friday, reaches its high point at the Easter Vigil, and ends with evening Prayer on Easter Sunday. Then the joyful Easter Season of 50 days begins.

Traditionally, the Lenten season is a time for self-denial, prayer and Christian charity. During this season you are strongly encouraged to participate in Mass and receive Holy Communion daily, to receive the Sacrament of Penance, to attend Lenten devotions and the Stations of the Cross, to read the scriptures prayerfully, and to perform acts of self-denial and works of mercy.

The specific discipline of the Church in the United States regarding penitential days is as follows:

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: These are days of Fast and Abstinence from meat. There is a limit of one full meal on these days for all between the ages of 18 and 59 inclusive.

All Fridays in Lent: These are days of abstinence. All who have reached their 14th year are bound to abstain totally from meat. This obligation prohibits the eating of meat (but not eggs, milk products or condiments of any kind even though made from animal fat).

The Obligation to Observe the Laws of Fast and Abstinence... "substantially" or as a whole is a serious obligation. Failure to observe one penitential day in itself is not considered serious. It is the failure to observe any penitential days at all, or a substantial number of days, which must be considered serious.

After they have received their First Holy Communion, Catholics are bound by the obligation of receiving Holy Communion at least once a year. This precept should be fulfilled during the Easter Season. This runs from the first Sunday of Lent through Trinity Sunday. (The Code of Canon Law does permit this precept to be fulfilled at another time during the year when there is a just cause for missing the obligation.) Catholics are also bound to confess serious (mortal) sins at least once a year, but this is not limited to the Lenten/Easter Season.

Stations of the Cross

There will be Stations of the Cross each Friday evening at 7:00 pm and for Hispanics, at 8:00pm, during Lent. The Knights of Columbus, Council 636, sponsor a meal of soup and a salad at 6:00pm in the cafeteria, except on Good Friday.

• February 19, Deacons
• February 26, Children's Stations
• March 5, Youth Group
• March 12, Men's Prayer Group
• March 19, Adult Choir
• March 26, Women's Faith Sharing Group
• April 2 (Good Friday), 3pm Memorial of the Lord's Passion, 5pm Adoracion a la Santa Cruz, 7pm outdoor stations led by Msgr. Nolan

Lenten Services

Ashes:
Wednesday, February 17, is Ash Wednesday. Ashes will be distributed after all Masses (6:45 and 8:15 am, 12:10 and 7:30 pm), and at a Spanish Mass at 9pm. They will also be distributed at a Liturgy of the Word at 4 pm and 5:30 pm.

Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Individual Confessions heard on Saturdays from 4-5pm
Tuesday, March 30, 7:30pm - 9pm
Wednesday, March 31, 7:30pm - 9 pm (bilingual)

Masses during Lent:
Daily Mass will be celebrated at 6:45 and 8:15 am and 12:10 pm on Monday through Friday, but there will only be an 8:15 am Mass on Saturday morning.

Exposition of The Blessed Sacrament will be held on Fridays from 9am until Stations begin at 7:00 pm. Sign up sheets can be found on the ledge outside the side chapel.