Ash Wednesday ~ March 2, 2022
Mass and Ash Distribution:
- 8:00am & 12:10pm ‐ St. Nicholas Church
- 8:00am & 6:00pm ‐ St. William Church
- 12:10pm ‐ St. William Tent (Outdoors)
- Ash Wednesday Livestream Link (airs at 6:00pm)
Little Black Book
Pick up a Little Black Book at Mass as a companion for Lent ~ available in Regular or Large Print. Short reflections from the Sunday Gospels of Lent (Cycle C) let you spend quiet time with the Lord in just 6 minutes a day. Find out more about aspects of the Cross as the symbol of our faith, and assorted “Catholic Culture” items.
CRS Rice Bowl
Join us, and more than 14,000 Catholic communities across the US, as we pray, fast and give alms with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Rice Bowl Lenten Program. Our parish and school can come together to feed families here in our community and around the world. Click here to get started!
Fridays in Lent
Join us each Friday in Lent as we reflect, pray, serve and restore, together as a parish family…
- Outdoor Stations of the Cross – St William Courtyard 5:00pm (inside Church if rain)
- Adoration & Benediction – St William Church (directly following Stations of the Cross)
- Reconciliation – St William Church 6:00 ‐ 7:00pm
- Soup Supper – St William Tent 6:00 ‐ 7:00pm – PLEASE RSVP HERE
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Lent is a great time of year to go to Confession, but for many it may be a fearful experience to think about. To make it easier, here is a simple “how-to” guide: A Guide to Confession. This reflection might help to get you there. Reconciliation is available at these times during Lent:
- Ash Wednesday, March 2 – St. William Church 5:00 ‐ 6:00pm (Before Mass)
- Every Friday – St William Church 6:00 ‐ 7:00pm (After Stations of the Cross)
- Every Saturday – St William Parish Hall 2:30 – 3:30 pm
- March 14, 15, & 16 – St William Church 6:30pm (During Parish Mission)
Parish Mission ~ March 14, 15, & 16, 2022
I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW ~ Carmelite Spirituality & Deeper Intimacy with God
Presented by: Fr. Matthias of the Immaculate Heart, O.C.D.
Morning: 8:30am (abbreviated session) – St. Nicholas Church
Evening: 6:30pm (full session) – St. William Church – Confessions available at 6:30pm
- Monday, March 14: SUFFERING & Deeper Intimacy with God
- Tuesday, March 15: PRAYER & Deeper intimacy with God
- Wednesday, March 16: MOTHER MARY & Deeper Intimacy with God
- Please register at: tinyurl.com/parishmission2022
Fr. Matthias of the Immaculate Heart is a Discalced Carmelite Friar, originally from the forests of Washington State. After college, Fr. Matthias happily labored as a full time Youth/Young Adult Ministry Coordinator while playing in the Catholic Rock Band (yes…) “The Thirsting.” After becoming a Friar, he attended Mt. Angel Seminary, completing an MA Thesis on the universal call to contemplation informed by Carmelite Spirituality He is vocation director and postulant master for the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the California-Arizona Province of St. Joseph, currently living at Mount St. Joseph Carmelite Monastery in San Jose, CA.
Virtual Prayer Practices
- The Rosary ~ Email Catherine for the Zoom Link at catherine.raffa@dsj.org
- Virtual Stations of the Cross
Blessed Palms
At Mass on Palm Sunday palm branches were set apart by a blessing from the priest and made into a “sacramental,” an object that is meant to draw us closer to the celebration of the seven sacraments. Most “sacramental” items, like palm branches for example, can be burned or buried in order to properly dispose of them. This type of disposal honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the earth in a dignified way.
Catholic Fasting & Abstinence
- Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for members of the Catholic Church.
- Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
- Fasting is obligatory between 18 to 59 years of age.
- Abstinence is binding from age 14 and up.
- When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.
- According to the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops, “The Sundays of Lent are certainly part of the time of Lent, but they are not prescribed days of fast and abstinence.”
The forty days of fasting before Easter includes every day of Lent except Sundays, beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Holy Saturday inclusive. Thus, there are forty-six days of Lent (including Good Friday and Holy Saturday), but only forty fast days since Sundays are excluded.
When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are universal days of both fasting and abstinence from eating meat. Abstinence is also observed on all Fridays of Lent. Catholics age 14 and older are bound to observe abstinence regulations except for serious reasons; Catholics age 18-59 are bound to observe fasting regulations except for serious reasons.
For all other weekdays of Lent, the Church encourages fasting, either in the traditional sense or through some other form of self-denial determined by conscience. Other devotions, such as the Stations of the Cross, the rosary, scripture study, participation in daily Mass, and service to those in need, are strongly recommended.
Sources: CCL #1249-1253; USCCB Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence