Prayer: Lent is above all a time for prayer. To enhance the practice of prayer, the Church invites her members to follow the custom of fasting and to accompany that fasting with an increase of almsgiving for the needs of the poor. St. Augustine, in a sermon on Lent, teaches that : "Through humility and charity, fasting & almsgiving, abstaining and forgiving, avoiding evil and doing good, our prayer seeks peace and achieves it." (Sermon 206)
Fasting and Abstinence: Abstinence from meat on Ash Wednesday, all Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday (for those 14 and older) is required by Church law. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of Fasting: those between the ages of 18 and 59 should eat less, meaning no solid foods between meals and only one full meal that day. Serious health conditions excuse a person from these precepts. Parents are encouraged by Church law to ensure minors who are not bound by the law of fast and abstinence are educated none the less in an authentic sense of penance.
Almsgiving: The Church encourages Almsgiving, an offering of money and material goods or acts of charity to the vulnerable and those in need, volunteering our time and talents in service to others.
This parish Lenten Almsgiving Program will help supply food for our Parish Food Pantry. Please consider saving one non-perishable food item each day of Lent and bring them to church.
"40 x 40" will make a real difference in our Food Pantry outreach capabilities. Everyone is encouraged to continue donating throughout the year.
Glass containers are discouraged and opened packages of food will have to be thrown away.
Daily Mass at 8:00 a.m. - Monday through Wednesday at St. Joseph's Church, Thursday and Friday at Our Lady of Consolation Church.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament & the Rosary: Wednesdays following daily Mass.
Stations of the Cross: Fridays following daily Mass.