Lent, Ash Wednesday, February 6 - Holy Thursday, March 20

Lent is the penitential season of the Church's year. It begins on Ash Wednesday, February 6 and ends with the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, March 20. 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 of penance throughout the Catholic Church. Lent is a season in which prayer, the reception of the sacraments, charity and almsgiving are emphasized. Fast and abstinence are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. All the Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat.

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

Weekdays of Lent: There is no obligation to fast. However, voluntary acts of self-denial are recommended.

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 (February 10) through Trinity Sunday (May 18). (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 during Lent, preceded by a meal of soup and a salad at 6:30pm in the cafeteria, except on Good Friday and February 8. (The meal is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, Council 636 and is free.)

• February 8, Traditional Scriptural Text (led by Deacon Joe Kupin)
• February 15, Traditional Scriptural Text (led by Deacon Joe Lynch)
• February 22, Children's Stations (led by Msgr. Nolan)
• February 29, Social Groups of St. Pauls (led by Msgr. Nolan and Jen Hinton)
• March 7, Teen Stations (led by Maria Ramirez and Fr. Chang)
• March 14, Traditional Scriptural Text (led by Men's Prayer Group)
• March 21, Good Friday, Memorial of the Lord's Passion, 3pm; Spanish Stations, 5:30pm; outdoor stations led by Msgr. Nolan at 7pm.

Lenten Services

Ashes:
Wednesday, February 6, is Ash Wednesday. Ashes will be distributed after all Masses (6:45 and 8:15 am, 12:10 and 7:30 pm). They will also be distributed at 4 pm and 5:30 pm.

Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Individual Confessions heard on Wednesday, March 12, 7:30-8:30 pm

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 the end of the 8:15 am Mass until Stations begin at 7:00 pm. Sign up sheets can be found on the ledge outside the side chapel.