Parishes hold Lenten activities

By JULIE KEANE, Globe staff reporter
March 18, 2004

Parishes in the Diocese of Sioux City are offering Lenten activities to help parishioners grow in their faith and understand the importance of Lent in the church year.

Father Edward Murray of St. Rose of Lima in Denison said that his focus this Lenten season is on the stations of the cross for both the school children and older parishioners.

"The stations of the cross are reminders of the last hours of Jesus," Father Murray said. "I think that most of us get orientated toward the cross and carrying our crosses during Lent."

The school children participate in stations of the cross on Friday afternoons. During this time, parishioners are also invited to attend. Stations are also offered every Friday night for the whole parish.

In addition to offering stations of the cross, St. Rose of Lima hosted a Generations of Faith Festival.

"We had special activities for the children, teens and adults," Father Murray said. "It was all on the theme of Lent and breaking ground. We are orientated ourselves to the building of our new church, and that was one of our themes - breaking ground."

The children that attended painted rocks to focus on the theme and adults listened to a presentation.

Parishioners in Onawa, Blencoe and Salix are also having stations of the cross this Lenten season to help them grow in their faith and devotion.

Father Harry McAlpine said St. John's in Onawa will offer stations of the cross at 5:30 on Thursdays. Following stations, there will be a soup and sandwich supper. Along with station of the cross, St. John's will have a communal penance service at 1 p.m. on March 21.

"I think stations of the cross is a meaningful devotion that we experience in our own life," Father McAlpine said. "We all have our ways of the cross and I think it brings a conscience of Christ suffered and died out of his love for us and how he supports us."

Father Douglas Klein who is the pastor of St. Mary in Rock Valley, Sacred Heart in Alvord and Christ the King in Sioux Center is offering book study groups to help his parishioners learn about Lent and their faith.

Lin Gacke, director of religious education in Rock Valley, said that Father Klein offers a book study every Wednesday at noon using the book "Christology". Soup is offered for those that attend while they study. Anyone from the parish can attend. Parishioner have another opportunity to participate in a book study Sunday's after Mass at Christ the King. The group is using the book by Mark Link, S.J. called "Path through Scriptures".

Each parish also has a communal penance service scheduled for March. Sacred Heart will have their service at 1 p.m. on March 28 and Christ the King's will be at 3 p.m. on March 28 also. There will also be communal penance at 4 p.m. on April 4 in Rock Valley.

The religious education students are collecting items for Family Crisis Center of Northwest Iowa.

"We are collecting items for children - games, diapers, shampoo and we are going to deliver that to the crisis center," Gacke said. "There is a collection box also at St. Mary's for anyone that would like to donate."

Gacke said that Father Klein is also offering a special teen reconciliation service for seventh through twelfth graders. All youth in the cluster are encouraged to attended the service on March 24 at Christ the King. There will also be pizza after the service.

"This really gets people involved in their church during Lent and makes them more aware of their faith and their relationship with God when there are extra things going on," Gacke said.