Lent activities, services prepare parishioners for Easter

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Feb. 21, 2008

Lent is a time for parishes to provide spiritual and educational opportunities for parishioners.

At Holy Spirit Parish in Carroll, parishioners will be able to participate in a variety of activities during Lent. Mass is held at 5:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Stations of the Cross are held before the 5:15 p.m. Mass on Fridays.

A communal penance service will be held at 2 p.m. on March 9 along with St. Lawrence Parish in Carroll. Penance will also be offered every day after the 7 a.m. Mass.

"The goal of Lent is that we grow in spirituality," said Father Jim McCormick, pastor at Holy Spirit. "If we grow in holiness, a big component of that is understanding more about our faith life. It is a good time for study, prayer and fasting. The effort to take time and do serious study should help us toward the goal of growing in holiness."

Each Wednesday before the evening Mass, parishioners are able to attend a series call "Where is God when it hurts?" The series presents ideas on suffering.

"It is an effort to discuss the question of suffering, its meaning in our lives and how suffering can be made fruitful," said the priest. "Suffering can make us better or it can make us bitter. Many times we are getting ourselves into trouble because we misunderstand."

He added that some think because they are suffering then they are guilty, God doesn't love them anymore or he isn't answering their prayers. It is something that people face and are questioning why they suffer.

As Father Mark Stoll, pastor at Immaculate Conception in Moville, puts it, they are having "the usual" events for Lent. This includes Stations of the Cross all Friday evenings except for the first Friday of March when they will have Adoration/Benediction.

Parishioners will participate with the Moville Ministerial Association Lenten Breakfasts which are held Wednesday mornings of Lent at 6:30 a.m. Immaculate Conception hosted the breakfast on Feb. 20.

"It is important to provide events because they give people an opportunity to pray, reflect, repent, and learn more about their faith. In short, to prepare ourselves to celebrate Easter and to become more like Christ," said Father Stoll.

They also have a Lenten food collection for the Food Bank and a Volunteers Hours Quilt.

There will be the usual Morning Prayer, Masses, Confessions, etc. as well. They are also using the Chosen and Called Lenten Scripture Study provided by the diocese.

For Ash Wednesday at St. Louis Parish in Royal a special ceremony was held during Mass in which the alleluia was buried, the holy water was poured out into the dessert and the Lent triangle of Penance, Fasting and Almsgiving was hung.

On Holy Thursday they are planning a re-enactment of the First First Communion (Last Supper) by the confirmation class. On Palm Sunday and on Good Friday the Youth Group will present a choral reading of the Passion.

"Our young families are so busy. Even with good intentions, the Lent traditions somehow get by-passed," said Lois McCarty, DRE at St. Louis. "It seems that children love the stage. We are a small parish and we get many opportunities to put our students on the altar or at the microphone."

She added that the students enjoy the hands-on learning activities in religious education class and special Masses like Ash Wednesday and the days of Holy Week.

She hopes the students "will remember these events far longer than they remember the things they read in their textbooks."

St. Michael Parish in Sioux City is providing faith sharing opportunities using the Chosen and Called Lenten resource provided by the Diocese of Sioux City. There are groups that meet Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday for about 60 to 90 minutes.

"We study and reflect on the Scriptures for the following Sunday, so when they go to Mass on Sunday it is much more meaningful," said Sister Jean Ann Rausch, pastoral minister at St. Michael's. "It is tied in with our baptismal call. We talk a little bit about baptism every time."

She tries to do something different each week going along with what the theme in the resource is. One week was about the baptismal name and another was about what so she incorporated that into the faith sharing. During the sessions, the group talks about how they have been chosen and called throughout the week.

"I believe that our people are hungry to understand their faith better and making it personal," said Sister Jean Ann.

They also have Stations of the Cross each week as well as a fish fry each Friday evening.

Other parishes throughout the diocese are holding Lenten activities and services to prepare parishioners for Easter.