Lent 2025
Trust | Surrender | Believe & Receive
Journey Together
In ancient Israel, our Jewish ancestors made annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem three times each year, for the feasts of Passover, Weeks, and Tabernacles. These pilgrimages were significant events, fostering a sense of community and reinforcing religious values.
For Catholics, our liturgical calendar sets apart seasons for us to also make a spiritual pilgrimage, not to a remote destination, but to the person of Jesus Christ. Lent is one such time to be on pilgrimage, when we intentionally set aside time for intense prayer, reflection, and spiritual growth. Everyone in our parish family, from age 3 to 103, will have faith formation opportunities in which to step outside of our daily routine and make progress in the spiritual life. Here, I present a quick overview of five such opportunities.
Our children will have an opportunity to practice the three pillars of Lent - prayer, fasting and almsgiving - through a fun competition called Pray 40. Something new this year is our parish mission event called United in the Eucharist. This is a three night series of talks, fellowship and prayer. By focusing on spiritual renewal and community building we pray these three nights will provide an environment for you to encounter God’s love. The parish mission will gear us up for our centerpiece Lenten activity, a 33-day preparation for consecrating ourselves to Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. In this final year of the National Eucharistic Revival, we will journey together using a book study and video series, - 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory - “to discover all that we are, all that we can be, and all that we will be in Jesus Christ.” Our Spring Bible study, No Greater Love, is a five-session biblical pilgrimage that reveals Christ’s amazing love. Best-selling author Edward Sri guides us through the last hours of Christ’s life, inviting us to follow Jesus to Calvary. Finally, our Lenten pilgrimage would not be complete without fantastic retreat opportunities for spiritual renewal, personal growth, and community building. All-day renewal retreats, one for women and another for men, will be offered. So get ready! There’s going to be a flurry of communication and conversation around these opportunities: in the bulletin, on our website, on social media, and by personal invitation from our many volunteers, without whom these opportunities would not be possible. May this Lent be a time of deeper conversion for you, and a renewed commitment to our Eucharistic Lord. Chris Stier Director of Faith Formation
Confession Times during Lent
Mondays | OLGH 5:30 PM till last penitent Tuesdays | SH 7:00 PM till last penitent Wednesdays | SMA 5:30 - 6:30 PM Thursdays | SMA 8:45 AM till last penitent - No Confession on 4/17 (Holy Thursday) Good Friday (4/18) | SH 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM | SMA 5:45 - 6:45 PM Saturdays | OLGH 9:00 AM till last penitent, 3:45 - 4:45 PM | SMA 2:45 - 3:45 PM Saturday 4/12 | SMA 2:15 - 3:45 | OLGH 3:15 - 4:45 Sundays | SH 9:30 - 10:15 AM
Ash Wednesday
March 5, 2025
Our Lady of Good Hope
9:00 AM | 7:00 PM
St. Mary of the Assumption
8:00 AM | 7:00 PM
St. Henry
7:00 AM | 9:00 AM
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Parish Mission
March 1-4
Our parish mission will lead us into a profound encounter with Jesus. To prepare us for an impactful Lent 2025, three evening sessions of fellowship, powerful talks and opportunities for reverent prayer will be offered. Join us!
33 Days to Eucharistic Glory
The call to action of the parish mission is to consecrate ourselves to the Holy Eucharist during Lent. The book 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory, by Matthew Kelly will be distributed at each night of the Parish Mission Events. This book will guide our preparation for consecration that will begin on Wednesday, March 12 and will conclude on Palm Sunday, April 13th. The consecration will take place at Our Lady of Good Hope on Monday, April 14th during Eucharistic Exposition, and together as a community, we will recite aloud the prayer of Eucharistic Consecration before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Take fifteen minutes each day to set aside time to read and reflect on a commentary around the themes of trust, surrender, believe, and receive. Optional videos are available for reflections on each day’s content, offered by Matthew Kelly and Fr. Jonathan Meyer.
Weekly small group discussions are available at each campus.
Our parish family children will have an opportunity to practice the three pillars of Lent — prayer, fasting and almsgiving — through our “Pray 40” Project. Each week will feature one pillar along with a set of daily challenges based on grade level.
A guide booklet offers simplified prayers and engaging activities (e.g. reading a Bible story, limiting screen time, helping your teacher). When a child completes a challenge, they fill in a circle to track their progress.
A fun service competition between grades takes the form of a towel collection for SVdP, and we wrap things up after Easter with a Spring Fair celebration. The youth of our parish and school run the entire activity over the 40 days of Lent.
Additional Opportunities this Lent
Bible Study
No Greater Love
Thursdays | March 20 - April 10 | 7:00-9:00 PM | PAC
Our Spring Bible study, No Greater Love, is a five-session biblical pilgrimage that reveals Christ’s amazing love. Best-selling author Edward Sri guides us through the last hours of Christ’s life, inviting us to follow Jesus to Calvary. Registration required.
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Spiritual Retreats
Women's Retreat: Saturday, March 22
Men's Retreat: Saturday, April 5
Ready for a spiritual refresh? Join us for a life-changing Catholic renewal retreat. Discover deeper meaning and purpose to your life, reconnect with God, gain new insights through talks, discussion and personal reflection, meet new friends in our parish family, and find greater peace and joy for the journey. Registration required.
