Feb 20, 2026

Greetings,

It is the first weekend of Lent! It is a time of sanctifying the world and the best place to start is with the self, where you are and in what you are doing. That is your post, to transform, bless and guard. Just as every good piece of art does not have to be a Madonna, not everything that needs to be sanctified is at the parish or during prayer time. Making waffles, shoveling the sidewalk, work, playing the piano, hanging out with friends, playing basketball, driving, all these places in our life can be made more beautiful and more immersed in goodness and truth. And during this Lenten season, we can begin where it is most important, in our hearts, minds and bodies through prayer, fasting and alms giving.
Your parish has some opportunities to assist you in your exercise of sanctification.

• 40 Day Club: Attending daily Masses can help start your day or week well.
• Confessions: Tuesdays at 7pm, Fridays at 4pm and Saturdays at 9:30am.
• Diocesan Wide Night of Confessions: March 4 from 5pm - 8pm.
• Parish Mission: March 8 to 10 - 7pm each evening in the church. (LEARN MORE)
• Stations of the Cross and Benediction: Fridays at 1:45pm and 7pm.
• All Day Adoration: Tuesdays following morning Mass until 8pm.
• Compline and Benediction: Tuesdays beginning at 7:40pm.
• Relics Chapel: Visit and pray with the relics in the Padre Pio Chapel.
• Lord of the Rings Presentation: March 15 at 2pm in Zwisler Hall.
• Operation Rice Bowl: Bowls are available in the lobbies of the church.
• Reading: The Little Black Lenten book and Bishop Barron’s book, “Lenten Gospel Reflections” are both available in the lobbies of the church.
• Abstinence from Meat: Every Friday during Lent

IN OTHER NEWS

PRE-CANA: There were 29 couples who attended our Pre-Cana Retreat last Saturday. That is considerably up from the past few years. I would like to say, “Well done!” to our volunteer team who hosted. If you are interested in assisting next year, keep an eye out in the bulletin.

LORD OF THE RINGS: Fr. Michael Ward is an Inklings Scholar who will be giving us a deep dive into Catholic imagination of J. R. R. Tolken with his talk, “Peak Middle Earth: Why Mount Doom is Not the Climax of The Lord of the Rings.” It will be held in Zwisler Hall at 2pm on Sunday, March 15. It is free and open to the public. Please tell you family and friends!

CATHOLIC CHARITIES: If you did not have the opportunity to participate in last weekend’s Catholic Charities Campaign, you may either donate online or stop by the rectory office for an envelope.

God bless,
Fr. Valencheck