Feb 24, 2022

Greetings,

This coming Wednesday is ASH WEDNESDAY!  NOW is the perfect time to make a plan on how you are going to take on this season and make it work for you.

Your parish has a few things to help you with whatever spiritual growth and discipline for which you are shooting.  To help kick things off right, for those who are able to make it we will have our Ash Wednesday Masses at:

9:00 am

5:00 pm (extraordinary form)

7:00 pm

Fridays in Lent we will have Stations of the Cross with Benediction at 1:45pm and 7:00pm. (No Stations at 7pm on March 4, due to the Confirmation Mass)

There are other events in which you might be interested.  There is the 40 Days Club of attending daily Mass (or at least as many as you can.)  Tuesdays there is all day Eucharistic Adoration in the church with Compline and Benediction at 7:40pm.

Our public confession schedule is Tuesdays from 7 to 7:30pm, Fridays from 4 to 5pm and Saturday mornings 9:30 to 10am. 

The Diocesan Evening of Confession will be on Wednesday, March 16, from 5pm to 8pm.  All parishes in the diocese are to open and have a priest available for confessions on this night for three hours.

Here are the Fast and Abstinence practices for Lent: On Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays of Lent: Everyone age 14 and up must abstain from consuming meat. On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday: Everyone age 18 to 59 must fast, unless exempt due to usually a medical reason.

OPERATION RICE BOWL:  If your family has not received your Operation Rice Bowl, through the school or PSR, there are some available in the lobbies of the church.  This program allows us to reach out to those most in need around the world.

IN OTHER NEWS:

CONFIRMATION THIS FRIDAY!: On Friday, March 4, our students will be receiving their Sacrament of Confirmation!  Please pray for them that this indwelling of the Holy Spirit will set their lives on fire, keep them safe and help them transform the world for the good!

This year we welcome Bishop Martin Amos, formerly a priest of the Diocese of Cleveland and now the retired Bishop of Davenport.  Upon retiring as Bishop, he moved back to his beloved home diocese and graciously helps our Bishop Malesic with such duties as Confirmation.  Welcome Bishop Amos!  Thank you for being here!

SPECTACULAR:  For those who get to read this before Saturday, enjoy your night at our Spectacular and thank you for supporting St. Sebastian Parish School!

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck