The fourth Sunday in Lent, Laetare Sunday, is my favourite Sunday in Lent, and not just because of the pink vestments that insecure clergy sometimes attempt to convince you are “rose.” So many of the rich images, words, and themes that will recur at the Easter Vigil are hinted in the day’s readings and prayers — the Read more
The archbishop of Suva, Peter Chong, has announced that the Archdiocesan Commission for Justice and Development would use the lenten collection this year to help build proper housing for about 30 persons with mental disabilities. “These people live behind St Vincent House on Brown Street in Suva.” “I ask parishes to send out special lenten Read more
Lent will see churches crowded across the globe. But here in Syria, where St Paul found his faith, many churches stand empty, targets for bombardment and desecration. Aleppo, where I have been bishop for 25 years, is devastated. We have become accustomed to the daily dose of death and destruction, but living in such uncertainty Read more
Yesterday I read through one or two suggestions for Lent that left me reeling. I really don’t think Lent is about giving up or taking on more, as such; rather, it’s about seeking God with more intensity of focus than we manage at other times. To do that we need simplicity— and we have become Read more
United States Catholics can eat alligator on Fridays in Lent say their bishops. This was confirmed in a letter from Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans to a concerned parishioner. Continue reading
Looking for prayer and penance ideas for this year’s Lenten journey? Or a faithful guide and friendly reminder to practice virtue, do good works and read Scripture? Whatever you’re searching for to help you draw closer to Jesus Christ these 40 days of Lent, there’s an app to help you. “It’s a beautiful thing to Read more
On Ash Wednesday the Bishop Patrick Dunn of Auckland New Zealand published a pastoral letter to mark the beginning of Lent. In his pastoral letter the Bishop invited parishes to open their churches on a Wednesday evenings so people can gather and simply “‘be still’ with the Lord” before the Blessed Sacrament PASTORAL LETTER FOR Read more
A church in Tiverton, Rhode Island, made it easy to receive the Ashes this year. The Holy Trinity Episcopal Church hosted Ashes to Go, a drive-by distribution of ashes for the faithful. “We are trying to get our church outside the four walls of our church building,” said the Rev. John Higginbotham, priest-in-charge of Holy Read more
The earliest mention of Lent in the history of the Church comes from the council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The council of Nicaea is best known for the profession of faith – the ‘Nicene Creed’ – which is still recited in most parishes every Sunday immediately after the sermon. However, the council also issued Read more
There have been calls from some quarters to reform Confession, and a recent Tablet article listed many reasons why Catholics said they had stopped going. Even a cardinal, Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, has called for “proper reform to the sacrament” – an idea Pope Francis has signalled he does not want to look at. Recently I came Read more