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ASH WEDNESDAY - MARCH 5, 2025
Ash Wednesday | March 5, 2025We are aware that on Ash Wednesday the church is very full, with many desiring coming to receive ashes on their foreheads to symbolize the attitude of internal penance which we are called to throughout Lent. In response to this great outpouring, we will have two Masses as well as five Prayer Services. The Prayer Services are child friendly, and last about 20 to 30 minutes.
Masses: 12:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Prayer Services: 7:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 3:30 p.m., 5:00 p.m., & 6:15 p.m.
Parish Lenten Penance Service | Tuesday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.
Our Parish Lenten Penance Service will be held on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. Fr. Pat and Fr. Jonnes, along with other priests from the diocese will be available for individual confessions.Parish Lenten Retreat by Deacon Art | Wednesdays, March 12 - April 9
10:30 a.m. - 2:30 pm
Join us for a powerful and engaging Lenten Retreat with Deacon Art Cavazos as we journey through the Sorrowful Mysteries - not just as moments of suffering, but as pathways to hope, love, and transformation. We'll uncover the deeper meaning of Christ's sacrifice and how it speaks to our lives today. Bring a sack lunch, we will break at noon for Daily Mass and lunch. Meeting dates, times, and topics can be found here.Lenten Evening Retreats : "God Sees, God Loves, God Heals"
Mondays, March 24 - April 7 |6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. in the Church Join Eric Carreiro and Marti Salas for three contemplative Monday evenings where we explore the theme God Sees, God Loves & God Heals. There will be time for discussion as well as private prayer and reflection. More information can be found here.Lenten Parish Book Study | March 9 - April 13
We invite everyone to participate in our parish book study this Lent. We will be reading Prayer: Our Deepest Longing by Ronald Rolheiser. This book can be studied alone or with a group. Books are available for $2 from the Adult Faith Formation Office. Find more information at stcatherine-austin.org/lenten-parish-book-study.Easter Lily Memorials
Remember a loved one through a memorial gift of Easter lilies which will be used to decorate the church. The donation for each lily is $15. You may submit the name of the person to be remembered and pay securely online or place it with $15 in an envelope marked “Easter Flowers.” Drop the envelope in the Mass collection basket or bring it to the Parish Office. The deadline is Monday, April 7.
Stations of the Cross | Fridays at 7:00 p.m., followed by Mass
Join us on the Friday Nights of Lent at 7:00 p.m. for Stations of the Cross. Mass follows immediately after the Stations for those who wish to remain. The parish also has Stations of the Cross outside on the grounds for you to walk and pray in private prayer.Senior Stations of the Cross Thursday, April 3, 10 a.m. in the Cenacle
Bereaved Stations of the Cross Wednesday, April 9, 7:00 p.m. in the Church
Mary's Way of the Cross Tuesday, April 15, 10:30 a.m. in the Church
Family Stations of the Cross Friday, April 18, 10 a.m.
Good Friday Stations of the Cross Friday, April 18, 3:00 p.m., ChurchLenten Meals | Fridays, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in Johnson Hall
On Friday evenings, March 7 to April 11, St. Catherine of Siena will serve a Lenten Meal in Johnson Hall. The family-friendly menu will vary each week and will be coordinated by different St. Catherine of Siena organizations. The meals are free, but free-will donations are greatly appreciated. Please come and enjoy the company of our fellow parishioners with a meal before the Stations of the Cross at 7:00 p.m. and Mass at 7:30 p.m.
Lenten Meditation Booklets: This year's booklet, The Peaceful Path of Hope from Alice Camille, will be available free for parishioners. Pick up a booklet after Mass and use it daily to enrich your journey to Easter this year.
Fasting and Abstinence during Lent
On the Fridays of Lent, it is the obligation of practicing Catholics from age 14 onward to abstain from eating meat. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of both fasting and abstinence. On days of fasting, Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59 are permitted to eat one full meal and two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. On days of fasting, refrain from eating between the permitted meals.
40 Days for Life | March 5 - April 13
From Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday, we will unite with hundreds of cities across the country and world for a 40-day prayer vigil. If you would like to commit to praying during Lent, or if you would like to peacefully pray in front of Austin Women's Health on South I-35 on Saturday, March 22, please sign up at the table in the narthex after the weekend Masses on March 1 & 2 or at centraltexascoalition.com. For more information, please contact John Filion at [email protected].Lenten Sew-A-Thon | Wednesday, March 26
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in Siena Hall
We need your sewing machines, sergers, thread, pins, scissors & other sewing tools, and your talents to enjoy a day of friendship and service. Sewers of all skill levels are needed to help complete projects for three local nursing homes, Cancer Center, and a hospital neonatal unit. Lunch will be provided and all materials will be ready to sew; we just need you to make this a successful event!Join our faith community and nearly 14,000 Catholic communities across the United States in a life-changing Lenten journey of encounter with CRS Rice Bowl. Pick up your family’s CRS Rice Bowl from the table in the narthex beginning Ash Wednesday, March 5. You can return them during Holy Week. Please visit stcatherine-austin.org/catholic-relief-services-rice-bowl for CRS Rice Bowl recipes, a Lenten calendar, and more!
Here are some additional online resources for you to help you stay focused on your Lenten promises,- Virtual Stations of the Cross from Busted Halo: Watch the traditional devotion in a virtual way to help you reflect on the mystery of Jesus’ death and what it still means to us today
- Stations of the Cross for Children - view an online presentation from Loyola Press
- Printable Stations of the Cross for Children from Loyola Press
- Journey with the Pope - Sign up to receive daily messages from Pope Francis
- Lenten Activities for Children (Loyola Press)
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