Come in Hope | Lent 2025
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“Then let us celebrate with a feast because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again;
These words come from the parable of the prodigal son, the story that inspires this year's Lent theme. In this parable, a wayward youth spends his inheritance and ends up impoverished, eventually crawling back embarrassed and hungry to the father whose riches he squandered. Imagine the inner work the son had to do in order to swallow his pride and confess his hunger to his father. Imagine the spiritual maturity he had to attain in order to admit that he had erred. Imagine the grace he must have encountered in order to be able to say about himself, even while feeling unworthy of his father’s forgiveness, “I deserve better than this.” Imagine the hope he had to have to say to himself, "I know I messed up, but I will boldly go before my father and ask for help." Imagine the work he had to do to align his soul with God for such grace! This is the work you and I are invited to undertake these 40 days. In choosing this year’s Lenten theme, “Come in Hope,” we noticed that the only real difference between Judas and Peter (both whom betrayed/denied Jesus) is that Peter had hope, whereas Judas did not. Like the prodigal son, Peter did the inner work required to embrace hope, to approach the Lord for a second chance even after confronting his weaknesses. He did not use his weakness as an excuse to stay weak. He confessed it, acknowledged it, and healed from it. He stepped forward in hope. You and I, too, should approach the Lord in hope! “Come in hope!” And if we add a comma to the phrase, we invite God’s Holy Spirit into our hearts to be the strength we need to do this inner work: Come, Holy Spirit! “Come in, hope!” As pilgrims of hope (our theme for this Jubilee year), we boldly embrace the hope of redemption, and welcome hope into our hearts!
he was lost and has been found.” (Luke 15:24)
Please welcome hope into your hearts in the various ways we are offering this Lent:
Lenten Wednesday Masses
Wednesdays 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Please join us for Mass at 6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. followed by a time of Adoration and an opportunity for the sacrament of Reconciliation until 7:30 p.m. Excluding Ash Wednesday, the Wednesdays of Lent include: March 12, 19, 26, and April 2, 9, & 16.
Other Opportunities for the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Saturdays immediately following the 8:00 a.m. Mass | Saturdays at 3:00 p.m.
The Saturdays of Lent include: March 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5 and 12.
Stations of the Cross
Each Friday during Lent at 3:00 p.m. | March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11 | Sacred Hearts Church
Each Friday during Lent at 7:00 p.m. | March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11 | St. Patrick Church
Good Friday at 12:00 p.m. | April 18 | Sacred Hearts Church
Bible Study on the Gospel of John
Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. or Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. | Sacred Hearts Parish Hall | Led by Deacon Gil Sullivan
Lenten Evening of Song and Prayer
Wednesday, April 2 at 7:00 p.m. | Sacred Hearts Church
Join Scott Ness , Peg DiGrazia, and Ben & Elizabeth Woodard to sing and pray the Lenten season.
Lenten Retreat: Sacred Silence
Saturday, April 5 from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. | St. Patrick Church
Part of St. Patrick Church’s 150th anniversary, this retreat will invite us into meditation through stillness/art.
Confirmation Student Bake Sale
Thank you for supporting the teens in their service project this year! Proceeds from this year’s sale will benefit Cross Catholic Outreach’s program called “Wells of Salvation,” bringing clean water to parts of Africa most affected by disease and death from thirst. Items are $2 each. The items, baked by the students themselves, will be on sale after all Masses the weekend of April 5-6. -
Holy Week Schedule:
Palm (Passion) Sunday
March April 12-13, 2025| Regular weekend Mass schedule
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week (April 14-16): Regular Weekday Mass schedule
Sacred Triduum:
Holy Thursday: April 17, 2025
Morning prayer: 9:00 a.m. | Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Mass of the Lord’s Supper: 7:00 p.m. | Sacred Hearts Church
Night Prayer: 10:00 p.m. | Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Good Friday: April 18, 2025
Morning prayer: 9:00 a.m. | Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Stations of the Cross and Veneration: 12:00 noon | Sacred Hearts Church
Liturgy of Good Friday: 3:00 p.m. at Sacred Hearts Church
7:00 p.m. at St. Patrick Church
Holy Saturday: April 19, 2025
Morning prayer: 9:00 a.m. | Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel
Easter Vigil: 7:00 p.m. | Sacred Hearts Church
Easter Sunday: April 20, 2025
Regular weekend Mass schedule (7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Sacred Hearts, 10:15 a.m. St. Patrick Church) -
