0. 
   
   Thursday, March 29 Holy Thursday Parish Office Closed

   •   Altar Server Practice, 4:00 PM (Chapel)

   •   Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7:30 PM (Chapel)

     Friday, March 30 Good Friday Parish Office Closed

   •   Altar Server Practice, 4:00 PM (Chapel)

   •   Vietnamese Services, 7:00 PM (Church)

   •   The Passion of the Lord, 7:30 PM (Chapel)

   •   Divine Mercy Novena, 9:00 PM (Chapel)

     Saturday, March 31 Holy Saturday Parish Office Closed

   •   RCIA Rehearsal, 11:00 AM (Chapel)

   •   RCIA Minor Ceremonies, 12:00 PM (Chapel)

   •   Blessing of Food Baskets, 1PM (Sacred Heart Church)

   •   Easter Vigil, 8:00 PM (Chapel)

     Sunday, April 1 Easter Sunday

   •   7:30 AM Mass (Chapel)

   •   9:30 AM Mass (Chapel)

   •   9:30 AM Spanish Mass (Sacred Heart Church)

   •   Sunday School, 9:30 AM (Pre-School)

   •   9:40 AM Mass (Church)

   •   11:30 AM Mass (Chapel)

   •   11:40 AM Mass (Church)

   •   Vietnamese Mass, 2:00 PM (Church) 

Confession Schedule


Guide to Confession

Friday 7:00 PM - Stations of the Cross in Spanish (Chapel)
Friday 7:00 PM - Stations of the Cross in English (Church) 

COMING TO SEE, PART 1 – I frequently hear parents say how they are coming to see the truth of what they had heard all their lives, namely, that their children are gone from home before they (the parents) know it.

COMING TO SEE, PART 2 – About 30 years ago I heard that the purpose of Lent is Baptism. While it sounded true to me, I was at that time able to see how or why it was true. Now years later I have come through grace to the point where I am able (a bit) to see, grasp and be grasped by this truth. In our baptism, we were sunk into Christ so that Christ might sink into us, become part of us, become eventually the very heart of us. Most of us were relatively unconscious when we were sacramentally sunk into Christ at the baptismal font, and the point is for us to become progressively more conscious of and conformed to Christ as we go through life.

ANNUAL RENEWAL – For this reason our Tradition invites us each Easter Sunday, after having heard the Good News of the Resurrection for the first time—eg., as a 7 year old, or 23 year old, or 55 year old, or 92 year old—to stand on our own two feet and to make our own (as consciously as we are able at our current point in life) the promises that were made for us at our Sacramental Baptism. Since this is such a big deal, our Tradition has developed an entire season called Lent to help us prepare for this annual renewal of our Baptismal Focus and Commitment.

LENT: GLOBAL

Christ calls us to grow in grace throughout our lives and so become the kind of persons who are able to see God and who want to accept the invitation to walk in the Light as disciples. And so we live each day on the road, open to re-penting, to re-thinking what matters and adjusting our behavior accordingly. Such penitential living does not begin in Lent and is not confined to Lent; rather during Lent we intensify or “take up a notch” our practice of the daily penitential actions of prayer, fasting and works of charity. Further, during Lent we practice such instruments of conversion and transformation in a more visibly communal manner with our sisters and brothers in the Body of Christ. 

The Bishops of the United States prescribe, as minimal obligation, that all persons who are fourteen years of age and older are bound to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday.

Further, all persons eighteen years of age and older up to and including their fifty-ninth birthday are bound to fast by limiting themselves to a single full meal on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday, while the other two meals on those days are to be light.

All the faithful are encouraged, when possible, to participate at Mass and to receive the Holy Eucharist daily, to celebrate frequently the Sacrament of Penance, to undertake spiritual reading, especially the study of the Sacred Scriptures, and to participate in parish Lenten devotions as well as Lenten education programs. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is especially recommended.

All are encouraged to participate in Catholic Relief Services “Rice Bowl” which has aided many hungry persons here in the Archdiocese as well as countless others throughout our nation and our world. You may pick up materials for this excellent Lenten Program in any of our three worship sites. information visit CRS/RiceBowl.org.

LENT: LOCAL

The 2018 Archdiocesan Catholic Charities Appeal has begun and each of us bear a measure of responsibility for helping the Light who is Christ shine forth through our communal efforts on behalf of our neighbors throughout the five counties of the Archdiocese. May others “see goodness in our acts and give praise to our heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:16).

All funds donated this Ash Wednesday will be used to shelter our homeless neighbors through the Code Blue Overnight Emergency Warming Center sponsored by Ann’s Heart and located in Sacred Heart Church Hall.

LENT: PAROCHIAL

LITTLE BLACK BOOKS – As you leave Mass, please pick up a copy of the 2018 Little Black Books for Lent. Many of our members report how helpful they have found these books in their daily devotions and practice during Lent.

DIGITAL DIVE – When it comes to praying more deeply this Lent there are many online resources for differing ages and stages of life, for instance: FORMED and Flocknote. See Page 5 of bulletin for more information.

SERVICE – We invite you to explore our recently updated Parish Ministry Opportunities booklet to discover the many opportunities to serve our neighbors both through the parish and also through the many other local human service agencies. Copies of our Ministry Opportunities booklet are available in each of our three worship sites as well as through our parish website. 

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Wednesday Evening Community Lent Worship
All Services begin at 7:30 PM

Jesus: Light of the World

February 21 at St. Ann Roman Catholic Chapel

604 South Main Street, Phoenixville Rev. Eric Woodworth of Charlestown United Methodist, preacher

Jesus: Bread of Life

February 28 at First United Methodist Church

865 South Main Street, Phoenixville
Rev. Cynthia Krommes of St. John’s Lutheran, preacher

Jesus: Good Shepherd

March 7 at Bethel Baptist Church

412 Fairview Street, Phoenixville
Rev. Eva Johnson of First United Methodist, preacher

Jesus: Resurrection and Life

March 14 at Centennial Lutheran Church

1330 Hares Hill Road, Kimberton
Rev. Nathan Coleman of Bethel Baptist, preacher

Jesus: Way, Truth and Life

March 21 at First Presbyterian Church

145 Main Street, Phoenixville
Rev. Dan McDowell of Grace Crossing Community Church, preacher