Dear Parishioners

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     We are about to end this Lenten Season, a time when we hear the call to prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These practices, which we are called to at this time, are meant to prepare us to experience Easter, the central event for believers in Christ.

     As far as prayer is concerned, the time of Lent abounds in its specific forms of prayer, which include the devotion of the Way of the Cross or a Lenten Retreat.  It’s good if you are able to practice them during this time. I, for my part, would like to encourage you to read the Sacred Scriptures. Remember what St Jerome said: “ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. Therefore, in order to know Him better, we need to be faithful to His Word!

     As for fasting, we traditionally abstain from food on Fridays or other days. However, I also encourage you to think about how much time is taken up in your daily schedule by various electronic devices. It is, precisely fasting - understood renunciation - that can be done precisely from these devices.

     Almsgiving is the third Lenten practice. Of course, we can and must practice almsgiving from our material possessions. For we know, that we cannot serve God and money, almsgiving is a gesture in which we express to God that it is He whom we want to serve. In addition to material
almsgiving, I encourage spiritual almsgiving. Give the time you saved by abstaining from TV or your cell phone to pray. Give this time to dialogue with your spouse or your child. Give alms from time.

     Finally, I want to remind you of what is probably the MOST IMPORTANT:
whatever you do this Lent, keep in mind Who you are doing this for. We do this for the Father Who sees in secret and He Who sees in secret He will give it back to you. May this help us to have a joyful experience of the victory of Christ, who rises from the dead and fills us with His life!
    

In conclusion, I would like to thank all those who supported the Christmas 2023 collection or made declarations to the Catholic Appeal.  May God reward you for your  generosity. I would like to ask you to support our Easter collection; especially, as we are getting ready to repair the leaking roof over the eastern vestibule of the church. 
    I wish you all a fruitful Lent, leading to conversion and a profound experience of Easter. The liturgies of Holy Week will help us to experience this time more deeply. The schedule is presented below.
    May God Bless us as we make this journey to Easter Sunday together!
     Fr. Krzysztof Pankanin, Temporary Administrator and Parish Staff