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Dear Members and Friends of St. Joseph Church and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church,
The season of Lent calls us back to the basic religious actions of prayer, fasting and giving alms. These actions, when performed in a grace-filled way, help us grow in faith, hope and love. Self-denial helps us to be emptied so that God may fill us with the Holy Spirit. Catholics in good health from the age of 18 to 59 are obliged to fast and abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. They are to abstain from meat on all other Fridays of Lent. Youth, age 13 and older, are to abstain from meat on those days. “Fasting” means no more than one main meal is eaten that day, while in the same day no more than two partial meals are eaten which together do not equal the one main meal.
The Rite of Penance is available on Saturday, March 4, at 3:30 pm at St. Joseph. Communal Penance Services, beginning at 7:00 pm., will be at St. Michael Church in Canfield on Wednesday, March 8; at St. Joseph Church on Tuesday March 21; and at St. James Church in North Jackson on Thursday, March 23.
The Knights of Columbus will be selling Fish Dinners on the Fridays of Lent, at St. Joseph from 3:00-6:00pm. Both dine-in and carry-out dinners are available.
Fish Dinners are available at IHM from 4:00-7:00 pm. Dine-in and carry-out dinners are available.
All are invited to pray the Rosary at Immaculate Heart of Mary on Thursdays at 6:00 pm.
The Stations of the Cross are prayed on Fridays at 7:00 pm at St. Joseph and at 7:00 pm at IHM.
The following highlights other activities in March.
Saturday, March 4, the IHM Knights of Columbus will host a fund-raising dinner from 3-7pm at IHM for Emily Wirtz.
Sunday, March 5, the IHM Knights will have a Pancake Breakfast at IHM. Also this day there will be a Piano Recital for Jason Volovar’s students at St. Joseph Church.
Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12, there will be a documentary watch party on “The Power of Calling” in the Mackin Room at St. Joseph Church following the weekend Masses. Refreshments will be provided.
Sunday, March 19, St. Joseph will observe the Feast of St. Joseph with a free pancake breakfast after the 9:00am Mass. The Knights of Columbus are serving the breakfast.
Saturday, March 25, the 2nd graders at St. Joseph will have their “Jesus Day” in Mercy Hall from 10:00-12:30pm
Sunday, March 26, the Knights of Columbus will have a Pancake Breakfast at IHM. The Confirmation Candidates from both parishes will have their Confirmation Retreat at St. Joseph from 12:15-3:15pm.
We are richly blessed in our parishes by the grace of God. We have many active and generous parishioners who share their time, talent and treasure. We enjoy activities and events that enable us to experience Christian fellowship and support. Praying that this Lent is a powerful experience of God’s grace for each of you, I remain
