From the Pastor's Desk (2/15/26)

From the Pastor's Desk
2/15/26

Lent 2026: Return to the Lord
Are you ready for Lent? Take these remaining days of Ordinary Time to prepare yourself to journey into the desert with Christ so that you may be renewed through prayer, quiet meditation, almsgiving, fasting, and His everlasting love and mercy for you. I invite you to enter this Lenten season and make it your own personal retreat. Take advantage of the next forty day and make the most of them. Let Jesus be your personal prayer partner and realize just how much he cares about you and loves you. Take time to enjoy Lent, yes, enjoy! Set aside a few minutes each day in this coming holy season to convene with the Lord. Allow this season of prayer and penance to renew your mind, heart, and soul. If you are uneasy about Lent, relax. Take it one day at a time. Let the Lord walk with you on your daily journey. Speak to Him. Listen to Him. Love Him. This Lent, our parish is offering a number of opportunities to reconnect with the Lord. Please see our listing of Lenten offerings in today’s bulletin. Also, be sure to pick up your personal copy of Return to the Lord, a booklet of daily reflections on the Lenten Daily Mass Readings from All Saints Press. Copies are available in the church vestibules.
 
A Prayer for Ash Wednesday
Lord, bless this day by blessing our desires. Help us to know how deeply you long to enter into a relationship with us. Help us to fast from, to do without, whatever keeps us self-focused. Remove from us these days some of the unhealthy patterns that make spiritual freedom difficult. Let there be some taste of emptiness this day, and let us experience hunger for you, hunger for a new way of life, hunger for ow we might serve others. Let us enter this joyful season of Lent and help us to celebrate the Paschal Mystery with mind and heart renewed. Amen. 
 
Ash Wednesday Masses
7 AM (ST), 8:30 AM (OLF), 12:10 PM (SFC), 6:30 PM (SFC), 6:30 PM (SJB)
 
Questions to Ponder as We Prepare for Lent
What does Lent really mean to me? What do I love the most about Lent? What do I find most difficult? What can I truly go without this Lent? How would I most like to change myself this Lent? Am I willing to give my whole heart to God? What sins do I struggle with the most? How can I turn to God more often each day this Lent?

Retake the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) Survey
As communicated last week, the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) Survey opens on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026, and runs through March 29, 2026. This is the exact same survey that parishioners took in Lent of 2023. The primary purpose of this second assessment is to measure the impact and growth of our evangelization efforts since the initial survey. Your honest feedback is essential for understanding where we have successfully grown and where we still need to focus our energies. The survey is administered across the diocese by Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI) primarily as an online survey. To ensure accessibility by all, paper copies will be available in the Parish Office on Ash Wednesday. All responses are anonymous and the interactive reports that allow parish leaders to see their results, identify strengths and opportunities, and benchmark their performance against other parishes across the country and in our home diocese. 

Annual Diocesan Parish Appeal
If we do as Saint Peter did and give what we have for God’s glory, great things will happen. Your pledges to the Annual Parish Appeal support ministries such as the formation of new priests and deacons, outreach to hospitals, prisons and nursing homes and evangelization on college campuses. Pray now about what God is calling you to pledge to support His Church on this Commitment Weekend, February 14-15, 2026. 
 
Formed and Cell Phone Sunday
This is the weekend, everyone is encouraged to sign-up for FORMED, an online platform from the Augustine Institute, which draws people closer to Christ. The FORMED is a faith formation platform designed to support Catholics in their spiritual journey, offering a variety of content, including: Catholic movies, audio books, podcasts, and shows that enrich faith and build Catholic culture; daily reflections, award-winning studies, and parish programs that help individuals deepen their relationship with Christ. I have provided a free subscription to every parishioner for one year. Be sure to sign-up at Mass today!
 
Sign-Up for The Search!
Don’t forget to sign-up for our Lenten Series, The Search, which begins this Tuesday, February 17, at 6:30 PM in Msgr. Farri Hall at the SJB Pastoral Center in Monaca. This seven-part series from Formed and the Augustine Institute, is a wonderful opportunity to journey through Lent with your fellow parishioners. Don’t miss out – only 40 spots are available. There is no cost to attend. Sign-up information is available in this weekend’s bulletin on the Adult Faith Formation page.