Season of Lent

by Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.  |  03/02/2025  |  Weekly Reflection

Beloved Parishioners,

I lack the words to express my profound appreciation to everyone for the successful outing of our parish festival. The festival by all standards was a huge success. My joy was more at how the festival brought many of us together as a worshipping community. This is the first time ever we had so many parishioners volunteering at one event.

We had close to 200 people volunteering for the two-day events. I am super impressed with many of our elderly parishioners who came out with their heart to help. Our winter parishioners were exceptionally amazing as your participation was excellent. I would also like to thank all the many inflatable sponsors who allowed us to offset our expenses. The festival committee was awesome as they were on top of the situation. The school kids and our young people demonstrated a high level of maturity. To all those who cooked our food, your meals were so delicious. I ask God to bless and keep each of you.

Let me use this same opportunity to thank the members of the Jubilee Year committee of our parish. The great work you have done for the Jubilee Year celebration in our parish is amazing. The Jubilee Year 2025 is equally the first year of the seven-year pastoral plan of the Diocese leading to 2031 when the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe would be 500 years. The parish will embark on a pilgrimage to St. Mary’s in Kingman on April 2nd. There would be Mass over there and confessions as well. Another significant event the parish has embarked on is the explanation of the Our Lady of the Guadalupe on the first Friday of the month at 6:30pm Mass. The pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul to Greece would be September 23, to October 3, 2025. You can find the flyers at the Narthex for detailed information.

The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025, and as usual there would be Masses at 6:30am, 8:30am, 12:15pm, 5:30pm, and 7:30pm in Spanish to give everyone the opportunity to begin the Lenten season in a spiritual way. In addition, there are two Masses everyday throughout the period of Lent at 8:30am and 5:30pm every day. We have confessions Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:00am and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30pm. We have Station of the Cross, every Friday, 6:10pm outside, 6:20pm inside, and 6:30pm outside in Spanish. We have planned a couple of spiritual activities to help us make this season an excellent spiritual journey. On Saturday, March 8, 2025, there would be a half-day Lenten retreat to begin the season. The talk begins immediately after Mass at Saint Joseph’s Hall. Everyone is invited, but it is mandatory for all families whose children are preparing for sacraments within this period, and also for all those who will receive sacraments during this period.

The one-day retreat would be followed by an exhibition of the life of Carlos Acutis an Italian web designer beatified by the Church. His life exhibition will be here in our parish from March 9th to April 5th. Besides, there would be a parish mission retreat to be facilitated by Julie Carrick on the Eucharist. She is the author of the book Savior & Sustenance: Our Personal Relationship with Christ in the Eucharist. The goal of these spiritual activities is to draw us closer to God to appreciate the gift of the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Our focus is Eucharistic Revival in our parish.

Furthermore, this Lenten season Fr. Johnson and I would take turns visiting all our parishioners who are homebound and sick at home. The visit will include an opportunity for anointing with the oil of the sick, confessions, and Holy Communion. If there is anyone you know who is homebound. Please contact the office with the person’s contact information. Our communal penance service would be March 31, 2025, at 5:30pm. My prayer is that we all join together with Faith during this period of grace.