All Things Lent!
Welcome to our 2023 Lenten page! Here you will find all that we are offering during this blessed time, as well as registrations. It will be updated as things expire or new things are added. Make it a great Lent!
Soup & Stations of the Cross
Soup and Stations of the Cross will be held every Friday during Lent, beginning March 3 – March 31, beginning at 6:30 pm with a soup dinner, followed by Stations of the Cross. (No stations on Friday, February 24 due to our parish mission).
Schedule (subject to change): March 3 – The Way of the Cross (Fr. Peck); March 10 – The Way of the Cross (Deacon Willie); March 17 – Mary’s Way of the Cross (Deacon Shawn); March 24 – The Way of the Cross, Liquori (Fr. Jacobs); March 31 – Everyone’s Way of the Cross(Deacon Dave); April 7 – Mary’s Way of the Cross (Deacon Michael).
Adoration on Saturdays during Lent
The parish offers Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays, 9 to 10:30 am; Saturdays, 2 to 3:30 pm, in the Guadalupe Chapel. Confessions will also be held beginning at 3 pm every Saturday.
Parish Reconciliation - Wednesday, March 15, 7-8pm
Be Reconciled - Wednesday, March 29, 9am-7pm
Lenten Prayer Books
The Little Black Book: Daily Lenten Reflections. Enjoy this devotional booklet on the Passion according to Matthew. Copies will be available at our Welcome Center and are free of charge. Freewill donations are welcome & appreciated. Reflections begin on Sunday, February 19th. Lent starts that following Wednesday.
Meditations for Lent
Weekly Book Club: The Tears of Christ, Meditations for Lent. Wednesday evenings during Lent, March 1 through April 5 (six sessions), come for a discussion of The Tears of Christ, written by St. John Henry Newman. Meetings will take place in Room 213/215, from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm. Visit the parish reception desk to purchase your copy, $3.00 each. Register here.
Mysteries of the Rosary
During Lent, reflect on the Sorrowful Mysteries and their power to transform our lives and prayer life while exploring amazing images from the Holy Land. Watch a seven-part video and discussion series as a journey through Lent, every Thursday, February 16 through April 13. We’ll gather after Mass (beginning in Lent) at SJN at 6:45 pm and wrap by 8:00 pm. Men, women, and young adults all are welcome! Please register here.
Blessed Palms
Here are some ideas on what to do with your dried up palms from last year. (Taken from Nativity Catholic Church)
Burn or Bury: We live in a society where most things are disposable. However, sacramentals, such as palm branches, should be treated with special reverence. Therefore, the normal “rule of thumb” is that anything that has been blessed should be burned (and then the ashes buried) or simply buried. This type of disposal honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the earth in a dignified way. If you are unable to burn and bury your old palms, the parish has placed a basket at the Welcome Center to collect the dried palms. We will dispose of them properly.
Decorate: When we use the palms as decoration in the house, it serves as a constant reminder of Palm Sunday and is a beautiful way to stay connected to Holy Week throughout the year.
Online Lent Resources
- Daily Lenten Reflections from Formed.org (be sure to sign up for a free parish account)
- Lent Resources from Loyola Press
- Strong Catholic Family Faith Lenten Resources
- Best Lent Ever from Dynamic Catholic
- US Council of Catholic Bishops Lent Resources
- Lent #Pray40 Challenge from Hallow Catholic Prayer and Meditation App
- Praying Lent Resources from Creighton University’s Online Ministries
- The Ignatian Workout for Lent: An Online Retreat from IgnatianSpirituality.com
- Resources from St. Mary’s Press for young children and older youth
- 40 Lenten Lessons on the Mass with Relevant Radio.
Almsgiving Opportunities
The foundational call of Christians to charity is a frequent theme of the Gospels. During Lent, we are asked to focus more intentionally on “almsgiving”, which means donating money, goods, time, and talent, or performing other acts of charity toward our brothers and sisters in need.
As one of the three pillars of Lenten practice, almsgiving is “a witness to fraternal charity” and “a work of justice pleasing to God.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2462) We invite you to put your faith in action and to get involved in any of these opportunities to serve through our various outreach ministries!
FEED THE HUNGRY: There are many people in our world who go without food, this Lent you can make a difference in the life of our hungry neighbors!
Feed My Starving Children – Join us on Tuesday, March 21st from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m. at the Aurora location and help us feed more hungry kids! Email Bob Andrini to register today at drinibird2@gmail.com.
Northern Illinois Food Bank – We have reserved 2 sessions for our community to fight hunger! Join us on Thursday, March 30th at 5:30 p.m. or on Saturday, April 1st at 9:00 a.m. at their Geneva location, 273 Dearborn Court. This is a family-friendly service opportunity, everyone ages 8 and older is welcome to participate! Reserve your spot today on our Events & Registration page or by clicking here.
Mercy for the Starving. Volunteer to be one of 700 people (ages 5 and older) to hand pack over 120,000 meals for Feed My Starving Children. Sessions will be on Friday, March 24, and Saturday, March 25. To sign-up or make a donation, click here.
Hesed House/PADS Ministry – Join our ministry that provides food and meals once a month to the community at Hesed House in Aurora. Contact Sue Skibley today to find out how you can get involved at: skibley0905@sbcglobal.net or 847-707-0939.
Lazarus House Ministry – Help us to feed the Lazarus community by bringing breakfast, dinner, or sack lunches on the days our parish is committed to providing meals. Contact Marianne Hale at: mariannedatahale@gmail.com.
Holiday Food Basket Ministry – This Easter we will outreach 150 families in need in our community. Donate money or goods to serve through this ministry. Click here for online giving or bring your donations of a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioning, body lotion, deodorant, toilet paper, paper towels, dish soap, or laundry detergent to room 216 during Lent.
SJN Food Pantry/Salvation Army. Bring your non-perishable food donations to our SJN Pantry Room 216. Every first Monday of the month Salvation Army picks up this food to feed our hungry neighbors in our community.
SHELTER THE HOMELESS/CLOTHE THE NAKED: There are many circumstances that could lead to someone becoming a person without a home. Jesus encourages us to go out and meet those without homes and affirm their worth!
SVdP Ministry – You are invited to see the face of Jesus in every person you meet through this outreach ministry. Share the hope of Our Lord with our neighbors in need. If the Holy Spirit is calling you to serve through this ministry, please contact Jill Sengstock at jillsengs@gmail.com.
VISIT THE SICK: A visit can make the sick person feel less alone and a little company is an optimum medicine! A smile, a caress, a handshake are simple gestures, but so important for one who feels abandoned to himself.
Homebound Ministry – Come with us to nursing facilities and group homes within our parish boundaries and share the light of our Lord Jesus with our brothers and sisters in need. Contact Deacon Ray with questions and register at rmills@sjnstcharles.org
ALMSGIVING: Charity, or almsgiving, is an outward sign of Christian love for others. Generally, it involves some type of sacrifice on behalf of the giver in order to provide for the needs of others. In doing this, bonds of community are formed.
Catholic Relief Services – CRS Rice Bowl, one of our community Lenten Projects! Follow your Lenten calendar each day to practice the Lenten pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving; put your Lenten sacrifices into your CRS Rice Bowl and stay connected with our sisters and brothers around the world by following their stories. Download your CRS Rice Bowl Calendar and your DIY label to make your own rice bowl to collect your alms at home throughout the 40 days of Lent. At the end of Lent give your CRS Rice Bowl donation online and make a difference in the lives of people in our local community and around the world! All resources are found here.
Baby Baskets – With the help of our Respect Life Ministry, our Neumann Needlers, our Rosary Ministry, our Youth Ministry, and all of you our faithful parishioners, St. John Neumann is committed to assembling baby baskets on a monthly basis to benefit our local pregnancy centers: Corbella Clinic, TLC Pregnancy Services, and other mothers in need in our community. Please bring your donations to room 216 on the assigned shelf. Click here to access the list of items in need.
Give Blood/March Blood Drive – It will take place on Monday, March 27th from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. here at St. John Neumann. Click here to register today and save lives!
God of mercy, You call us to recognize you in our sisters and brothers and to care for those most in need. “For whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me“. Matthew: 25:40-45
This Lent, ignite your love in us so that through our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we may support all who experience hunger in body, heart, and spirit and all those who experience fear throughout the world. Amen.
