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Lent & holy week at St. John Neumann
As Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year, and we invite you to walk this journey with us as we worship together in faith fueled by generous love and radical hospitality. The Triduum liturgies draw us into the mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection, revealing the depth of His love and calling us to deeper communion with Him. Please invite friends and neighbors to join you!
Daily Mass During Lent
Monday - Friday 8:45 AM
Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 12:15 PM
Adoration
Monday–Friday, 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Stations of the Cross
Every Friday – 6:30 PM
Fish Fry Fridays In Morris Hall
5:30 PM
Lenten Confession Service
March 26 – 6:00 PM
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion - We invite you to wear the color red to Mass
March 28 Vigil Mass
5:00 PM
March 29
7:30 AM
9:00 AM
11:30 AM (Procession)
5:00 PM
Presentation on the Shroud of Turin
March 31 – 6:30 PMThe St. John Neumann parish office will be closed in observance of Holy Week and Easter from April 2 through April 6.
Holy Thursday – April 2(Office Closed)
(Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper)
7:00 PM
Followed by Eucharistic Adoration in the Holy Family Center until midnight
Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion – April 3
(Office Closed)
Stations of the Cross – 12:00 PM
Chaplet of Divine Mercy – 2:30 PM
Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion (Not a Mass) – 3:00 PM
Holy Saturday - April 4Blessing of Easter Food - 12:00 PM
No 5:00 PM Mass
Easter Vigil Mass - 8:30 PM
Easter Sunday – April 5
7:30 AM
9:00 AM
11:30 AM
1:30 PM
Holy Week Updates:- Overflow Parking for Easter: To help welcome all who will join us this Easter, we have secured additional overflow parking for our busiest Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM.
Overflow parking is available at 925 Capital of Texas Hwy (Westway Office Park), just a 5-minute walk to the church, with approximately 120 additional spaces. The entrance is easily accessible to those coming from Capital of Texas 360 highway.
If you are able and can arrive early, we invite you to consider parking there. This small act is a beautiful way to live out our value of radical hospitality, helping ensure parking spaces for guests and those who need closer access. Thank you for helping us create a welcoming experience for all this Easter! - Please plan to arrive early for the most attended Easter Masses at 9:00 AM & 11:30 AM. All Easter Masses will have beautiful music. We are also adding an additional Mass at 1:30 PM.
- ADORATION
During Holy Week, Adoration will be on Mon, Tue, and Wed from 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Adoration will be closed until Easter Monday at 6:00 AM
CONFESSION
Following our Lenten Confession Service, there will be confessions on March 28 and 30; there will not be confessions offered on April 1 and April 4. Following Easter, the next opportunity for confession is Easter Monday, April 6, at 9:15 AM.
EASTER FOOD BLESSING
Join us for the blessing of Easter food on Saturday, April 4 at 12:00 PM in the Narthex. In many Eastern European countries, it’s a tradition to have a basket of food blessed on Holy Saturday. This Catholic ritual has been cherished for centuries among many families.
LIVESTREAM
For those parishioners who are traveling during Holy Week but want to stay engaged with SJN, we will livestream our Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday Service, Holy Saturday Vigil Mass, and 11:30 AM Easter Sunday Mass.
The St. John Neumann parish office will be closed in observance of Holy Week and Easter from April 2-6.
- Overflow Parking for Easter: To help welcome all who will join us this Easter, we have secured additional overflow parking for our busiest Masses at 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM.
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shroud of turin rewatch
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Lenten podcast reflections
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21 hours agoALLELUIA! ALLELUIA! ALLLLEEELUUUIIIIAAAA! He has risen, just as He said! We have seen the risen Lord! This might be the end of the Way of the Wildflowers podcast, but it’s just the beginning of a... -
yesterdayDuring this time of waiting on Holy Saturday, I want to focus on two Scriptures: Psalm 31:1-4; 15-16 and Lamentations 3:19-34. Whatever you’re also waiting for, you’re in good company. Lean into the...
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2 days agoFor Good Friday today, I encourage you to sit with the following Scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you: Romans 5:8; Isaiah 53:5-6; 1 Peter 2:24; Mark 10:45; John 3:16. Today is all about...
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Lent Questions
Please explain Lent Fasting and Abstinensnce.
Abstinence from meat (beast or fowl) is to be observed by all Catholics fourteen years old and older on Ash Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. This obligation prohibits the eating of meat, but not eggs, milk products, or condiments of any kind, even though made from animal fat. We would love for you to join us at our Friday Fish dinners hosted by our SJN Knights of Columbus.
Fasting means limiting oneself to one full meal on a given fast day. Catholics who are eighteen years of age but not yet fifty-nine are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On fast days, two additional smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength. However, the two smaller meals together may not equal one full meal. Moreover, eating solid foods between meals on fast days is not permitted.
Why is Lent 40 days long?Lent lasts for 40 days because Christ suffered in the desert for 40 days.
How is the date of Ash Wednesday determined?Ash Wednesday always falls six and a half weeks before Easter.
How is the date of Easter determined?Easter is a moveable feast as opposed to a fixed date each year. Easter being celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon of spring (March 21 or later) dates back to the Council of Nicea in 325.
How long is Lent?Lent lasts 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Thursday, excluding Sundays. Sundays are an important part of Lent, but we do not include them in the “40 days” because on every Sunday we remember and celebrate the Resurrection of Christ in the Mass.
Do Sundays count in Lent?Technically, the Church does not obligate us to fast on Sundays. However, the Sundays during Lent are still part of the Lenten season. Choosing to continue your Lenten sacrifice on Sunday is a personal choice.
What is Palm Sunday?Palm Sunday, the last Sunday during Lent. It signifies Jesus’s triumphant return to Jerusalem after spending 40 days and nights in the desert. At Mass, we celebrate his return and our desire to follow him.
When is Good Friday?Good Friday takes place between Palm Sunday and Easter, as part of the Easter Triduum. It will occur one day after Holy Thursday (or Maundy Thursday in some traditions.)
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Ash Wednesday QuestionsWhat is Ash Wednesday?
Like in every year, Ash Wednesday is the first day of the liturgical season of Lent. It always falls six and half weeks before Easter, beginning the Lenten season of preparation for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Is Ash Wednesday a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation?
Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics, yet receiving ashes is a universal practice among Christians to begin their Lenten journeys. Most Catholic parishes offer Ash Wednesday Mass, and in some places, it is possible to receive ashes without attending Mass.
Do I need to be Catholic to receive ashes?
You do not need to be Catholic to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Several other traditions within Christianity also share this act of repentance.
Why is Ash Wednesday important?
As the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday awakens us to Jesus’ entry into the desert preceding his death. Before Easter, however, we must prepare our hearts for his Resurrection.
We begin our season of preparing our hearts for Easter by recognizing our brokenness and need for conversion, a turning of our hearts to God.
Where do the ashes come from?
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter. It symbolizes Christ’s return to Jerusalem after spending 40 days in the desert. In the Catholic tradition, we receive palm leaves, which have been blessed, to hold onto during Mass and bring home. The leftover palms from Palm Sunday are then burned and saved for the next Lenten season.
Where do the ashes go?
It is typical to receive ashes on your forehead in the Sign of the Cross. Similar to taking communion at Mass, you usually process toward the altar to get ashes. The priest will make the Sign of the Cross and say one of two things:- “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”
- “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”
The ashes symbolize our mortality. They are a physical reminder that our bodies will decay, but our souls will live on in eternal life.
Fasting on Ash Wednesday
There are only two obligatory days of fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
Catholics are also instructed to abstain from meat on each Friday during Lent.
SEE ALSO: What to Give Up for Lent
Why do Catholics fast on Ash Wednesday?
Fasting is a sign of repentance and helps us embody our spiritual hunger for Christ, who himself fasted in the desert for forty days preceding his death and Resurrection.
Age requirement
The Catholic Church requires able members from age 18 to 59 to fast on Ash Wednesday. The obligation to abstain from meat applies to those 14 and older.
Meals
Fasting allows for one full meal and two smaller meals (that combined do not equal a full meal), with an expectation to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday. Exemptions are available for those with special physical needs.
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