Catholics are invited to spend Lent as a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving for personal conversion and renewal. The traditional practices take on, for the most part, an individualistic character. “What are you doing for Lent?” We associate the Lenten journey with Jesus’s 40 day experience in the dessert.
But there is also a communal theme that is probably under-represented or under-appreciated. Lent also reminds us of the 40 year journey/search of the Jewish people for the promised land, a time to be sure of trial and purification. The hope is that an emphasis on the parish experience of Lent would be of great spiritual benefit for our parish community but would also enhance the personal experience of our parishioners.

This notion originated in discussions with our parish Evangelization Committee; other groups have heard of this proposal at least in its outline form: (e.g. Core Renew Team, Parish Community Service Committee, Liturgy Committee. Each committee has been positive and encouraging in its response.)

Spiritual Goals of this project would fit in well with our Pastoral Council’s interest in Evangelization.

• Greater appreciation of our Sunday Eucharist (coincides with efforts to implement recent GIRM document)
• Preparation for and increased participation in our rich Holy Week services: Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter. Special emphasis and encouragement would center on the Triduum with the high point coming at the Easter Vigil and its importance for the RCIA candidates and catechumens.
• Preparation for our own renewal of Baptismal promises at Easter and a renewed commitment during the Easter season.
• Spiritual benefits of common efforts in prayer, study and outreach.
  

Strategies:

• To build on the spiritual momentum of Lent.
• To build on the various groups already constituted: e.g. Small faith sharing groups, Pastoral Council, Peace and Justice Ministry, Parish Community Service Group, St. Vincent de Paul Society, Confirmation Preparation class, Religious Education Program, Youth Group, Parish Habitat for Humanity Group, Women’s Group, Newman Community, Evangelization Team, Liturgy Committee. We would ask these groups to discuss some common and shared project for Lent: "What do we (whatever group) want to do together (and hence part of our parish) during Lent?"
• To invite and attract more parishioners to small group experiences.

Methods: building on the traditional Lenten practices

• To invite and encourage every group in the parish to consider the question: “What do we as a group want to do together for Lent?”
• To invite and encourage every person in our faith community to be part of some shared Lenten experience.
• To develop a number of options so that every person would be able to find at least one activity that was attractive for them. These options would be in the areas of:

• Prayer/study: parish would provide a specific series explicitly developing the goals of the program; other groups would be invited to select materials for prayer/study that would be appropriate for them.
• Service: Various action/service oriented groups would develop a set of service projects for the season of Lent
• Almsgiving: e.g. to encourage participation in the almsgiving project for Habitat.
• Prayer: to ask our groups primarily dedicated to prayer to develop some opportunities
• To offer to every group that is formed the opportunity to study a shortened or summary version of the parish program mentioned above.