Mass and Confession Schedule for the Liturgical Year

The Liturgical Year consists of the ecclessiastical seasons shown in chronological order, interspersed by Ordinary Time, beginning with Advent, which starts the first Sunday after Thanksgiving. Click one to see the Mass and Confession Schedule for the Church Season.

ADVENT
Advent begins the new liturgical year with the first four Sundays before Christmas, ending on Christmas Eve. Each Sunday of Advent is commemorated in preparation for the birth of the baby Jesus and the coming of Christ. The Church is decorated with violet, and during this time we prepare our Advent Wreath and light a candle for each Sunday of Advent. Every week we gather in small groups for our Advent Faith Sharing with prayerful reflection of the Holy Scriptures.

CHRISTMAS
We await the birth of the baby Jesus and the coming of Christ at the Christmas Vigil, the eve of Christmas on the 24th of December. We decorate the Church with white and gold, along with our traditional Christmas colors of red and winter green. The traditional Twelve Days of Christmas begin with Christmas Eve and continue until the Epiphany.

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ORDINARY TIME

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LENT
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and continues for forty days until Palm Sunday. The Church is decorated with violet, and the Lenten season is marked by a time of reflection, prayer, alms giving, and fasting in commemoration of Jesus' 40-day sojourn in the desert. Every week we gather in small groups for our Lenten Faith Sharing, a time of prayerful reflection of the Holy Scriptures. Come join us on the Fridays of Lent for the Stations of the Cross and afterwards gather in Sheridan Hall for a soup supper prepared by our different ministry volunteers. Lent ends on the eve of Palm Sunday.

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HOLY WEEK
Holy Week begins on the eve of Palm Sunday and culminates with Holy Saturday, and includes the Sacred Triuduum (described in the next section). Palm Sunday (aka the Passion of Christ) celebrates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, a joyous time when we ceremoniously welcome Jesus with palm leaves and olive branches. In remembrance, we begin Mass outside the Church, our palm leaves are blessed by the Pastor, and we march into the Church with a procession reminiscent of Jesus' Messianic procession.

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TRIDUUM
The shortest season and the holiest, the Sacred Triuduum -- Latin for the "great three days" -- comprises the great mysteries of our Catholic faith: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper when Jesus first shared the Bread and Wine with the Apostles. Good Friday is the day when He was crucified and and our solemn remembrance of His death on the cross for our sins. Holy Saturday marks His burial and our anticipation of His Resurrection.

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EASTER
The most important, climatic event of our Liturgical Calendar is Easter, when we commemmorate the Resurrection of our Risen Lord Jesus Christ. The church is decorated in white and gold, along with our traditional lilies, and we celebrate the coming of Christ. Alleluia, alleluia! The Easter season continues for fifty days until Pentecost.

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