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Lenten Resources to Help You Prepare for Easter

Posted on February 20, 2020 in: News, Lent

Lenten Resources to Help You Prepare for Easter

During Lent, we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection through prayer and reflection. We contemplate the promised Second Coming of Jesus as Savior. And amid the flurry of preparations, we look for practical ways to observe the holiness of the season in our everyday lives.

To help you with this preparation, we have gathered various Lent resources into one convenient online location. Here you will find several articles and videos about Lent, along with tools and links to help guide you in the understanding of this holy time.

Bookmark the link below and visit it often as you observe the wonderful season of Lent!

NorwichDiocese.org/Lent

Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Father, What Is Shrove Tuesday and Why Do We Celebrate It?

Posted on February 10, 2026 in: Lent, A Question of Faith

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Father, What Is Shrove Tuesday and Why Do We Celebrate It?

Each year, as Lent approaches, Catholics around the world prepare their hearts for the sacred journey toward Easter. Yet before we enter the solemn beauty of Ash Wednesday, the Church gives us a final day of joyful anticipation— Shrove Tuesday, often known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Although the day is popularly associated with parades, colorful beads, and festive foods, its true meaning is deeply rooted in our Catholic faith and in our desire for ongoing conversion. The word shrove comes from the Old English word shriven, meaning “to be absolved of one&rs...

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Ash Wednesday, February 18, Marks the Beginning of Lent

Posted on February 10, 2026 in: Lent

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Ash Wednesday, February 18, Marks the Beginning of Lent

On February 18, the Church enters the sacred season of Lent with the observance of Ash Wednesday, a day marked by humility, repentance, and hope. As ashes are placed on our foreheads, we are reminded of both our human frailty and God’s enduring mercy— an invitation to turn our hearts back to Him. Ash Wednesday begins forty days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, calling us to slow down, examine our lives honestly, and prepare our hearts more intentionally for the joy of Easter. Lenten Prayer from the USCCB Loving God, As we enter into these day...

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Pope Proposes Lenten ‘Fast’ from Hurtful Words

Posted on February 17, 2026 in: News, Lent

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Pope Proposes Lenten ‘Fast’ from Hurtful Words

Pope Leo XIV urges Catholics to listen more closely to God and others — and to “disarm” their language by fasting from words that wound — in his message for Lent 2026. In his message for Lent 2026, Pope Leo XIV urges Catholics to listen more closely to God and others — and to “disarm” their language by fasting from words that wound. The Lenten season begins Feb. 18 with Ash Wednesday. In the message, released Feb. 13, the pope offers a simple definition of Lent as a time when the Church “invites us to place ...

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Indoor Climbing with Bishop Reidy Brings Faith, Fellowship, and Fun— Despite the Cold

Posted on February 10, 2026 in: News

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Indoor Climbing with Bishop Reidy Brings Faith, Fellowship, and Fun— Despite the Cold

Despite bitter winter temperatures outside, warmth and energy filled Central Rock Gym in Glastonbury on Saturday, February 7, as families and young people from across the Diocese of Norwich gathered for Indoor Climbing with Bishop Reidy. Braving the cold weather to attend, participants were rewarded with an afternoon of movement, encouragement, and joyful connection— both on the climbing walls and off. Hosted at Central Rock Gym in Glastonbury, the event invited climbers of all experience levels to challenge themselves in a supportive, faith-filled environment. Fro...

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Welcome the Elect with a Diocesan Celebration of Faith--February 22, 2026

Posted on February 13, 2026 in: News, Events, Lent

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Welcome the Elect with a Diocesan Celebration of Faith--February 22, 2026

Rite of Election All parishioners are invited to attend the Rite of Election on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich. The liturgy will be celebrated by The Most Reverend Richard F. Reidy, Bishop of Norwich. Your presence is a powerful sign of welcome and encouragement for those preparing to enter or be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. The Rite of Election, celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent, is one of the most moving moments in the Church’s year. During this liturgy, catechumens and candid...

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Ash Wednesday at the Cathedral: “Return to Me… It Is Not Too Late.”

Posted on February 18, 2026 in: News, Reflections, Lent

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Ash Wednesday at the Cathedral: “Return to Me… It Is Not Too Late.”

The Diocese of Norwich entered the holy season of Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, with the Most Reverend Richard F. Reidy as celebrant, concelebrated by Father Ted Tumicki and Father Brian Romanowski. In his homily, Bishop Reidy set the tone for Lent with words that were both direct and deeply hopeful. He began by drawing attention to the opening call of the prophet Joel—words the Church places on our lips at the start of the season: “Return to me.” Bishop Reidy reminded the faithful that those words ar...

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