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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Posted on February 10, 2026 in: Lent
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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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Posted on February 17, 2026 in: News, Lent
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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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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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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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The Cathedral of St. Patrick’s in Norwich, CT is pleased to welcome Fr. Herald Joseph Brock, CFR (Franciscan Friars of the Renewal), for the 2026 Lenten Mission, on March 9–11, 2026, at 6:30 PM each evening. The Mission is open to all—please save the dates and help spread the word.
A Lenten Mission is an invitation to “put out into the deep,” embrace deeper conversion, anchor ourselves more firmly in Christ, and rediscover our mission in Him. We look forward to gathering as a diocesan Church for these grace-filled evenings of clarity, e...
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