What is Lent?
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter.
During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture and other religious reflections, perhaps attending daily mass; we serve others by giving alms, and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ.
Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. (Click here for the precepts of our faith and requirements for Lenten observances.)
In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446; adapted from the USCCB website.) —Fr. Steve
Special Events This Lent
Please click here for a link to the Lenten calendar; for a printable version, please click here.
Tuesday Lenten Prayer & Scripture Study
Lenten Scripture Study will take place on Tuesday mornings in Lent at 10:30AM at the Colbert House, 129 Hudson Ave., Chatham. Please call Dee Winkler for details, (518) 392-2297.
Wednesday Evening Adoration & Taizé Series
Deepen your Lenten prayer experience through three Evening Adoration and Taizé worship services in the Catholic Community of Northern Columbia County. Please join us as we sing a selection of chants from Taizé as well as other liturgical psalm settings through vespers in song, scripture, and silence.
- 6PM, Wednesday, February 28 at St. James/Chatham
- 6PM, Wednesday, March 6 at St. John the Baptist/Valatie
Anointing of the Sick
- 4PM Mass, Saturday, March 9 at St. John the Baptist/Valatie
- 9AM Mass, Sunday, March 10 at St. James/Chatham
Lenten Reflection with Fr. Patterson on Eucharist
- 2PM Sunday, March 10 at St. James/Chatham
- 6:30PM Wednesday, March 13 at St. John the Baptist/Valatie
Friday Stations of the Cross
Please join us on a Lenten journey on Fridays of Stations of the Cross. See our Lenten Calendar or below for details.
Stations of the Cross services in English will rotate among our 3 churches on the following dates:
Lenten Friday Stations of the Cross:
March 1st at 3 PM: St. James/Chatham
Evening stations:
March 8th at 5:30PM: St. Joseph/Stuyvesant Falls
March 15th at 6:30PM: St. John the Baptist/Valatie
March 22nd at 6:30PM: St. James/Chatham
Cada Viernes a las 6:30PM (Español): St. Joseph/Stuyvesant Falls Via Crucis seguido por Misa
If you are unable to join us in person, an online Journey is available here
Confessions
- 3 - 3:45PM Confessions prior to 4PM Mass, every Saturday from February 17 - March 23 at St. John the Baptist/Valatie
- 7PM, Friday, February 23, Siquida de Via Crucis y Exposición de Santísimo,Church of St. Joseph/Stuyvesant Falls
- 10:30 - 11:30AM, Wednesday, March 15, St. James/Chatham, Following Morning Mass
- 10:30 - 11:30AM, Wednesday, March 20, Church of St. Joseph/Stuyvesant Falls, Following Morning Mass
- 10:30 - 11:30AM, Wednesday, March 21, St. John the Baptist/Valatie, Following Morning Mass
CRS Rice Bowl - Lent 2023
We encourage you to consider making Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl program part of your Lenten prayer, fasting & almsgiving program. Please click this link to find out more!