Lent 2025
Lent Message
from Fr. Arul
Brothers and sisters, I wish you a holy Lenten season that begins with the observance of Ash Wednesday on March 5. I would like to invite you to embrace our traditional practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
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Prayer: A half hour of prayer or meditation every day would be a great way to grow in our loving relationship with God. Almsgiving: Please help us with our Lenten project of feeding the poor as we join hands with Cross Catholic in donating and packing 60,000 meals. Fasting: Since Lent is a penitential season, we are called to preserve the penitential character and purpose of Lent.
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Who should observe fasting? a) Those who have celebrated their 14th birthday are bound to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and each Friday of Lent. b) Those who have celebrated their 18th birthday, in addition to abstaining from meat, are to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Hence, on those days, they may eat only one full meal. Smaller quantities of food may be taken at two other meals, but no food should be consumed at other times during those days. The obligation of fasting ceases with the celebration of one’s 59th birthday. If you choose to fast at 60 and above, you are welcome to do so, as fasting is good for health and helps us pray better. Fasting is a beautiful and powerful spiritual practice.
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We should not lightly excuse ourselves from these prescribed minimal penitential practices.
Ash Wednesday
"Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return."
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent on March 5. During Ash Wednesday Mass, we receive ashes on our forehead as a sign of repentance and turning back to God. Mass with the distribution of ashes will be at 8:30am (School) and 6:30pm.
Lenten Service Project
​This year, we are partnering with Cross Catholic Outreach to help fight hunger by hosting a food packing event on Saturday, April 5, 2025 from 8:30 am-1:00pm in the school gym. We are inviting family and friends to come together as a community to pack 60,000 Vita food meals that will be shipped to the poorest of the poor around the world. Vita food is a nutrient-rich food product specifically designed to meet the dietary needs of chronically malnourished children and adults. In order to pack the 60,000 meals, we will need to raise $19,800. Envelopes will be available in the church pews and at all church entrances starting the weekend of March 8th- March 23rd. Please make checks out to Holy Apostles and include “Food Pack” in the memo line. All donations are greatly appreciated! The funds that are donated will help with shipping these lifesaving meals to impoverished families overseas.
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How to Donate
In order to pack the 60,000 meals, we will need to raise $19,800. A donation of $30 provides 100 meals--$60 provides 200 meals. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be either in the form of cash or a check. We will be collecting donations March 8-23, 2025. Envelopes will be available in the church pews and at all church entrances starting the weekend of March 8th- March 23rd. Please write to Holy Apostles and include “Food Pack” in the memo line. Please contact Mary Beth Setzke at mbsetzke@gmail.com, or (262) 352-1559 for more information or for assistance.
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Join Us For The Food Packing Event On April 5th
We are collaborating with Cross Catholic Outreach to help fight hunger by hosting a food packing event on Saturday, April 5, 2025 from 8:30 am-1:00 pm in the school gym. We are inviting family and friends to come together as a community to pack 60,000 Vita food meals that will be shipped to the poorest of the poor around the world.
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Please note you may come as you are available to pack between 8:30 am and 1:00 pm; you do not need to commit to the entire event. The packing will end at 1:00 pm. In addition, we need volunteers throughout the day for specific roles to help the event run smoothly, including greeters, registration, table captains and heavy lifters.
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How to Volunteer
To volunteer for our Lenten Service Project, sign up for the food packing event below. While signing up if you don't have a minor coming with you, please type in, N/A, in the three required boxes and click I agree to the above additional terms for the Minor Child Volunteer Agreement.
To sign up for a specific volunteer role, please click below to sign up as well!
Holy Week
Holy Week is the last week of Lent which begins with Passion Sunday (known as Palm Sunday) and ends with Easter.
April 13 - Passion (Palm) Sunday - Mass times are at 4:30pm the night before, 8:00am, and 10:00am. We will gather as a community to celebrate our Lord’s passion on this day. We will remember and relive our Lord’s passion by holding the blessed palms in our hands, waving them, singing Hosanna to our Lord. The passion narrative will draw our hearts to participate fully in our Lord’s passion.
April 17 - Holy Thursday - Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum. Join us at 6:30 pm as we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood at our Lord's Last Supper. This liturgy will include the powerful feet washing ceremony, a symbol of humility and service. All are welcome to participate. The offertory collection will be taken for SVdP.
April 18 - Good Friday - On Good Friday, we solemnly observe our Lord's passion, suffering, and death. Our service begins at 3:00 pm reflecting on God's ultimate sacrifice through Jesus Christ out of love for humanity. As we contemplate the Cross, we will have an offertory collection to support the Holy Sites in the Holy Land, and we will fast and pray for all those affected by war. The offertory collection will be taken for the Holy Land.
April 19 - Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil - Holy Saturday is the most sacred night of the liturgical year, culminating in the celebration of our Lord's resurrection.
Join us for the Vigil Mass at 8:00 pm
Join us for Easter Food Blessing at 11:00 am in the church.
April 20 - Easter Sunday - Easter Sunday is a day of great joy as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord! Let us remember that every Sunday is a celebration of this glorious event. Mass times for Easter Sunday are 8:00 am & 10:00 am. We are called to participate in the celebration of the day of the Lord and to keep it holy.
Prayer & Reflection
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Large Group Journey for Emmaus 90, which meets weekly on Thursday evenings from 6:45-8:30 pm in the Welcome Center. If interested in joining, please contact Fr. Arul at aponnaiyan@hanb.org or 262-786-5445.
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Stations of the Cross - Pray and reflect on the Way of the Cross on Wednesdays at 6:00pm from March 12- April 9 in the Church.
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Reconciliation - Reconciliation is offered on Wednesdays from 5:00-6:00pm in the Welcome Center/Fr. Arul's Office. Lenten Communal Reconciliation Service is on Saturday, March 22 from 10:00-11:00am in the Church. Archdiocese of Milwaukee 12-Hour Reconciliation Day is on Wednesday, April 9.
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Eucharistic Adoration - Join us in silent prayer in the Adoration Chapel Monday to Friday from 6:00am-8:00pm. Friday: 3:00 - 8:00 pm, Saturday - Sunday 6:00 am - 8:00 pm, open for silent prayer but no blessed sacrament will be present in the Adoration Chapel. To commit to a specific time every week, click here to sign up.
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Anointing of the Sick: April 5-April 6 after all Masses
