Communal Celebration of Penance
From 7:45 pm to 8:45 pmTime of Conversion Wednesday, March 25 – 7:30 PM We will celebrate a moment of communal penance, with individual confession after Mass. It will be an opportunity to open our hearts to God’s mercy, acknowledge our faults, and experience His forgiveness. During this Lenten season, we gather as a community to strengthen our faith and draw closer to God, renewing our Christian commitment. Message from the Holy Father Leo XIV: “Listen and Fast. Lent as a Time of Conversion” Dear brothers and sisters, Lent is the time in which the Church, with maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God once again at the center of our lives, so that our faith may regain momentum and our hearts may not be distracted by daily concerns. Every path of conversion begins when we allow ourselves to be touched by the Word of God and welcome it with a docile spirit. There is, therefore, a connection between the gift of the Word, the hospitality we offer it, and the transformation it brings. The Lenten journey is a privileged opportunity to listen to the Lord’s voice and renew our decision to follow Christ, walking with Him the path to Jerusalem, where the mystery of His passion, death, and resurrection is fulfilled. Listen This year, I wish to emphasize the importance of giving space to the Word through listening, because the willingness to listen is the first sign of openness to others and to God. Listening to the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of a story of liberation, as seen in the mission of Moses: God calls him from the burning bush to open a path of salvation for His people (Ex 3:7). Listening to the Word in the liturgy also prepares us for a true listening to reality, recognizing the voices that cry out from suffering and injustice, and guiding us to respond with love and justice. Fast If Lent is a time of listening, fasting is a concrete practice that prepares our hearts to receive the Word of God. Abstaining from food and other forms of self-denial helps us discern what is essential, awaken our hunger and thirst for justice, and orient our desires toward God and neighbor. Fasting, practiced with faith and humility, not only disciplines the body but purifies and frees the heart, transforming our hunger into prayer and responsibility. Moreover, Lent invites us to a very concrete form of fasting: refraining from words that hurt, from hasty judgments, or slander. In this way, many words of hatred can give way to words of hope and peace, within our families, communities, and everyday life. Living Lent in Community Lenten conversion is not only an individual matter but also a communal one. Just as the people of Israel gathered to hear the Law, fast, and renew their covenant with God (Ne 9:1–3), our parishes, families, and communities are called to journey together. Listening to the Word of God and responding to the cry of the poor becomes a way of living together, and fasting sustains true repentance that strengthens unity and solidarity. Dear brothers and sisters, let […]
Time of Conversion
Wednesday, March 25 – 7:30 PM
We will celebrate a moment of communal penance, with individual confession after Mass. It will be an opportunity to open our hearts to God’s mercy, acknowledge our faults, and experience His forgiveness. During this Lenten season, we gather as a community to strengthen our faith and draw closer to God, renewing our Christian commitment.
Message from the Holy Father Leo XIV:
“Listen and Fast. Lent as a Time of Conversion”
Dear brothers and sisters,
Lent is the time in which the Church, with maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God once again at the center of our lives, so that our faith may regain momentum and our hearts may not be distracted by daily concerns. Every path of conversion begins when we allow ourselves to be touched by the Word of God and welcome it with a docile spirit. There is, therefore, a connection between the gift of the Word, the hospitality we offer it, and the transformation it brings. The Lenten journey is a privileged opportunity to listen to the Lord’s voice and renew our decision to follow Christ, walking with Him the path to Jerusalem, where the mystery of His passion, death, and resurrection is fulfilled.
Listen
This year, I wish to emphasize the importance of giving space to the Word through listening, because the willingness to listen is the first sign of openness to others and to God. Listening to the cry of the oppressed is the beginning of a story of liberation, as seen in the mission of Moses: God calls him from the burning bush to open a path of salvation for His people (Ex 3:7). Listening to the Word in the liturgy also prepares us for a true listening to reality, recognizing the voices that cry out from suffering and injustice, and guiding us to respond with love and justice.
Fast
If Lent is a time of listening, fasting is a concrete practice that prepares our hearts to receive the Word of God. Abstaining from food and other forms of self-denial helps us discern what is essential, awaken our hunger and thirst for justice, and orient our desires toward God and neighbor. Fasting, practiced with faith and humility, not only disciplines the body but purifies and frees the heart, transforming our hunger into prayer and responsibility.
Moreover, Lent invites us to a very concrete form of fasting: refraining from words that hurt, from hasty judgments, or slander. In this way, many words of hatred can give way to words of hope and peace, within our families, communities, and everyday life.
Living Lent in Community
Lenten conversion is not only an individual matter but also a communal one. Just as the people of Israel gathered to hear the Law, fast, and renew their covenant with God (Ne 9:1–3), our parishes, families, and communities are called to journey together. Listening to the Word of God and responding to the cry of the poor becomes a way of living together, and fasting sustains true repentance that strengthens unity and solidarity.
Dear brothers and sisters, let us ask for the grace to live this Lent with ears attentive to God and to those in need, with a fasting that also purifies our words, and in communities that become places of welcome, where the cry of those who suffer finds a response, and listening generates paths of liberation. Let us commit ourselves to building together the civilization of love, renewing our faith and our Christian commitment.
I bless you all from my heart, and accompany you on your Lenten journey.
Vatican, February 5, 2026, Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr
Leo XIV PP.