Lent and Easter 2024 Ash Wednesday opens the door to our Lenten season of renewal. This year it fell on Wednesday 14 February. The Ash Wednesday service took place in churches across the Archdiocese to mark the start of the Lenten season. The sign of the cross is made with ashes on the forehead, accompanied by the words: “Repent and believe in the Good News” or “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. Lent is traditionally a 40-day fast — a reference to the time Jesus spent being tempted in the desert. It is a time when we can prepare our hearts for the solemn remembrance of Jesus’ death. It concludes and is followed by the Easter Sunday celebration of the resurrection of Christ. The six-week period (excluding Sundays) is dedicated to prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for the great celebration of Christ’s Paschal Mystery in the Easter Triduum. This page will be updated as the season progresses. Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2024 Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom Lent, Holy Week and Easter at St Chad's Cathedral Palm Sunday, 24 March - Masses at 9.30am and 11.30am Wed 27 March, Mass of Chrism - 11.30am Thurs 28 March, Mass of the Lord's Supper - 7.30pm Good Friday, 29 March - Walk of Witness starts at the Church at Carrs Lane at 10am ending at St Chad’s Cathedral. Good Friday, 29 March - Solemn Liturgy 3pm Holy Saturday, 30 March - Easter Vigil 8pm Easter Sunday, 31 March - Masses at 9.30am and 11.30am DOWNLOAD Mass times poster Resources and Retreats Jump to: Bible Society Easter for Children and Families Educational and Musical Resources Environment Catholic Bishops' Conference God Who Speaks CAFOD Pact Podcasts Retreats Written Resources Liturgy and Worship Group Resource selections Filmed by the Diocesan Liturgy and Worship Group for the 2022 Lenten season. Find out more Bible Society - Journey through Lent, Easter and Pentecost This Easter season, journey with Jesus on his path to the cross and celebrate his resurrection. Bible Society has a host of resources to help you reflect and celebrate. Journey with Bible Society Sign up for The Lent Encounter 2024 – The shadow of the cross and be encouraged as we journey together to Easter. Every day throughout Lent on this journey in the shadow of the cross, you’ll receive a devotion by email with the option to listen to the words being read out by the author. You’ll arrive at your Easter celebrations with a renewed appreciation for all that Jesus accomplished on the cross. The Lent Encounter For Children and Families The Easter Donkey The Easter Donkey is a lovely and interactive way to tell the Easter Story The Easter Donkey Mission Together Mission Together, the children’s branch of Missio – the Catholic Church’s official children’s charity for overseas mission, are offering a wealth of Lent resources. Including a Lenten calendar, liturgies, activities and prayers. Mission Together at Lent Hot Cross Bun recipe This simple hot cross bun recipe for kids with step by step instructions is easy enough for children and beginner bakers to try. Easy Hot Cross Buns Free downloadable cards for this Easter St Francis Leprosy Guild would like to offer parishes downloadable Easter cards featuring the crucifixion and their patron, St Francis. There are seven different cards, each with an Easter design and the words Hallelujah! He is Risen! inside. Two of the cards are designed to appeal to children and one can be coloured in. The cards are simple to make as follows: download your favourite Easter cards by clicking on the links print on normal A4-sized photocopy paper fold in half and half again add your own message put in an A6-sized envelope and give to family and friends. Downloadable Easter Cards Educational and Musical Resources Songs of the Resurrection CJM Music share eight songs of the Resurrection. Songs of the Resurrection OneLife Music Why not consider a full school retreat day during the important and wonderful season of Lent and use this opportune time to reflect as a school family on what it means to be a follower of Christ. In-person and online retreats available. OneLife retreats Mustard Seeds Eight-part series exploring key dates and themes around Lent. Topics include the meaning of Ash Wednesday, the significance of the 40 Days and an insight into the important Catholic devotion of the Stations of the Cross. A visual educational resource to aid our Catholic faith journey. Mustard Seeds video series Environment Laudato Si' Lent Calendar 2024 Lent is a special season for reflection and action through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, so this year we’ll live it more profoundly by focusing on the theme Stop and listen. Stop and listen, because we are called to do so during the desert time of lent. This theme can remind us of the devotion of the Angelus and the biblical tradition of the Sabbath. It is above all a way to start or deepen our ecological conversion. Every Sunday, the calendar will propose a meditation on the Gospel. Every weekday, a small reflection or image will be offered to “stop and listen” for a few minutes at a fixed time each day (we suggest that you set an alarm at noon). Every week, the reflections will be focused on a different theme to explore some dimensions of the ecological challenges we’re facing in Europe. Laudato Si' Calendar Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales Lent is a time for turning again to the practice of our faith - in prayer, self-denial (fasting) and practical generosity (almsgiving). Access a host of resources: Bishops' Conference Reflections on the Gospel for the Sundays of Lent Holy Week God Who Speaks The national Scripture campaign led by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Bible Society continues. Offering a wealth of resources for the season including an online Lenten calendar, posters, Seven Last Sayings of Jesus, Listening in Silence: Easter Glory, The Easter Story in Plain English. Lent and Eastertide Bishop Peter Brignall, Bishop of Wrexham, is on BBC Two at 9pm on Good Friday as the new Pilgrimage series goes to North Wales. CAFOD Resources from CAFOD. Please also consider joining their Big Lent Walk to help fight global poverty. Lent family prayer ideas Easter family prayer ideas CAFOD's Lent emails of prayer and reflection will offer an opportunity to pause, reflect, pray and take action as we prepare for Easter. Join us as we journey through the Lent with our global family by signing up for our daily Lent emails Pact The Prison Advice & Care Trust (Pact) is the national Catholic charity that supports prisoners, people with convictions, and their children and families. We provide caring and life changing services at every stage of the criminal justice process: in court, in prison, on release, and in the community. Stations of the Cross liturgy prepared by Pact and including words from those who have lived experience of the criminal justice system. For example, former prisoners reflect on moments from their time in prison and their life afterward. People who have walked alongside family members in prison speak about how that felt. Pact Stations of the Cross Podcasts The Bishops' Conference presents: Reading John in Lent. During the weekdays and Saturdays of Lent, listen to daily podcasts from the Gospel of John – “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. Listen to Podcasts Retreats Reading: Douai Abbey Programme - Lent 2024 Saturday 23 March Lent Reflection Day led by Barbara Priest, Anglican lay minister and Douai oblate Reflections on those who supported Jesus on his journey, called as friend. Scripture, reflection and music used for what they teach and how we can respond. Thurs 28 - Sun 31 March Holy Week Retreat led by Sr Anne Swailes OP To enter more deeply into the Paschal Mystery, and to see the sufferings and joys of our own lives in its light. Reflection on texts, images and music inspired by Holy Week liturgy and events celebrated. Cost £250/£175 shared. DOWNLOAD programme Easter Triduum Retreat at Franciscan Centre, Ladywell, Surrey Thursday 28 March - Sunday 31 March Join our community as we celebrate the Easter Triduum, as we recall and journey with Jesus in his last days, from his final meal with His disciples to His resurrection from the tomb. Find out more and book 'Journey Towards Easter With the Psalms' online Lenten retreat Hosted by the Carmelite Friars, Oxford Taking place on Tuesday evenings - 12, 19 and 26 March - 7pm to 7.40pm. The Psalms have a way of touching our hearts and bringing us into the divine presence in prayer. 'Journey Towards Easter with the Psalms' will help us unravel the mystery we celebrate at Easter. With this retreat we put ourselves in the mood of the mysteries of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, and their implications for us. Join us this Lent for a transformative experience. Journey towards Easter with the Psalms Written resources Sharing in the Life of God - A Journey into the Real Meaning of Easter Deacon Sean Loone of Our Lady of the Wayside parish in Shirley, Birmingham, has written ‘Sharing in the Life of God - A Journey into the Real Meaning of Easter’. Sharing in the Life of God A Cup of Cold Water: Finding Christ in the Sunday Gospels of Lent and Easter New for 2024 from Deacon Sean Loone. The book comprises of a series of reflections taking the reader on a journey through Lent and Easter, Sunday by Sunday, with an accompanying Gospel passage and questions. It is suitable for individual, or study group use. A Cup of Cold Water Lectionary Readings for Lent Commentary on every Scripture reading from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday by Fr Adrian Graffy, parish priest of Gidea Park and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Access Readings Easter in the Holy Land Friends of the Holy Land present a prayer resource bringing the reality of Easter in the Holy Land to life. Holy Week Voices from the Holy Land book Word on Fire Word on Fire has created a brand-new book of reflections, meditations, prayers, Scripture and more for the seasons of Lent and Easter. The Paschal Mystery: Reflections for Lent and Easter, includes an introduction and conclusion from Bishop Robert Barron and key passages for Lent and Easter from Sacred Scripture. The Paschal Mystery Also from Word on Fire, Lenten Gospel Reflections. Pray with and reflect upon the Gospel readings this Lent with Bishop Barron and your parish or family. Lenten Gospel Reflections Walk with Me Welcome to the Lenten edition of Walk with Me. At the heart of this holy season is an invitation from the Father to return to him with all our heart; an opportunity to seek healing and to know the transforming mercy of God. Also available is the Walk with Me Children’s Calendar and the Walk with Me Children’s Mini Mag. Order Walk with Me products Stations of the Cross from Alive Publishing, by Dr Anne Inman Anne Inman taught theology at universities in and around London until retirement in 2014. She has published books on the philosophy of God, and the ministry of women in Anglo-Saxon England. She is currently working on the implications of recent advances in scriptural and historical research for traditional Catholic teaching. The Stations of the Cross is an ancient but ever new spiritual discipline uniting us to the Passion of Christ. Drawing on rich and beautiful sources from St Augustine of Hippo, Jacopone da Todi, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Genoa, Francis de Sales and many others these Stations of the Cross offers us a new and exciting way of meditating upon the cross upon which the Saviour died. Order Stations of the Cross Divine Renovation - Thriving Faith Divine Renovation: How can we live and continue to grow spiritually as faithful disciples? In Thriving Faith, Fr James Mallon uses his personal experiences and deep understanding of the Catholic faith to reflect on how we can grow as disciples of Jesus. Each chapter includes reflection questions: a perfect Lenten companion for individuals, with others in a small group, or as a parish. Get your copy of Thriving Faith Journey to Transformative Lent: A 40-Day Lenten Guide to Prayer, Reflection and Renewal Published as a book and audio book by William Gomes. The book provides daily readings, reflections and practical exercises for each of the 40 days of Lent, helping readers deepen their relationship with God and experience personal and spiritual growth. Book Audio Book The Way of the Cross A Lenten Devotion Produced by the John Bradburne Memorial Society. This Lenten booklet is prayerful, meditating on Christ’s journey along the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. May this Lenten journey be a time of self-discovery, renewal, and a deepening of our connection with the divine. Order booklet Manage Cookie Preferences