The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

~Psalm 23

Fast & Abstinence

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.

For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may also be taken, but not to equal a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.

If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the "paschal fast" to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily his Resurrection.

Source: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' website

As part of the ongoing 40 Days for Life campaign, St. Anne Catholic Church clergy and parishioners will gather for a public prayer vigil on Friday, March 28, 2014, outside the Columbus Women's Health Organization, 3850 Rosemont Drive, where between 20 to 30 abortions are performed on a weekly basis. The prayer vigil will begin at 7 a.m. and end at 7 p.m.

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life campaign with a vision to access God's power through prayer, fasting, and peaceful vigil to end abortion. In 2014, the campaign began March 5 and will end April 13. The mission of the campaign is to bring together the body of Christ in a spirit of unity during a focused 40-day campaign of prayer, fasting, and peaceful activism, with the purpose of repentance, to seek God's favor to turn hearts and minds from a culture of death to a culture of life, thus bringing an end to abortion.

May this season of Lent help us be good stewards of this time: to fast and pray, be more generous and show others how to live in Christ.

Let us see each day of this season as a new opportunity to renew our lives and gain a deeper appreciation of Your active presence in us and our community of faith.

Source: International Catholic Stewardship Council's website

Save the date for a Ministry Fair, to be held April 26 & 27.

This special event, which will take place around Mass times in Visitation Hall, will be an excellent opportunity for parishioners to learn about the many ministries available at St. Anne Catholic Church. If you see something that interests you, why not offer your time and talent for the service of others? There will be music, snacks and door prizes, too, so please make plans to attend!