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Live Lent

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Online Lenten Resources

Check these free resources: 

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Lenten ideas for families, children, and teens.
Lenten Symbols
25 things for your kids to spot during Palm Sunday and Triduum
How to teach about lenten sacrifice
Annunciation Reflection
5 meatless meals kids will eat
Lent Around the World Recipes
These prayer, fasting, and almsgiving ideas for Lent will help to build inclusiveness of people of all abilities in our faith communities. 

From the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. For example, "When offering 'living" Stations of the Cross, be sure that a few students...give a visual portrayal of the fact that some people who followed Jesus had disabilities."
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NCPD Guide to Inclusive Lenten Activities
The USCCB website contains many Lenten resources. 
Explore!
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Lent Overview
10 things to remember for Lent
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Lent
A Reflection on Lenten Fasting
Why Ashes?
Readings for Ash Wednesday
God's Gift of forgiveness
El Regalo de dios de perdon
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Lent 2025 Newsletter
Loyola Press has activities and resources to 
help children and families understand and embrace the season of Lent. 
  • Resources for the Lenten Journey
  • Catechetical Activities for Lent
  • Lent at Home
  • Lenten Activities for Children
  • Lenten Family Calendar
  • Lent Frequently Asked Questions: With Joe 

Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary Scripture Search
Invite young people to do a Scripture search when learning about or reviewing the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.

A Whole Bunch of Values Lenten Countdown for Children
Explore a variety of values with young children this Lent.

Guided Reflection on Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving
Introduce the disciplines of Lent with this guided reflection.


​40 Ideas for 40 Days
Get an early start on Lent planning with this selection of Lenten activities from the deep archives of Catechist’s Journey. While organized according to the 2022 calendar, the activities aren’t limited to just one day of Lent.

Liturgical Year: Lent
Bookmark this link for a full selection of Lenten articles, activities, prayers, and videos.

7 Ways to Practice Lent—Free eBook
Explore seven ways to practice Lent. Joe Paprocki offers background on each tradition, an accompanying prayer, and activities for catechists to share the riches of Lenten practices with those they serve.


​Here's a resource to help adults to pray during Lent: 
  • 8 Ways to Pray During Lent


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online lenten retreats
​from Ignatian Spirituality
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Saint Mary's Press
Free Lent Activities for Kids, Tweens, and Teens
Free Lenten Lessons Grades K-5

Stations of the Cross

Catholic Relief Services has resources to use with Rice Bowls for praying, fasting, giving and learning. ​
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Spend as much time as you want pausing through this 1.5-minute video from Catholic Relief Services that leads you through the Stations of the Cross with beautiful art by Br. Mickey McGrath
STATIONS OF THE CROSS OPTIONS FROM LOYOLA PRESS
Stations of the Cross for Children from Loyola Press
CRS Rice Bowl Project
ECUMENICAL STATIONS OF THE CROSS
PRAYER AND PRAISE-STATIONS OF THE CROSS
STATIONS OF THE CROSS FOR VOCATIONS
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Stations of the Cross Matching Game
​for kids from Sara J Creations
Matching Game
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Lent: The Journey Begins
FREE 2-page reproducible flyer from The Pastoral Center
Fasting in a Fast-Paced World 
FREE reproducible flyer from The Pastoral Center
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Find links to ideas for home Lenten activities HERE, from Building Faith. 

Find ideas for Stations of the Cross in Nature HERE, from Building Faith. 
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Catechetical Resources for Lent
Lenten PRAYER CARDS, PUZZLES, RECIPES, CHECKLISTS, SOUL-NOURISHING PRACTICES AND MORE FROM sADLIER
Help families to observe Lent
PALM SUNDAY LESSON PLAN & ACTIVITIES
LENT ACTIVITIES
STATIONS OF THE CROSS ACTIVITIES
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Click here to be directed to a Lenten Learning Opportunity from Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions (FDLC)
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The Lenten Season

find lenten resources for adults, families, youth, and children
Inclusive Lenten Activities
get catholic relief services prayers, lessons, and resources for lent
liturgical preparation aid for Lent, Triduum, & Easter 2022

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Holy Week & Triduum

Bishop Bonnar's Homily for the Chrism Mass 2022
Find Holy Week & Triduum Resources & Videos

Lenten Calendars to share with families
(Let us know if yo see the 2025 versions before we see & post them!) 
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lenten-calendar-2024_bridgeport.pdf
File Size: 413 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

lent-2024-calendar_spanish_usccb.pdf
File Size: 954 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

lent-2024-calendar_english_usccb.pdf
File Size: 753 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

For small groups during Lent: 

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Restorative Justice in Light of the Lenten Gospels:
​A Five-Week Exploration
​This weekly Lenten series is designed for individual or small group use, and follows along with Catholic Mobilizing Network's faith formation guide, Harm, Healing, and Human Dignity: A Catholic Encounter with Restorative Justice (Liturgical Press, 2019).  While using the book is strongly recommended, the series may also be completed without it. Each weekly module includes additional web-based resources and reference materials. 

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Who do you say that I am? Faith and incarceration
​small group guide
Who Do You Say That I Am? is an experiential resource for faith communities to explore the wide-ranging effects of incarceration and to discern what our faith calls us to in response. This Lenten series has videos, PowerPoint presentations, participant discussion guides that guide a group in your parish, organization, school or small faith community.
A valuable 1-minute reflection on what to "do" for Lent
In 2.5 minutes, Joe Paprocki demonstrates how prayer, fasting, and almsgiving
​have a domino effect in our lives and in the world. 
Spend 2.5 minutes with this lovely Lenten visual meditation

The article below is from the Archdiocese of Detroit, referencing art museums in their area,
but you can adapt the ideas to art in your area, or look up photos online for Visio Divina prayer. 
Article: HOW TO PRAY WITH SACRED ART DURING LENT AND HOLY WEEK

Lenten Gospel Stories

Jesus is Tempted in the Desert
The Woman at the Well
Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind
The Raising of Lazarus

"Like the disciples in the Gospel we were caught off guard by an unexpected, turbulent storm. We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us." Pope Francis blessing, March 27, 2020. 

"Unless there is Good Friday in your life, there can be no Easter Sunday."  Venerable Servant of God Fulton J. Sheen

"There are periods in every life when we feel as naked and vulnerable and racked with pain as Jesus on Calvary. We can’t fast-forward through them; we can only endure them, trying to find some comfort in the love of others and in the knowledge that God has suffered, too," Ginny Kubitz Moyer

Lent and Easter Recipes and Traditions

Paczki Recipe - Make these before Ash Wednesday!
History and meaning
Soft Pretzel Recipe - A Lenten Treat!
Pretzels and lent
Italian Easter Meat Pie Recipe
Paska -- Easter Bread Recipe
Origin and meaning
Poppyseed Kolachi Recipe from Poland
Hot Cross Buns Recipe
Learn the origins
Meatless Meals from Around the World
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LENTEN REFLECTION VIDEOS

BEST Lenten advice EVER!!!
Bishop Robert Barron's thoughts on Lent
How about giving up something more meaningful than food?
Hilarious video about picking odd and awkward things to give up for Lent!
A lighthearted look at Ash Wednesday and Lent,
set to the tune of a popular 80s song

Lenten Music Videos

Matt Maher's 40 Days music video
Christ Be Our Light with lyrics.
 Taize chant music video

Books to Consider:

See if we still have these Lenten Reflection Books to borrow from
​our Diocesan Library

To reserve call 330 744-8451 ext. 297 or email [email protected]

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Working Toward Sainthood: Daily Reflections for Lent by Alice Camille. Twenty Third Publications, 2013.
We are all saints in progress, says the great spiritual writer Alice Camille. And Lent is the perfect time to let the saint inside each of us “come out and get some exercise.” These daily meditations on the readings of the Mass invite us to immerse ourselves in the season by getting in touch with the saints within. Camille assures us that despite (or maybe because of) our imperfections, we can be saints and superheroes. “They may not know us by our capes,” she says. “But they will know us by our love.”
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The People of the Way of the Cross: Walking with Jesus Through the Eyes of 14 Witnesses.  Alborghetti, Marci.  Twenty Third Publications, 2016. 
In fourteen penetrating narratives, Marci Alborghetti imagines the stories behind the people who witnessed Jesus’ Way of the Cross. Some are historical, scriptural, or traditional figures, such as Pilate, Nicodemus, Veronica, and Dismas. Others are unnamed and anonymous, but equally compelling—a soldier casting lots, a child lost in the crowd, and a slave who carries a fateful hammer. Each individual encounters Jesus in a unique way. And each is profoundly changed by the experience
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Lent and Easter Wisdom from Thomas Merton, The Merton Institute for Contemplative Living.  Liguori, 2007. 
Let the words of Trappist monk Thomas Merton lead you through the holy season of Lent and into Easter. The author was known for his journaling skills. With that in mind, the daily format includes an explanation of one facet of the season, followed by Merton's writings, appropriate Scripture passages and a daily journal topic to encourage your own thoughts related to Lent and Easter.
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Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit
by Paula Huston, Ave Maria Press, 2011
Huston invites readers to de-clutter their minds, hearts, souls, and relationships thorough this book of daily Lenten practices woven from the Gospels, the Desert Fathers and Mothers, and the author's own wealth of experience.
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Being the Body of Christ: What the People of the Passion Teach Us about Jesus Today, by Marci Alborghetti.
One is his mother. Another is a friend. Still another is a stranger. They are among the seven people who witness Jesus’ death on the cross. Each chapter offers questions and topics for personal reflection or group discussion, making this an inspiring and cherished companion for all who seek deeper participation in the Body of Christ.

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Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent.  Rohr, Richard.  Franciscan Media, 2011.
​Richard Rohr, one of today's most prophetic voices, invites us to self-disclosure and to enter the wondrous divine dialogue with clarity, insight-and holy desire! These daily meditations for Lent are his gift to us for our transformation into our original image and likeness, which is the very image of God.

Borrow these Lent Activity Books from our Diocesan Library
​
To reserve call 330 744-8451 ext. 297 or email [email protected]

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Radiate Christ Lenten Retreat Kit.  Schaeffler, Janet.  Pastoral Center, 2016.
Lent is a counter-cultural season that is more about how we are meant to bring Christ to the world than just a focus on ourselves as individuals. Sr. Janet graciously opens her archive of parish-tested resources to offer this reflective and practical reflection that offers a fresh and challenging perspective on Lent. Use this flexible kit to help you and your people live our Lent, Easter, and Pentecost differently, whether as a full-day retreat, parish meeting, morning or evening of reflection, parish mission, youth event, or more. It's really three retreat experiences in one that you can draw from year-after-year. This guide includes three sessions, each exploring how Lent calls us to radiate Christ to everyone we encounter:
  • A Fresh Perspective on Lent - Lent is not an isolated season, but one that points toward Easter, Pentecost, and how we are called to transform the world. Lent calls us to responsibility beyond guilt.
  • Lenten Practices - The traditional Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving help us get into shape as disciples for our common mission. 
  • Lenten Resolutions - Our Lenten practices help us become more spacious, so God can work within us to radiate Christ in the world. What "resolutions" might we take that will outlast the season and stay with us?

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Bringing Lent Home with Pope Francis: Prayers, Reflections, and Activities for Families.  O'Boyle, Donna-Marie Cooper.  Ave Maria Press, 2015. 
Invites families with children to let the wisdom and spiritual insight of Pope Francis be their guide through Lent. The story of the popular Holy Father’s life, brief words of inspiration from him, and a variety of prayers and activities are included for each of the 40 days of Lent.

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The Lent-Easter Book: Living and Celebrating Our Catholic Customs and Traditions.  Arbogast, Joan Marie.  Pauline Books and Media, 2005.
Hands-on stories, crafts, activities and discussion starters to help children celebrate Lent and Easter traditions at home and in class.
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Journey of Faith for Lent: Creating a Sense of Belonging Between Young People and the Church.  Shrader, Mary.  Saint Mary's Press, 2005. 
Ten lesson plans for youth ages 10-13 the season of Lent. Each session includes icebreaker, prayer, hands-on learning, and a "live it" section.

Activities are high energy and engaging for this middle school age group.
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Junior Youth Activities for the Lent and Easter Seasons: An interactive Guide to Discovering Spirituality.  Steve Mason and Sandy Rigsby.  Resource Publications, 2001. 
Everything you need to create meaningful and fun experiences for Middle School youth through the Lent and Easter season. Each session contains a commentary on the weekly readings, a preparation section, a supply list, discussion questions, and a session outline.

Lent Video Series 

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Secret of the Horse (Manifest Mysteries Series) DVD
A teenager faces racial prejudice the first day at a new school and must resist fighting to ensure his family does not suffer because of his actions. As he finds it harder to resist fighting, his father reminds him of the true purpose of martial arts and the real meaning of sacrificial love. Based on Christ’s own endurance of suffering in the Scourging at the Pillar. Contains both English and Spanish tracks and a bi-lingual study guide.

Other films in this series include:
The Eggplant Lady (Agony in the Garden)
Haunted Heart (Crowning with Thorns)
Carrying On  (Carrying the Cross)
The Hero  (The Crucifixion)


Ash Wednesday Videos & Resources

People on the street discuss Ash Wednesday.
​

Beautiful views of the cosmos bring this unique Ash Wednesday meditation to life.
Updated version of the popular "Lent in 3 Minutes" video.
Fr. Jack interviews folks about Lent.

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​From Loyola Press: 
Articles:
  • What’s with the Ashes?
  • Lent Begins
  • Mardi Gras Prayer
  • Finding God in Ash Wednesday
  • Lent Lived After the Ashes
  • How to Get Started During Lent
  • Honesty During Lent
  • Life Laundry
Ash Wednesday 3-Minute Retreats:
  • Marked with Salvation
  • Marcado con la salvación

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Ash Wednesday PRAYER CARDS, REFLECTIONS, "PURPOSE OF ASHES" HANDOUT from Sadlier Religion
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    • Start Your Faith Formation Year!
    • Lessons and Ideas for all ages & abilities
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    • Curriculum for Catechesis
    • Feed YOUR Spirit!
    • Diocesan Certification
    • How to create an online lesson
  • Topics in Faith
    • Seasons >
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      • Lent
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      • Saints for All
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  • Praying & Serving
    • Against Racism
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    • Crisis Response
    • Shrines & Pilgrimage Sites
    • Serving & Reaching Out
    • Works of Mercy Videos
  • For Parish Ministers
  • Lay Ecclesial Ministry
  • "Practicing Faith, ​Hope and Love"
  • Jubilee 2025