Each Lent is a new opportunity to examine our relationship with God and each other and to follow the example of Jesus, who remained true to the end. If we are ever to change our behavior we have to first allow for God to change our hearts.
Lent is a season of repentance, prayer and fasting, During this solemn and expectant time we remember the sacrifice Jesus made in giving his life for all humanity. We invite you to share in our Catholic traditions as well special activities that are offered at St. Joseph's.
The Way of the Cross follows Jesus on his way to Calvary. Join us at St. Joseph Church at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays of Lent following our 6:30 p.m. Mass as we pray the stations remembering the passion and death of Jesus at each of 14 stops along the route. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament will follow for Adoration.
Portage North Region
St. Joseph - Wednesdays, 6 p.m.
{watch for more details soon}
"The Light Is On For You ~ An Evening of Reconciliation"
Wednesday, March 8
Portage Deanery Communal Penance Services
To Be Determined
Come join us during Lent as we study the Book Of Job: A Good Man Asks Why? Facilitated by Michalene “Mickee” Murphy, sessions will be held on Tuesdays, February 21, 28, March 7, 14, 21, 28, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Parish Center. The fee is $8.00 for the book. To register, please contact the Parish Office by Friday, February 17 ([email protected] or 330-274-2253).
Join our faith community—and more than 14,000 Catholic communities across the United States—in a life-changing Lenten journey of encounter with CRS Rice Bowl. Pick up your family’s CRS Rice Bowl from the Narthex (PSR students will bring one home). During the 40 days of Lent, we will encounter the needs of the world.
The principal feast day of Saint Joseph is March 19, Saint Joseph's Day (for Joseph the Husband of Mary). Saint Joseph's Day always falls during Lent, and Saint Joseph's Day altars and feasts have no meat. However, since the feast day is classed as a solemnity, the requirement of abstinence from meat is technically abrogated, according to Canon Law, even if it falls on a Friday. If the feast day falls on a Sunday, the previous Saturday (March 18) is observed instead, and if it falls during Holy Week or Easter week, it is moved to the Monday after Low Sunday, or eight days after Easter.
St. Joseph Feast Day Celebration 2023
Mass will be celebrated on Sunday, March 19 at 9:00 a.m.
Parish Celebration Details Coming Soon!
There will be a Narthex display of handmade articles for sale the weekend of February 11/12, 2023 which includes nativity scenes, crucifixes, rosaries, and many other beautiful religious items. Because of conflict in the region, many Christian families in Bethlehem are struggling to make ends meet. Holy Land Gifts represents over 150 Christian families who make a living by selling traditional olivewood handcrafts and religious articles. When you purchase one of these beautiful gifts, you are helping artisans in the Holy Land provide for their families who live and work with dignity in the region fraught with tension. Thank you for supporting this project to keep the Christians present in the Holy Land. Visit http://www.giftsofjerusalem.com/ to learn more.
St. Joseph Parish and The Sisterhood of St. Joseph cordially invite you to our Annual Palm Sunday Pancake Breakfast on April 2, 2023, 10 a.m. to Noon in Hughes Hall. The event features "All You Can Eat" Buttermilk Pancakes served with sausage patties & syrup, fruit toppings, and your choice of coffee, tea, o.j. or milk. Great Family Prices: Adults $7.00 • Seniors $5.00 • Children (6-12) $4.00 • Children 5 & Under FREE. Theme Basket Raffles are also part of the fun!
Several ethnic groups have kept alive the tradition of blessing food on Holy Saturday. The staples for the Easter Sunday meal (or, in some cultures, the Saturday vigil meal) - bread, wine, the colored eggs, the ham - are all placed in a basket and brought to the church to be bless. Everyone is invited to place your food items in a basket and gather in the church at Noon for the Blessing of Food on Holy Saturday.
(St. Ambrose in Garrettsville will have a 10 a.m. Blessing of Food)
St. Joseph Church’s Confirmation Class is hosting an Easter Egg Hunt for all parish families and friends on Saturday, April 8, at 12:15 p.m. sharp. The hunt for kids ages 1-9 will follow the Blessing of the Food at Noon in the church. Please arrive early to allow time to park. This year, we will be gathering in the driveway/parking lot on the east side of the school building near the Pavilion.
Donations Needed
We are asking for donations of Easter items for the hunt – wrapped candy, stickers, small toys, and stuffed animals (especially bunnies!). Please drop them off in the Narthex or at the Parish Office during business hours. Questions? Please contact Peg Haney (330-274-2268).
We are invited to participate with our whole being: mind, heart, and body. During Holy Week, Christians commemorate the Passion of Christ, Who died on Good Friday in reparation for the sins of mankind, and rose on Easter Sunday to give new life to all who believe. Thus, while Holy Week is solemn and sorrowful, it also anticipates the joy of Easter through the recognition of God's goodness in sending His Son to die for our salvation. For a complete schedule, please click here.