ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CALGARY
  • Blog
  • About
  • Give
  • News & Events
  • Ministries
  • Contact Us
  • Parish Finder
A guide to Lent for the Diocese of Calgary

Living Lent

Lent is a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that starts on Ash Wednesday & ends on Holy Thursday. It's a time of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. We seek Him by reading His Word; we help others through giving alms; and we practice self-control by fasting. Abstinence from luxuries is important, but true inner conversion of heart is key for faithfully following Christ's will during this sacred season of preparation. In the Lent season, we remember our baptism when we were born again into a new life in Christ, and died to sin and evil.​
Vertical Divider

Fasting & Abstinence

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are universal days of fasting and abstinence from meat. Anyone over the age of 18 and under the age of 59 are obliged to fast and abstain. Fasting, in the Latin Church, is the limitation of food and drink – typically to one main meal and two smaller meals (that together do not equal the regular meal in size), with no solid foods in between. Abstinence is the refraining from certain kinds of food or drink, typically meat. While all Fridays are days of abstinence from meat, in Canada “Catholics may substitute special acts of charity or piety on this day.” ~ Ordo, note 29b and 29d.   ​
Vertical Divider
Lenten Penitential Services
Lenten Retreats, Missions, Events
PARISH TRIDUUM SCHEDULE
Get Lenten Reflections Daily
Stations of the Cross
40 ways to get more out of Lent
Lenten Resources for children
Almsgiving this Lent
 

Lenten Penitential Services

See calendar section below to see the full list of Lenten Penitential Services

Penance 

  • Why go to Confession?
  • Confession step-by-step card
  • Examination for Adults
  • Examination for Children
  • ​Spiritual & Corporal works of mercy during Lent (Bishop McGrattan)
 

Lenten Missions, Retreats, & Events

 

Daily Reflections in your inbox

Beginning on Ash Wednesday and continuing through all forty days of Lent, receive a daily email with a short video to help you reconnect with yourself and your God through the work of the following speaker and publications. Be open with what God can do in your life with just an email, a short video or an open heart. We invite you to subscribe to one of these daily Lenten Reflections. 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Lenten Reflections with Bishop Barron
Picture
Curated Lenten videos/programs from Formed.org
 

Stations of the Cross

  • Swipe & Pray - Click here to pray the Short Way of the Cross used by the Franciscans Fathers on their Missions
  • Praying with the Stations of the Cross—with Station to Station Questions for Reflection and Discussion
  • Stations of the Cross for Teens
  • Produce an entire Living Stations of the Cross (for those with very limited time and resources)
  • Brother Francis - Stations of the Cross Brother Francis: The Stations of the Cross - Stations of the Cross - FORMED
  • Pray the Stations of the Cross with Hallow app on your phone
  • Praying the Stations of the Cross at home
  • Stations of the Cross with St. Mary's in Cochrane. Play video
  • Stations of the Cross with St. Paul's Parish in Airdrie. Play video
  • Stations of the Cross for Children with Brother Francis (FORMED.ORG). Play video
  • Stations of the Cross by St. Alphonsus Liguori, narrated by Dr. Cristopher Blum (FORMED.ORG). Play audio
 

Lenten resources for Families with Children

The following activities might be helpful as we prepare our family to enter once again into Jesus’ Paschal mystery and to renew it in our lives:
Celebrating Lent with Catholic Kids
Picture

Lenten Arts & Craft Ideas

Arts & crafts projects suitable for the Lenten Season for children (elementary level).
​Get projects here
Picture

Lenten Calendar for Kids

Fun visual for kids so they can see the 40 days of lent of lent going by, and Easter approaching. Download printable here
Picture

40 Ideas for 40 Days

Engaging resources for family to use with their children during the Lenten Season. 
Click here for list of ideas
Resources from Formed.org for children:
  • Brother Francis
    • Let's Learn about Lent Lent with Brother Francis - FORMED
    • Stations of the Cross Brother Francis: The Stations of the Cross - Stations of the Cross - FORMED
    • Daily Lenten Meditation series Lent with Brother Francis - FORMED
  • Benjamin Cello: O Lamb of God, I Love You (Holy Week/Passion special feature)
 

Lenten resources for Pastoral Ministry Leaders

THE PASTORAL CENTRE
The Liturgical Catechist
TEAM RCIA
GET TO KNOW US
Our Bishop
Offices & Ministries
​Our Staff
Read our Blog
Catholic Community
​Lay Associations
CONNECT WITH US
Contact us
​Careers
​Parish Boundaries

News & Events
Faithfully
​Reporting Abuse
NEED INFO ON
Becoming Catholic
Marriage Preparation
​Vocations
Annulment 
Sacraments Prep
Catholic Funeral
GIVE TO
Diocesan Ministries
Together in Action
Feed the Hungry
Elizabeth House
Your Parish Church​ 
​Other Ministry

Catholic Pastoral Centre  | 120 - 17th Ave SW, Calgary, AB  T2S 2T2 | ​Phone: 403-218-5500 | communications@calgarydiocese.ca
Charitable Number: 
10790-9939-RR0076​. Donate Now.
  • Blog
  • About
  • Give
  • News & Events
  • Ministries
  • Contact Us
  • Parish Finder