Dear Families,

As you know, Easter is a movable feast, celebrated on the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon - the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. So, Easter always falls between March 22 and April 25. This year, Easter is considered "late," in that it will be on April 16. Now, to find Ash Wednesday, you start with the date of Easter Sunday, back up six weeks (that gives you the first Sunday of Lent) and then back up four more days. Thus, Ash Wednesday is the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Lent, and this year that date will be March 2 – 5 days from now.

Traditionally at St. Louise School, starting on Ash Wednesday and continuing throughout the Lenten season's six weeks, the students are immersed in the three pillars of Lent - praying, fasting, and almsgiving.

The praying will begin at 1:45 on the March 2nd in the form of an Ash Wednesday Prayer Service. Ashes will be applied to our foreheads in the sign of the cross as the words spoken by Father or the ministers will be either: "Remember, you are dust and to dust you shall return" or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." These words, and this act of placing ashes, highlight our call to repeatedly repent our sins, constantly strive to live holy lives, and always keep in mind that we are mortal, but there is hope for eternal life in Jesus if we do indeed "turn away from sin."

The fasting on Ash Wednesday will be in the form of both your kids and our faculty giving up the usual full & filling lunch for a simple lunch that will hopefully cause our stomachs to growl by the end of the school day. Fasting is a form of penance and self-denial. Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. We can fast for a few hours as we remember all He gave up for us, including His life.

This year, a simple lunch of rice and beans will be served to all the students (and faculty) in place of the typical filling lunch packed from home. We expect every student (from full day PreK through 8th grade) and every school staff member (from teachers to principals) to partake in this simple rice and beans lunch. Students can have their usual drink at lunch time (school milk or their own beverage) and if students are already allowed by their teachers to daily bring mid-morning snacks, these snacks can still be brought and eaten on the Ash Wednesday.

Finally, the third pillar of Lent, almsgiving, will be highlighted during Ash Wednesday when we ask your children, as they walk through the lunch line in the parish hall picking up their bowl of rice and beans, to give a donation. We are suggesting that each student bring $5 cash which we will donate to the New Bethlehem Project. ($5 is a guesstimate of how much would have been spent on their usual more filling lunch. Your child can always donate more.) New Bethlehem serves families with K-12 children who are experiencing homelessness and will be the recipient of our school community's almsgiving this year. Your kids will hear more from New Bethlehem in the coming weeks.

Please see additional information below and in your red envelope about Lent and Ash Wednesday.

 Have A Blessed Weekend,