February 11, 2026

Heavenly Father, we come to you with humble hearts, asking for your mercy upon all mankind. Let your peace flow through nations, across borders, and into every home. Calm the storms of hatred, silence the drums of war, and replace pride with compassion.

Heal our broken world. Let us not grow tired of praying, hoping and believing. May we, in our little ways, be instruments of your peace and love.

Amen.

~ St. Padre Pio


Dear Parishioners,

As we begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday this week it would be good to begin to sketch some possible Lenten plans. Getting ready for Lent is as simple as stop, look and listen: Stop your activity for a few minutes; take a look at your life; listen to the Holy Spirit within you. When you do that, you will be able to tailor your resolutions to your own needs. This year as a parish, we will have a Lenten theme to help us spiritually prepare ourselves over these 40 days. Our Parish Lenten Theme: “May our hearts thirst for the Living God.”

During this sacred time of Lent during the month of March, we will have many wonderful opportunities to spiritually prepare ourselves for Easter. Our Ash Wednesday schedule for Masses and distribution of ashes will be: 8:30 AM, 10:00 AM (school Mass), 7:00 PM and a 12:10pm prayer service.

This weekend we begin our 40 Hours devotions as a parish family. Immediately following the 11:30 AM Mass on Sunday, the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed until after our devotions at 7:00 PM. It will then be exposed after the 8:00 AM morning Mass and remain exposed until after our devotions at 7:00 PM on Monday and Tuesday. I have asked Rev. Randy Kraft, friend and neighbor of St.  Agnes Parish, to come and lead us in these devotions each night. I pray that you can make some time to spend with the Lord over these next few days; and if you do and are able, may they truly be a blessing to you as we enter the Lenten season!

On March 17 to 19 at 7:00 PM, we as a parish family will have a St. Joseph Triduum where we will honor St. Joseph. Each night there will be Exposition, Benediction, Devotions and Prayers with guest homilists. 

Our “40 days” of Lent is a round number with symbolic meaning. The Jews spent “40 years” in the desert on their way to the Promised Land. Jesus spent “40 days and 40 nights” fasting in the desert before beginning his ministry. In the early centuries of the Church, the fasting days leading up to Easter varied ~ in some places two days, in others a week. Gradually this grew longer and longer, and by the mid-fourth century, Lent began six weeks before Easter on the first Sunday of Lent.

However, fasting was always prohibited on Sunday, which meant that there were only 36 fasting days in the six-week period. To make the Lenten fast include 40 days, the Church added four days of fasting (Ash Wednesday and the three days following). Lent itself ends on the evening of Holy Thursday, thus beginning the Triduum. I do pray and hope that this sacred season of Lent will be one of great blessings for you and your family.

God Love Ya!
Fr. Reilly



Liturgy is a word that comes from the Greek meaning "the work of the people." What makes our liturgy a "shared" work? We sing; we sit in silence; we listen and speak; we stand, embrace, eat and drink. In all these actions (including formalized or ritualized communication) we speak to one another and to God with our bodies and our voices, and we "listen" not just with our hearing but with our senses. The real communication of the liturgy is the moments that it offers us for being still in open and loving relationship with God and one another. Liturgy is not something we do for God. It is an opportunity to touch and enlarge our experience of God, to be with God, to hear God, to know God. When it works, it changes who we are and how we live.



If anyone has old palm at home, please bring it to Mass this weekend and we will burn it for Ash Wednesday.

There is a basket in the Narthex.

Thank you!




Looking to be active in faith, but also physically? Come join us for Mass at 9:30 AM and then head over to the school gym for some hoops!

Location: School Gym

Time: Directly after 9:30 AM Mass

Who: Men 18 and older — all skill levels welcome

No teams? No problem. We’ll match up and run games on the spot.

Whether you haven't hit the court in a while or already in mid-season form, come out for good times, solid runs, and a healthy way to start your Sunday. Please reach out to Trevor Dameika at [email protected] with any questions as well as upcoming schedule.








Mark your calendars for Sunday, February 15 through Tuesday, February 17. You are invited and encouraged to spend some time together with our Lord at Forty Hours Devotion.  Forty Hours is a special period of continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament that will begin at the end of the 11:30am Sunday Mass and continue each day. Evening prayer will be held at 7:00pm, with closing Mass on Tuesday night. An explanation of the history of 40 Hours can be found in the bulletin.







Lent is fast approaching. Would you like this Lent to be “different” and make lasting changes to your spiritual and everyday life? Since our parish has a subscription to Formed.org, why not check out some of the videos and podcasts available? Simply go to www.formed.org and sign up as a parishioner for free access to all the Catholic content there!

For Lent, you may want to start with this new series on Formed: https://app.formed.org/app/collections/1096760

Lent would also be a great time to check out the Hallow App to see what all the hype is about! Like Formed, it truly is a wonderful Catholic resource that you can take with you on your walks, to the gym or your commute to work. Go to: https://hallow.com/.

Hallow also has special episodes for the teens in your life. They are offering a free 90-day subscription for teens that you can access by going to https://try.hallow.com/lifeteen90.

Of course, our parish will also offer the Little Black Books for Lent again this year. With a little planning and commitment, maybe this can be your best Lent ever!








The men of our parish are invited to join Catholic men from throughout the Archdiocese for the 18th Annual Man Up Philly Men’s Conference on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Cardinal O’Hara High School.

Speakers include Father Douglas McKay, Archdiocesan priest and founder of Our House Ministries; Chris Gheysens, Chairman and CEO of Wawa; and Kevin Reilly, former NFL player and inspirational Catholic speaker. Back by popular demand, Mark Forrest, internationally recognized Irish tenor, will lead our time of prayer and reflection. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available, and the Conference will conclude with Mass celebrated by our Archbishop, the Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez.

For more information and to register go to the website: www.manupphilly.com

Please contact Ed Klenk with any questions - 215.436.0956 or [email protected]



Partner with us to provide Easter outfits for children in need in Chester County. Sign up on SignUpGenius by scanning the QR code below or by visiting www.partnersinoutreach.org/signup.

If you want to select a family, contact us and we can help you. Once on the site, select a child/family, provide your contact information and submit and you will receive an email confirmation. We will send out a reminder the week it is due back.

Please return clothing on hangers labeled with the child’s name and ID code to the Narthex on or before March 15, 2026. 

Recommended items: dresses for girls, khaki pants and collared shirt or polo shirt for boys and no accessories, please.

If you would like us to shop for you or make a donation, mail your contribution to Partners in Outreach, P.O. Box 21, Chester Springs, PA 19425 or donate online at http://www.partnersinoutreach.org.Contact Barb Quinn, [email protected], if you have an questions. Easter blessings to you all.