Lent at Cathedral
Stay Focused. Stay Faithful.
Dear Parishioners and Friends of Cathedral,
We once again enter into this holy season of Lent. We enter into that special time of year when we set aside things in our lives that are not so important so that we can refocus on what is truly important: our relationship with Jesus. Our Lord invites us to come into the desert with Him, to hear the voice of the Father and to be fed by His love.
Our theme for this Lent is “Stay Focused. Stay Faithful.” Let’s ask our Lord for the grace to focus on Him this Lent. And we do that not only in setting less important things aside, but also by picking up good things, things that bring our minds to God and unite our hearts to Jesus and to His saving work.
Along with our prayer and practices in the home, there are many opportunities to experience our Lord’s goodness at St. Cecilia this Lent. There will be Stations of the Cross on Fridays and Vespers (the communal evening prayer of the Church) each Sunday. There will be opportunities to pray with our beautiful music here. We can focus on our faith in a more casual setting through our Live Lent Together small groups. In these groups, we can dig more deeply into scripture and share our faith with a few friends in a comfortable setting. We continue to have Adoration on Thursdays, and we will have special times for Confession.
Please check out our Mass times and, of course, our Holy Week liturgies schedule. These are all powerful ways to encounter Christ, His healing, and His love.
So, let’s ask, “Lord, what is one thing You want me to do this Lent so that I can grow closer to You?” And let’s stay focused on Him this Lent and always. A blessed Lent to you!
Fr. Jeremy Hans, Saint Cecilia Cathedral Pastor
Ash Wednesday
February 14
Holy Mass 11:15 am and 7:00 pm with Archbishop Lucas (will be livestreamed)
Holy Masses During Lent
Join us!
Saturdays 5:30 pm (vigil)
Sundays 8:30 am and 10:30 am (livestreamed)
Weekdays 11:15 am
Saturdays 7:30 am
Adoration of Our Lord
Spend a Holy Half Hour with Jesus
We offer adoration of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays, Noon to 8:00 pm.
Holy Thursday after 7:00 pm Mass until Midnight [March 28]
Confessions
Prepare for Easter
Weekdays 11:50 am to 12:10 pm
Saturdays 4:00 to 5:00 pm
Wednesday of Holy Week 5:30 to 6:30 pm [March 27]
Good Friday 12:45 pm [March 29]
Holy Saturday 4:00 to 5:00 pm [March 30]
Stations of the Cross
Via Dolorosa
Fridays 6:00 pm [February 16 - March 22]
Good Friday Noon [March 29]
Live Lent Together
Watch the invitation from our pastors (click the photo)
This Lent, gather a group of friends to share faith together. Contact Fr. Jeremy with questions: 402-551-2313 or jjhans@archomaha.org.
Lent, Holy Week, and Easter Music
Worship through word and music!
Under the direction of Dr. Marie Rubis Bauer, our Cathedral choirs and musicians add an inspiring element to our liturgies and Masses.
At 5 o’clock on Sundays in Lent, we will have vespers in the Cathedral. On the first Sunday of Lent the seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Denton, FSSP, will play a full solemn vespers in Latin. The rest of the weeks it will be in the Nash chapel in English. All are invited to come pray vespers in song in this special way.
VENI City-Wide Young Adult Holy Hour
March 8
7:30 pm - Welcome & Music
7:45 pm - Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
7:50 pm - Exhortation
8:00 pm - Adoration (Music & Silence)
8:45 pm - Benediction
9:00 pm - Social (Cathedral Parish Center)
Palm Sunday
March 23/24
Holy Mass on Saturday at 5:30 pm and Sunday at 8:30 am and 10:30 am (Archbishop Lucas, livestreamed)
Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Christ in Jerusalem, days before He was crucified. In the Gospels, Jesus entered Jerusalem riding a donkey to praise of the townspeople who threw clothes, or possibly palms or small branches, in front of Him as a sign of homage.
Chrism Mass
March 25
Holy Mass 11:00 am with Archbishop Lucas (will be livestreamed)
Archbishop Lucas and the priests of the Archdiocese of Omaha gather at the Cathedral to celebrate the Chrism Mass.
This Mass manifests the unity of the priests with their bishop. Here the bishop blesses three oils — the oil of catechumens (oleum catechumenorum or oleum sanctorum), the oil of the infirm (oleum infirmorum) and holy chrism (sacrum chrisma) — which will be used in the administration of the sacraments throughout the diocese for the year.
Holy Thursday
March 28
Mass of the Lord's Supper 7:00 pm
with Archbishop Lucas (will be livestreamed)
Adoration follows Mass until Midnight.
With this Mass the Church begins the sacred Easter Triduum and devotes herself to the remembrance of the Last Supper.
This Mass is, first of all, the memorial of the institution of the eucharist, that is, of the Memorial of the Lord's Passover, by which under sacramental signs he perpetuated among us the sacrifice of the New Law. The Mass of the Lord's Supper is also the memorial of the institution of the priesthood, by which Christ's mission and sacrifice are perpetuated in the world. In addition, this Mass is the memorial of that love by which the Lord loved us even to death.
Good Friday
March 29
Stations of the Cross Noon
Confessions 12:45 pm
Solemn Liturgy of the Lord's Passion 7:00 pm
with Archbishop Lucas (will be livestreamed)
Good Friday is the most solemn day of the Christian year.
It is the day our Savior died for us.
It is the day we were redeemed from our sins by the voluntary death of God Himself at the hands of man.
Good Friday is a day of penance to be observed as of obligation in the whole Church, and indeed through abstinence and fasting.
Easter Vigil Mass
March 30
8:00 pm
with Archbishop Lucas (will be livestreamed)
The Easter Vigil is the greatest liturgy of the entire year in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. The Roman Missal guides the celebration of this great night and even refers to the Easter Vigil as the “mother of all vigils” which is quoting St. Augustine from the 5th Century.
The Easter Vigil is packed with breathtaking symbolism and meaning. And it is packed with a celebration of everything that we hold dear as Catholics. Christ is seen throughout in amazing grandeur.
Easter Sunday
March 31
Holy Mass 8:30 am and 10:30 am (will be livestreamed)
Easter is the celebration of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It is celebrated on Sunday, and marks the end of Holy Week, the end of Lent, the last day of the Easter Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday), and is the beginning of the Easter season of the liturgical year.
As we know from the Gospels, Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day following his crucifixion, which would be Sunday. His resurrection marks the triumph of good over evil, sin and death. It is the singular event which proves that those who trust in God and accept Christ will be raised from the dead.
Since Easter represents the fulfillment of God's promises to mankind, it is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar.