Lent is a special time of prayer, penance, sacrifice and good works in preparation of the celebration of Easter. Since the earliest times of the Church, there is evidence of some kind of Lenten preparation for Easter. Although the practices may have evolved over the centuries, the focus remains the same: to repent of sin, to renew our faith and to prepare to celebrate joyfully the mysteries of our salvation. Moreover, an emphasis must be placed on performing spiritual works, like attending the Stations of the Cross, attending Mass, making a weekly holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, taking time for personal prayer and spiritual reading and most especially making a good confession and receiving sacramental absolution.

To assist you in your Lenten journey, our parish website has compiled the best of the web in one place: our LENT page. There are over 2 dozen links to every kind of Lenten resource you might desire We will detail each of these in the coming weeks. This week we will start with the Lenten Regulations For the Diocese of Santa Rosa which spells out all the rules and regulations of observing Lent in our parish and diocese.

Second is the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “What Is Lent?” page.This is by far the best and most comprehensive site for everything you would want to know about Lent.

• Bilingual Daily Lent Calendar
• Daily inspiration for your Lenten journey
• Examination of Conscience based on the Ten Commandments.
• 10 Things to Remember During Lent
• Why is Lent 40 Days?
• Why we use ashes on Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent.
• God’s Gift of Forgiveness
• Daily Reading – Take a Moment to Pray with Today’s Readings
• Prayer, Fasting, & Almsgiving
• Lent FAQs

Sacred Heart’s LENT Page

The Annual Ministry Appeal, One Family in Mission, will be conducted February 22 and 23. Our parish target this year is $19,700. Our parish receives 100% of what we raise over this goal. With your help,we can assure the continued support of many important programs that help individuals and parishes throughout our diocese each year; the Catholic education of our children and Seminarians, Religious Education and Youth Ministry, ongoing formation for our clergy, and more. Please respond generously when you are asked to make your pledge. Funds donated to the AMA are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law and restricted funds for the ministries only. For more information, please visit the diocesan website:www.srdiocese.org

Wednesday, March 5

10:00am – Mass at St. Bernard School

12:15pm – Mass at St. Bernard church

                (No Adoration or Confesions on this Day)

5:30pm – Mass at Sacred Heart

                (No Adoration or Confessions)

7:00pm – Mass at Sacred Heart (Spanish)

Every Friday

-Stations of the Cross after 12:15pm Mass at St. Bernard Church

-Stations of the Cross at 7:00pm in Spanish at Sacred Heart Church

We mourn the passing of beloved Fr. “Bala” Govindu who was pastor at St. Mary’s in Arcata from 2014-2017. His funeral was held in India on February 10, 2025. We invite the faithful to join in prayer for the repose of his soul and in gratitude for his years of dedicated service to our community and diocese. May he rest in the peace of Christ, whom he so faithfully served..

Baby Bottle Boomerang Invitation

Baby bottles for donations to the Pregnancy Care Center and J Rolpe are in the churches. Please take one home and support your catholic pro-life values by collecting monetary donations for the pro-life centers.

This is a great project for the family. Bottles may be brought to the office.

ICF Chicken & Polenta Dinner Fundraiser for Scholarship Fund

We will be having a “hybrid” dinner on Sunday, March 2. You have the option to reserve a seat/table or can do take-out. Sit-down (5pm) with Basket Raffle Take-out (4-5pm) Only 200 tickets will be sold!!! $20/dinner. Pre-paid orders only.

Call Toni @ 707-633-5679.1730 Janes Rd – St. Marys Church-Leavy Hall. Arcata 

On Saturday, March 15^th the Knights of Columbus will be offering their highly anticipated corned beef and cabbage dinner at the St Bernard Parish Hall on 6^th and I Sts.

A Pot O’ Gold Raffle, Irish beer and wine and live music and entertainment will add to the fun. Doors open at 5PM and Dinner begins 5:30PM.

Tickets are available at the door or from any Knight and are $30 Adult and $15 Kids(12 and under).

The Vatican has detailed how to obtain plenary indulgences — removing temporal punishment for sin through Christ’s merits — during the 2025 Jubilee Year. 

Requirements: detachment from sin (even venial), confession within about 20 days, Communion, and prayer for the Pope’s intentions (e.g., an Our Father and Hail Mary). Each indulgence requires a separate Communion and prayer, ideally on the day of the indulgenced act. Only one plenary indulgence can be obtained per day, but a second is possible if applied to souls in purgatory. 

Ways to obtain the indulgence can be found by clicking the link below

Plenary Indulgence explained

Go to RadiateLove.info

 The human heart seems ultimately to manifest itself in the desire to be loved and to love in return.  Until then, as St. Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in God who is Love.  As Catholic Christians, we are privileged to share God’s love through Mass, the Sacraments and how we live our life.

Do you know someone thirsting for God?   Do you know someone not baptized or baptized in a different Christian tradition thirsting to know what it means to be Catholic?  Do you know someone already Catholic but who has not yet received the Eucharist or been confirmed?  They may be thirsting, too.The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a place to ask questions and seek understanding.  Weekly “no strings” inquiry gatherings will be held at 7 pm on Tuesday evenings beginning in September.  We would love for you to invite/accompany anyone you know whose heart is restless for the God who loves them. 

For more information, please contact Liz McGee (707-599-6138) or contact the rectory office. stbshrcia25@gmail.com.

For something so integral and important to a person’s flourishing and happiness and the health of our society marriage is generally given little attention in the world, but the Catholic Church has consistently led the way in educating and supporting couples, preparing them for this magnicent vocation with Christ as its center. Considering Marriage? Check out the diocesan website: https://srdiocese.org/marriage-preparation

Santa Rosa Diocese Marriage Preparation

We encourage you to check in on our every day to see the latest news and to check back each day for a little piece of inspiration as well as a small spiritual challenge. Many parishioners have been attracted to the idea of carving out a moment of spiritual contemplation, and  coupling it with a meaningful — and very doable — action. Each day the Daily Jolt will offer a brief daily insight/inspiration and will also contain a “microChallenge” asking readers to take that moment of mindfulness and turn it into some small, immediate form of action in their lives. Our spiritual journeys are all unique and incredibly personal, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need a little Jolt from time to time to keep the journey moving forward. Don’t worry, this isn’t a test! There are no wrong answers here, our spiritual journeys are all unique and incredibly personal, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need a little Jolt from time to time to keep the journey moving forward. We hope that Busted Halo’s® Daily Jolt can be that sort of reminder for you on your own journey. So visit us everyday to get your Daily Jolt. Check it out on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sacredhearteureka

Sacred Heart’s Facebook page

If you have a special need of any sort, we have a prayer team who will pray on your behalf.  Let us pray with you, and for you.  Surround yourself with prayer. 

Call our prayer line leader Toni 24/7 at (707) 445-361six

The Sacred Heart Rosary group invites you to join them on Tuesdays at 11:30 at Sacred Heart Church in the chapel.  We look forward seeing you there.

See our recommendations

Natural Family Planning classes teach a highly effective scientific method involving charting the individual body’s own system for the purpose of determing fertile and infertile times. Not only is it highly effective and natural but couples report that the method brings them closer together as it requires the loving cooperation of the couple. Many couples trying to conceive have found it most helpful as well as those wishing to hold off on conception. Natural family planning (NFP) can now be learned: self-paced, live online, or onsite. Cost is $150 and taught either in Spanish or English. You may take a class the traditional way in person with the teaching couples and other student couples, online, in a virtual classroom (some gadgets required.) or self-paced classes offered online. Spaced a week apart you and your spouse or fiance attend three classes at your own pace,one week apart. Please go to the Couple to Couple League website to compare classes, find classes near you or to register https://ccli.org/

J. Rophe Medical provides no-cost limited obstetrical ultrasounds to patients between 7-16 weeks pregnant in a confidential and professional setting, where each client is treated holistically with the utmost care and respect. Other services they provide include pregnancy testing, access to ultrasounds for women in outlying areas via the Mobile Medical Unit, Jenny Grace, prenatal vitamins, referrals to medical and social services, and past abortion recovery help.  All services are free. Open from 10 to 4 Mon–Thurs,  Call 707-444-0423 for an appointment.

Red Bird Ministries is a Catholic, pro-life/pro-family grief support ministry that focuses on bereaved families who have experienced child loss of any age and circumstance, including pregnancy loss through miscarriage and stillbirth, and after birth as an infant, child, ​​adolescent, or adult. While we operate as Catholics our ministry serves anyone who has experienced the loss of a child. Connect with us at ​https://www.redbird.love/red-bird-families

Red Bird Ministries

Loving Help For Post Abortion Survivors                

 Do not continue to live in shame, fear or numbness:  Rachel’s Vineyard heals hearts broken by abortion.

rachelsvineyard@gmail.com or (707) 967-1101   Rachelsvineyard.org

Iholsohappy

Retrouvaille is a program for married couples that feel bored, angry, disillusioned, or frustrated, in their marriage. Some experience coldness or conflict in their relationship. Retrouvaille has helped so many couples who are experiencing difficulties in their marriage. For confidential information about or to register for the September 15-17 Retrouvaille weekend in San Jose, call 408-605-4998 or email: SanJose@RetroCA.com.  And please or visit our website at

www.HelpOurMarriage.org

HelpOurMarriage.org

With the prevalence of easy-to-access technology and the vast variety of ways people communicate these days, the pervasiveness of people who make it their mission to scam people out of money using digital trickery is only increasing. We collected some of the most common scams that are directed specifically toward Catholics as well as how to identify and avoid them in order to protect yourself from online criminals. 

Read Entire Article

“This Week on FORMED” is a weekly video designed to help Catholics learn more about FORMED’s content related to each week of the year. Join Taylor and Ben each week as they walk you through amazing content on FORMED! You’ll discover all kinds of videos and audio to accompany you during the weekly liturgical calendar, Saint feast days and world events taking place.

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