02/17/2026
Ashes will be distributed at all Masses
Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, but it is very important in the Catholic calendar. We will distribute ashes at the following times:
7:00 AM - OLPR School Lobby Prayer Service
7:30 AM – St. Adalbert – Mass in Polish/English - Fr Jan (Fr Bindel help)
8:00 AM – MDG Downstairs – Mass with schoolchildren - Fr Olson (Dcn Ralph Help)
8:30 AM – Nativity – Mass - Fr Bindel
10:00 AM – St. Adalbert – Mass OLPR schoolchildren - Fr Olson (Fr Bindel help)
10:30 AM - Nativity Place Senior Center - Prayer Service w/ Ashes - Dcn Ralph
1:15 PM – St. George – Mass with schoolchildren - Fr Bindel (Olson help)
5:30 PM – Nativity – Mass - Fr Olson
7:00 PM – St. Adalbert – Mass in Polish - Fr Jan (Olson help)
Fr Bindel will be visiting the hospital and our homebound with Ashes.
We observe fasting and abstinence
on Ash Wednesday.
Catholics aged eighteen to sixty are required to fast. This means eating one full meal and two smaller meals. The total amount of food consumed in the two smaller meals should not equal a full meal. Additionally, all Catholics over the age of fourteen must abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all the Fridays of Lent.
Acceptable foods on Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent include vegetables, grains, fruits, and seafood. Don’t eat meats like beef, pork, venison, or poultry. So, cheese pizza, fish sticks, and pasta are good. Burgers, Ham sandwiches, and chicken nuggets are out. You can also eat cold-blooded meats like alligators, snakes, frog legs, and snapper turtles. So, feel free to fry up that snake in the freezer on Wednesday!
In Pope Benedict XVI said:
“Lent reminds us, therefore, that Christian life is a never-ending combat in which the “weapons” of prayer, fasting, and penance are used. Fighting against evil, against every form of selfishness and hate, and dying to oneself to live in God is the ascetic journey that every disciple of Jesus is called to make with humility and patience, with generosity and perseverance.”
Consider going to Mass daily during Lent. If you're giving something up for Lent, make it sacrificial. For example, how about giving up social media—even for one day per week?
To see our parish bulletin click here: https://discovermass.com/church/st-adalbertpolish-philadelphia-pa/
The parish app, "My Parish" has an up-to-date calendar, daily readings, and lots of content. It can be found here:
https://myparishapp.com/
Remember that Confessions are available every Saturday morning at 11:30 AM at Nativity and also every Saturday afternoon at 3:00 PM (MDG), 4:00 PM (St Adalbert), and 4:30 PM (Nativity). Upon request, we will also hear confessions at St. George after the 8:30 AM Mass.
You can always make a donation to our Parish here:
https://thecfgp.org/covid-19-response/parish-support-initiative/donate
Select "St John Paul II Parish - Philadelphia," and your donation will help our Port Richmond Churches. CFGP is a Catholic 501(c)3 not affiliated with the diocese, so funds come directly to us.
God bless,
Fr Olson
