Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Easter is Sunday, April 5, 2026
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO FOR LENT 2026
“Dear friends, let us ask for the grace of a Lent that leads us to greater attentiveness to God and to the least among us. Let us ask for the strength that comes from the type of fasting that also extends to our use of language, so that hurtful words may diminish and give way to a greater space for the voice of others. Let us strive to make our communities places where the cry of those who suffer finds welcome, and listening opens paths towards liberation, making us ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love.
I impart my heartfelt blessing upon all of you and your Lenten journey.”
From the Vatican, 5 February 2026, Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (full text here)
LEO PP. XIV
Lent: Becoming Worthy to Share in the Resurrection
Staff Report, The Florida Catholic, Venice edition (February 13, 2026)
The Lenten Season presents a unique opportunity to grow closer to God and to distance oneself from evil.
Lent is one of the most important liturgical seasons of the Church’s calendar and begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on Feb. 18, 2026. The faithful prepare during this season for Holy Week, those sacred days in the Church calendar when we celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Paschal Mystery of the Faith.
“The faithful are all called to know better their faith, to live it more deeply, and share their love of the Lord with others,” Bishop Frank J. Dewane said. “This ties in directly with our Lenten call to turn our lives over to Christ and to be more that man or woman of God He calls us to be. We are called to bear witness to the Lord by following the example of His suffering, making us worthy to share in His Resurrection.”
The three pillars of the Lenten observance, fasting, prayer, and almsgiving express conversion in relation to oneself, to God, and to others. The Lord calls each person to total commitment, something the Bishop said was not a suggestion but a command as written in the Gospel of Matthew.
“It is a command that you and I are to go out to pray, to fast and we are to give alms. Set about during this Lenten Season to raise your mind and heart to God. Choose how you are going to do that, keeping in mind that Matthew identifies the path you should take,” Bishop Dewane said.
By practicing these observances together, they become more than the sum of their parts. Bishop Dewane said by joining the pillars together we hear the Word of God more deliberately and devote ourselves to prayer more ardently as we celebrate the Paschal Mystery. The pillars become part of a faith that flourishes and a heart that is increasingly dedicated to the Lord.
Fasting and Abstinence
Fasting and abstinence is not just about food, or lack of it, but instead about sacrifice for the benefit of our spiritual lives – a fasting from sin. Sacrifice and self-denial should not be viewed as something to lament but instead should be viewed as an opportunity to remove anything that distracts us from Jesus Christ and a reception of grace. Fasting and abstinence are about spiritual conversion and renewal, not solely about meat and no food.
For early Christians, fasting was an important and meaningful Lenten practice in commemoration of Christ’s Passion and Death. The current Lenten discipline, set forth by the Roman Catholic Church, consists of both fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18) and Good Friday (April 3), as well as abstaining from meat each Friday of Lent.
“This is an opportunity to teach ourselves an internal discipline,” Bishop Dewane said. “It is good to recognize and to use as a reminder of what it is we should be fasting from and that is sin. When fasting, or abstaining from meat, this Lenten Season try not to just ‘follow the motions,’ so to speak, make an extra effort to improve upon the spiritual areas of one’s life.”
Prayer
The second Lenten pillar is prayer, which the Catechism tells us is coupled with charity. All Catholics are called to a meaningful prayer life. A prayer life includes both personal, which comes from the heart, and traditional prayer. With both dimensions, the faithful grow closer to both Christ Himself and His Church.
Prayer is an indispensable component of the Catholic Faith. By growing and maturing in faith, prayer becomes an act of worship. Prayer is recognized as a critical act of public worship in the Church, especially in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
The five basic forms of prayer are blessing, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. When someone prays in any one of these forms, they are expressing a different emotion, need, concern or appreciation. No two prayers from the heart are the same, just as no two conversations are the same.
“In this Lenten Season we are called to pray with a deeper sense of spirituality and examine how we can step up our prayer life,” Bishop Dewane said. “This goes beyond a short rote prayer, which can be done in a second and does not require meditation or reflection; prayer requires the input of the heart and soul. And just as importantly, we have to have the patience to listen in prayer. Listen to what the Lord is saying and how is it that God speaks to you.”
Almsgiving
The third pillar of Lent, almsgiving, is coupled in the Catechism with self-denial. While often mentioned as the last of the three traditional pillars of the Lenten observance, it is certainly not the least of the three and is often completely misunderstood. The Church’s expression of almsgiving is an act of self-denial, or an expression of charity and assistance extended to the needy.
By almsgiving during Lent, one not only expresses care for those in need, but also expresses a sign of gratitude for all God has provided in one’s own life. These acts of charity are connected to the responsibilities of living the faith that begins with baptism and is reignited in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
“Almsgiving is about taking the extra step in reaching out in charity and love for the right reason, not just to impress others,” Bishop Dewane said. The Catechism states, “almsgiving, together with prayer and fasting, are traditionally recommended to foster the state of interior penance.”
“In a sense, almsgiving is a type of prayer,” Bishop Dewane said. “Because almsgiving requires sacrifice. It is also a sort of fasting from the material world, in what could have been purchased. We try too hard to silo these pillars and not let them be an integrated expression from our soul as to why we are doing this – to recall the Paschal Mystery – how Jesus saved us – and our being open to receiving the greatness of that gift.”
Reconciliation
In addition, Bishop Dewane said the precept of confessing grave sins and receiving Holy Communion, at least once during the Lenten Season, merits a reminder.
To facilitate this requirement, every Parish in the Diocese of Venice will be open with a confessor present 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 27, and 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 28. Check with your local Parish for additional confession times or the availability of a Penance Service. These opportunities are made available so that the faithful may find ample opportunity to receive God’s Mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Lenten Season.
Regulations on Fasting and Abstinence
Ash Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, and Good Friday, April 3, are days of fast and abstinence. All Fridays of Lent are also days of abstinence from meat.
Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholics between the ages of 18 years and 59 years (inclusive). On a fast day, one full meal is allowed. Two smaller meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. In the context of observing the fast, eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids are allowed. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is to continue until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus, and to prepare ourselves to share more fully and to celebrate more readily His Resurrection.
Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics who are 14 years of age and older on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent, including Good Friday.
(Note: If a person is unable to observe the above regulations due to ill health or other serious reasons, they are urged to practice other forms of self-denial that are suitable to their condition.)
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Special TV Mass Broadcasts for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday
The TV Mass is broadcast from the Diocese of Venice every Sunday and is a half-hour program. However, on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, the Mass will be broadcast at a special time and will be an hour-long broadcast. Please see specific times for Palm Sunday (Sunday, March 29) and Easter Sunday (Sunday, April 5), 2026 in the corresponding graphic.
The Sunday Mass on Television serves those who, for reasons beyond their control, are unable to attend Sunday Mass in one of the parishes of the Diocese. For many homebound individuals, this outreach reminds them that they are loved by their brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the Diocese of Venice, and that they remain a vibrant and loved part of our faith community. For more about the Diocese of Venice TV Mass, click here.
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Relevant Radio
Bishop Dewane discusses Lent with Father Jose Gonzales, Father Mark Harris and Father Krzysztof Piotrowski on the February 27, 2025, episode of “Witnessing Faith with Bishop Dewane” on Relevant Radio. Tune in!
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Resources
The Three Pillars of Lent:
Sacrament of Reconciliation and Examination of Conscience
Sacrament of Reconciliation
The precept of confessing grave sins and receiving Holy Communion at least once during the Lenten Season merits a reminder. To facilitate this requirement, every Parish in the Diocese of Venice will be open with a confessor present 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 27, and 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 28.
These opportunities are made available so that the faithful may find ample opportunity to receive God’s Mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Check with your local Parish for additional confession times or the availability of a Penance Service.
Examination of Conscience
Before celebrating the Sacrament of Penance, it is advised that one prepare oneself with an examination of conscience, which involves reflecting prayerfully on one’s thoughts, words, and deeds in order to identify any sins. More about Examination of Conscience can be found from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) here.
Ash Wednesday, February 18: A call to conversion, repentance, and reconciliation
We begin our 40 Days of Lent by entering into the desert with Jesus. The ashes remind us of our mortality and our need for conversion. The discipline of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving is the remedy that the Church gives us during this penitential time of repentance, conversion, and reconciliation.
March 15 – Laetare Sunday
Laetare means “rejoice” in Latin, and the rose color is one that symbolizes joy. Priests may where rose-colored vestments and the altar may have some flowers adorning it today. During Lent, as in Advent (Gaudete Sunday), the Church allows a little pause in our penitential practices, to experience the hope and joy of the coming of the Easter Solemnity, and to gather our strength, to be refreshed in body and soul, and to be encouraged as we enter into the final portion of Lent when we enter into the holiest of days, the Triduum.
March 19 – Solemnity of St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
“Inspired by the Gospel, the Fathers of the Church from the earliest centuries stressed that just as St. Joseph took loving care of Mary and gladly dedicated himself to Jesus Christ’s upbringing, he likewise watches over and protects Christ’s Mystical Body, that is, the Church, of which the Virgin Mary is the exemplar and model.” — St. John Paul II (Litany of St. Joseph)
March 25 – Annunciation of the Lord
“And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!’…And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus…The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God…And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.’” Luke 1: 28, 30, 35, 38
March 27, 28 – Diocesan-wide Confessions
The precept of confessing grave sins and receiving Holy Communion at least once during the Lenten Season merits a reminder. To facilitate this requirement, every Parish in the Diocese of Venice will be open with a confessor present 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, March 27, and 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 28. These opportunities are made available so that the faithful may find ample opportunity to receive God’s Mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Check with your local Parish for additional confession times or the availability of a Penance Service.
March 29 – Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord
Today is Palm Sunday, Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
“…found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:6-11
Holy Week, Monday, March 30 – Thursday, April 2
The Chrism Mass, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, 10:30 a.m., St. Leo the Great Parish in Bonita Springs. All are welcome to attend this Mass!
Read more about the annual Blessing of the Oils and the Consecration of the Chrism from the USCCB here. Watch as Bishop Frank J. Dewane blesses and consecrates the Chrism Oil at a former Holy Chrism Mass, here.
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The Paschal Triduum, Thursday, April 2 – Sunday, April 5
Entering the Paschal Mystery
The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil, and closes with Evening Prayer on Easter Sunday.
General Information from the USCCB, click here.
Questions and answers, click here.
Holy Thursday (Last Supper), April 2
Today is Holy Thursday, the first day of the Sacred Triduum We commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the institution of the Sacred Priesthood, and Jesus washing the feet of the apostles, establishing the mission of charity of all Christians to serve one another.
Good Friday, April 3
Today is Good Friday, the Passion of the Lord
“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed.” Isaiah 53: 4-5
Holy Saturday, April 4
Today is Holy Saturday, a day of profound mystery: Christ is dead and yet he remains busy at work, descending to the underworld to free the righteous held captive in the chains of death. The mournful suspense of Holy Saturday is thus imbued with the certainty of the Resurrection. Though our earthly sojourn be continually tinged by death, we know that our longing to exult in the fullness of redemption is not in vain. The Son of God himself has passed through death to rob it of its apparent finality. In Jesus, life wins.” From the Magnificat, comment on Holy Saturday.The Lord’s Descent into Hell– Excerpt from an Ancient Homily for Holy Saturday on Christ’s Descent into Hell:“‘I command you: Awake, sleeper, I have not made you to be held a prisoner in the underworld. Arise from the dead; I am the life of the dead. Arise, O man, work of my hands, arise, you who were fashioned in my image. Rise, let us go hence; for you in me and I in you, together we are one undivided person.”
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The Easter Season, Sunday, April 5 – Sunday, May 24, 2026
April 5 – Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
“The Lord is truly risen, alleluia! To him be glory and power for all the ages of eternity, alleluia, alleluia!” Lk 24:34
April 12 – Divine Mercy Sunday
Jesus revealed to St. Faustina: “I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet.”
— St. Faustina’s Diary 699
For more about Divine Mercy Sunday, visit the USCCB website.
May 17 – Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
May 24 – Solemnity of Pentecost
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created,
and you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit have instructed the hearts of the faithful,
grant that in the same Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolation.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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