TAUNTON — Parishes in the Taunton Deanery are sponsoring a deanery-wide Lenten mission to take place from March 16 through 19 at 7 p.m. at St. Ann Church, 660 North Main St., in Raynham.

Led by Holy Cross Father Hugh Cleary, director of Campus Ministry at Stonehill College in Easton, the mission is titled, “Lenten Practices Leading to Easter Joy.”

All are welcome to attend all of the sessions or as many as their schedule allows.

The Sunday evening session will take place in the context of a holy hour, with Father Cleary’s introduction to the mission: “Three Lenten practices leading to Easter Joy.”

Each of the three succeeding sessions will touch upon the three practices. On Monday evening, in the context of a Mass, Father Cleary will discuss “Praying: Finding our heart’s greatest longing.”

On Tuesday evening, also in the context of a Mass, the theme will be “Fasting: Putting our lesser longings in perspective.”

The final session on Wednesday night will be in the context of a Penance service, and  Father Cleary will conclude with “Almsgiving: Giving the gift of forgiveness.” Priests from the Taunton Deanery will be available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Father Cleary was the Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross from 1998-2010. He has served as the Provincial of the Eastern Province of Priests and Brothers; Novice Director of Holy Cross Novitiate, U.S.A.; Pastor at Our Lady of Good Council Parish, Brooklyn, New York; and the Associate Pastor at Holy Cross Parish, South Easton, Mass. He entered the Holy Cross Novitiate, Bennington, Vermont in 1965, earning a bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Stonehill College and then a master’s degree in Theology from the University of Notre Dame in 1973 prior to his ordination to the priesthood. He also holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University, Chicago and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Spirituality from Duquesne University.

Diocese of Fall River
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