Ireland: Archbishop launches new online calendar for Lent 2014

Archbishop Eamon Martin, Chair of the Council for Communications of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, today launched an online calendar for Lent 2014.

Archbishop Martin said: "Lent is the most solemn season for the Catholic Church and it culminates in the high-point of our liturgical calendar: Easter Sunday. With the help of the word of God and the sacraments, Lent is a time to renew our journey of faith, both as individuals and as a community. With this in mind our new Lenten calendar is a resource to assist the faithful in our preparation for Easter."

The Lenten calendar can be accessed online up to Holy Saturday 19 April on the homepage of catholicbishops.ie www.catholicbishops.ie . New information will be revealed each day of Lent by clicking on a virtual numerical door, and this will include:

- daily Mass readings and reflections

- excerpts from Pope Francis' message for Lent and from Evangelii Gaudium

- Lenten tweets from Pope Francis and other Church sources

- Prayers and Pastoral Letters for Lent

- Suggestions on observing Friday Penance during Lent

- Explanations of Lent and Lenten practices including multimedia resources

- Events taking place in parishes and dioceses across Ireland during Lent

- Details of Trócaire's Lenten Campaign for 2014 which is themed: 'Water'

Archbishop Martin concluded: "The calendar is designed for people of all ages as a user-friendly resource to help explain the significant season of Lent. The online calendar seeks to guide us as we prepare spiritually for the joy and hope which comes with the Easter season. During the season of Lent, I invite everyone to visit and avail of the information provided by our online calendar."