The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday following Gaudete Sunday are traditional penitential days. Read about the Advent Ember Days.

Wednesday 22, Friday 24, and Saturday 25 September, 2010. Four times a year, the Church sets aside the Ember Days. These quarterly periods take place around the beginnings of the natural seasons.  These days are spent fasting and partially abstaining—voluntary since the 1983 Code of Canon Law—in penance, and are days favoured for priestly ordinations, [...]

The Church prescribes fasting and abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On these days, only one full meal is allowed, in addition to which two smaller collations are permitted according to need, which,  if combined, would not be equal to a full meal.  Catholics aged 14–59 are bound to abstinence from meat;  [...]

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Gaudete Sunday are known as ‘Advent Embertide’, special penitential days which come near the beginning of the season of Winter. The Ember Day fast, although no longer strictly obligatory, is presumed in the prayers of our liturgy, and so we would encourage you to observe this laudable tradition in a [...]

Day of Fasting and Abstinence.  7:30 am and 7:30 pm Masses There will be blessing and imposition of ashes at the beginning of each Mass. Parishioners are reminded that Abstinence and Fasting must be observed on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Abstinence binds (i.e. is obligatory for) those who have completed their 14th year; [...]

As the season of Lent approaches, it is wise to remind ourselves of the Church’s requirements regarding fasting and abstinence. General Laws of Fasting and Abstinence from the Code of Canon Law (1983) Canon 1249 All Christ’s faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so [...]

Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after Gaudete Sunday are known as ‘Advent Embertide’, special penitential days which come near the beginning of the season of winter. The Ember Day fast, although no longer strictly obligatory, is presumed in the prayers of our liturgy, and so we would encourage you to observe this laudable tradition in a [...]

This Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday are the autumn Ember Days. Four times a year, the Church sets aside three days to focus on God through His marvelous creation. These quarterly periods take place around the beginnings of the four natural seasons, and are each kept on a successive Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and are known [...]