Lent & Easter at ICSJ
Ways to Be With Christ from Ash Wednesday to Easter
This Lent and Easter season, we remember Christ’s promise: "I am with you, always." Even as we rest in the comfort of God’s constant presence, this season is our moment to respond and renew our commitment—not only to remember that He is with us always, but to ask:
How will YOU be with Him this Lent?
Lent Begins February 18
Make the first days count with our early opportunities
Some begin soon and require sign-up
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Ash
Wednesday
Begin Lent by receiving ashes and drawing close to Christ.
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Weekly Prayer
& Growth
Stay close to Christ through Stations, Small Groups, and Scripture Study.
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Sunday Prayer
& Reflection
Be with Christ each Sunday at Mass and through the Gospel.
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Community, Service & Prayer
Be with Him through service, reconciliation, prayer, and gatherings.
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Offering Your Time at ICSJ
Give your time through Easter hospitality, parish prayer, and service.
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Supporting Our Parish
Support and sustain our parish through your Easter offering.
MAKE YOUR OFFERING
Palm Sunday & Holy Week
Be present to Christ in the most sacred moments of the season
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Be with Christ on
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday, February 18
Begin your Lenten renewal by coming to be marked with ashes.
Ash Wednesday Mass Schedule
9:00 a.m. — St. Joseph Church
Ashes will be distributed
Ash Wednesday Open House Schedule at St. Joseph Church
For those unable to attend our Ash Wednesday Mass, ashes will be distributed during the following Open House drop-in times.
8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m. — St. Joseph Church
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. — St. Joseph Church
6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. — St. Joseph Church
Be with Christ in
Weekly Prayer & Growth
Lent invites us to build rhythm into our faith. Through weekly prayer and shared reflection, we choose to return to Christ again and again—making space to slow down, listen more closely, and remain present to Him throughout the season.
Stations of the Cross
Tuesdays during Lent at 6:00 p.m.
Immaculate Conception Church
Walk with Christ along the Way of the Cross through this prayerful and meditative devotion. As we linger with His suffering, we choose to remain present with Jesus in moments of sacrifice, love, and hope. This shared prayer deepens our understanding of Lent and prepares our hearts for the joy of Easter.
Lenten Small Groups
Tuesdays during Lent 6:30 p.m. (after Stations of the Cross),
Immaculate Conception Church
Begins February 24; registration required — SIGN UP NOW
During this holy season, we invite you to respond to God’s constant presence by renewing your commitment to be with Him. Dive deeper into our Catholic faith with fellow parishioners by sharing, listening, and reflecting on where we see Christ at work in our lives today. This small-group experience offers space for prayer and conversation as we journey through Lent together.
Explore Faith and Justice in Unbound
Saturdays during Lent at 9:30-11:00 a.m. online via Zoom
Begins February 21; registration required — SIGN UP NOW
• Bonus Ash Wednesday-themed intro meeting on Tues 2/17 at 7pm on Zoom
Join us for a 6-week Lenten journey exploring faith and justice through the Unbound video series. Through the lens of social justice, we follow Jesus through the wilderness into the heart of the Empire, reflecting on what it means to live freely—letting go of false power, centering the excluded, and choosing life. Attend as many sessions as you like—designed for both group conversation and personal reflection. A place to pause, rest in God’s love, and remember you’re not alone.
Be with Christ in
Community, Service, and Prayer
As we move toward Easter, we’re invited into special opportunities to be with Christ through service to others, group prayer, reflection, and parish gatherings—each offering an intentional way to enter more fully into the season.
Volunteer at Heidi’s House Chicago
Saturday, February 21, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Heidi’s House Chicago, West Ridge
Registration required— SIGN UP NOW
Join fellow parishioners at our Day of Service to help clean and paint Heidi’s House Chicago, Exodus World Service’s new community center for refugees. This welcoming space will support conversation, learning, and practical assistance, and your time and presence will help prepare it to serve others—a meaningful, hands-on way to begin Lent.
Pray the
Stations withICSJ’s Music
Ministry
Tuesday, February 24, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Immaculate Conception Church; Joy Room opens at 6:00 p.m.
Be with Christ through prayer and song at this meditative presentation of the Stations of the Cross. Our Music Ministry invites you to enter more deeply into Christ’s Passion through sacred music and reflection.
Liturgical Ministry Training
Sunday, March 1 after 11:00 a.m. Mass — St. Joseph Church
Sunday, March 8 after 9:30 a.m. Mass — IC Church
Registration required— SIGN UP NOW
Serving in a liturgical ministry is a way of being with Christ by helping others pray and feel welcome at Mass. Whether you are called to be a lector, Eucharistic minister, or greeter, offering your presence in worship can deepen your own experience of the liturgy and strengthen our parish community.
St. Joseph Table Luncheon Feast
Sunday, March 15, 12:00–2:00 p.m.
ICSJ School – Hill Street Campus
Celebrate our patron, St. Joseph, with our annual festa italiana, St. Joseph’s Table. Continuing a centuries-old tradition of feeding the community, this free luncheon invites us to be with Christ through generosity, hospitality, and care for one another. Held on Laetare Sunday—the Fourth Sunday of Lent—this celebration offers a moment of joy within the penitential season as we look ahead to Easter.
Lenten Food Drive
Saturday, March 21, 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Immaculate Conception Parking Lot
Be with Christ through the Lenten practice of almsgiving. By sharing from what we have, we help ensure that all are fed and supported. Parishioners are invited to bring canned and shelf-stable food to support neighbors in need.
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday, March 28, 9:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Church
Saturday, March 28, 4:00 p.m. at IC Church
Reconciliation offers a chance to be with Christ through mercy, forgiveness, and a fresh start. This sacrament invites us to turn our hearts back toward God and receive the grace that renews our relationship with Him.
Morning of Reflection
Saturday, April 11th, 8:30–11:00 a.m.
Immaculate Conception Church
Join us for a peaceful Morning of Reflection hosted by Fr. McBrady and Elly Rodriguez. Continuing with the theme, I Am With You, Always, we will reflect on receiving God’s love in light of the resurrection. This time of prayer, reflection, and renewal will be a beautiful way to deepen your Easter joy.
Be with Christ in
Sunday Prayer & Reflections
Lent gives us many moments to choose how we will be with Christ—but Sundays remain the foundation. Each week, we are invited to be with Him in a focused, intentional way: listening to His Word, receiving Him in the Eucharist, and reflecting on the encounter in the days that follow.
Sunday Mass
Each Sunday places us directly with Christ—in the Gospel proclaimed and in the Eucharist received. Returning week after week helps keep our Lenten commitments rooted in Him. View our Weekly Mass times
Children’s Liturgy of the Word
Sundays during Lent at 9:30 a.m. Mass
Immaculate Conception Church
Children ages 4 through 3rd grade are invited to be with Christ through Children’s Liturgy of the Word. ICSJ School teachers lead age-appropriate prayer and reflection and return children to their families following the Prayers of the Faithful.
Weekly Gospel Reflections
Each Sunday Gospel invites us to spend time with Christ through reflection and prayer. Our weekly reflection questions (below) help His Word remain present and deepen our relationship with Him throughout the week.
Be with Christ by
Offering Your Time at ICSJ
The worship, welcome, and shared life of our parish rely on parishioners offering their time in simple, meaningful ways. Serving in these ways is one way we choose to be with Christ this Lent—in action and in support of our parish life.
Serve at the Altar
Be with Christ at the heart of our most sacred liturgies by serving as an adult altar server during Holy Week.
Assist with our Lenten Food Drive
Volunteer to help collect and organize donations for our Lenten Food Drive, serving neighbors in need through generosity and care.
Help Welcome Others on Easter Sunday
Serve as a greeter on Easter Sunday, offering hospitality and helping all who enter feel welcomed and at home.
Help Prepare our Churches for Easter
Assist with preparing and decorating our churches for Easter, helping create spaces that reflect the joy and hope of the Resurrection.
Pray with Our Rosary Group
Lift up parish intentions by joining our Rosary Group on Zoom at 12:30 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 a.m. weekends, a simple way to be with Christ in prayer.
Share Your Voice About ICSJ
Take part in our Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey and help shape the future of our parish. Watch for details in the weekly email, bulletin, and websitr—or submit the Lenten Activities form, below, if you’d like to receive information directly.
Ready to help or want to learn more? SIGN UP NOW!
Be with Christ by
Supporting Our Parish
Easter invites us to be with Christ not only in celebration, but in commitment. Stewardship is one way we live that commitment—by caring for the parish that sustains our worship, ministries, and shared life throughout the year.
More than 90% of ICSJ’s operating budget comes directly from parishioner support. Your Easter gift helps cover the real, ongoing costs of parish life and ensures that our churches remain open, welcoming, and serving our community. As we celebrate the Resurrection, we invite you to make an Easter offering as part of your stewardship of the parish we share.
Make Your Easter Gift Today
Give easily and securely using the links below.
Be with Christ through
Palm Sunday and Holy Week
Our Palm Sunday & Holy Week Schedule
Join Us These Masses at One of Our Two Beautiful Churches!
Mass times and locations vary—please refer to the schedule below to see where each Mass is celebrated.
St. Joseph Church Directions
IC Church Directions
Palm Sunday ~ March 29
Mass of the Lord’s Passion
(Saturday) 5:00 p.m. – Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. Larry McBrady)
8:00 a.m. – St. Joseph Church (Fr. Larry Lisowski)
9:30 a.m. – Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. Larry McBrady)
11:00 a.m. – St. Joseph Church (Fr. Larry Lisowski)
Holy Thursday ~ April 2
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
7:00 p.m. – Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. Larry Lisowski)
Adoration until 9:00 p.m.
Good Friday ~ April 3
Service of the Lord’s Passion and Death
3:00 p.m. – Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. Larry McBrady)
7:00 p.m. – St. Joseph Church (Fr. Larry McBrady)
Holy Communion will be distributed at these services
Holy Saturday ~ April 4
Easter Vigil
Blessing of the Food Baskets 12:00 p.m. – St. Joseph Church
Easter Vigil Mass 7:00 p.m. – St. Joseph Church (Fr. Larry Lisowski)
Fulfills Sunday obligation
Easter Sunday ~ April 5
Mass of the Resurrection
8:00 a.m. – St. Joseph Church (Fr. Larry McBrady)
9:30 a.m. – Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. Larry Lisowski)
11:00 a.m. – Immaculate Conception Church (Fr. Larry Lisowski)
11:00 a.m. – St. Joseph Church (Fr. Larry McBrady)