SFDS Ministry Schedule
February 14 & 15, 2026

Dear Father Mariusz Sztuk, SDS
& Parishioners of St. Francis de Sales
High River, Alberta

Greetings in Christ Jesus!

On behalf of the Salvatorian Fathers in Canada, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation of $825.15 in support of the Salvatorian Fathers’ Seminary Fund. Your kindness and thoughtful support are a true blessing to our community.

As the financial needs of our apostolates and the formation of our seminarians continue to grow, gifts such as yours make a meaningful and tangible difference. Your contribution directly assists us in preparing future Salvatorians for their mission of proclaiming the Gospel and serving the People of God with dedication and faith.

Please know that you and your parish community are remembered in our prayers with sincere appreciation. May the Lord reward your generosity abundantly and bless you and your families with His peace and grace.

Yours in the Divine Saviour,

Fr. Maciej Wos, SDS
Regional Superior
The Salvatorians, Canada

Each year on Ash Wednesday, we come forward to receive ashes on our foreheads, hearing the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return,” or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” It is a powerful and humbling way to begin our Lenten journey. A question that often arises is: Where do our ashes come from?

Here in our parish, the ashes are prepared from the palm branches distributed on Palm Sunday the previous year. After Palm Sunday, many parishioners take blessed palms home as a sacramental—a reminder of Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of His Passion.

As Lent approaches the following year, those old palms are gathered and reverently burned. In our parish, Deacon Larry carries out this important task. He carefully burns the palms and prepares the ashes that will be used on Ash Wednesday. This quiet but meaningful work helps connect one liturgical year to the next in a very tangible way.

There is deep symbolism in this practice. On Palm Sunday, we joyfully wave palms to honor Christ as King. Yet within days, the same voices that praised Him cried out for His crucifixion. By turning those palms into ashes, the Church reminds us of the fragility of human faith and our constant need for conversion.

Ashes have long been a biblical sign of repentance and humility. In the Old Testament, people would sit in sackcloth and ashes as a sign of sorrow for sin. When we receive ashes at the start of Lent, we are publicly acknowledging our need for God’s mercy and committing ourselves to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

Before they are distributed, the ashes are blessed. Though simple in appearance, they carry profound spiritual meaning. They remind us of our mortality, call us to repentance, and point us toward the hope of the Resurrection.

So when you receive ashes this Ash Wednesday, you are receiving more than just burned palm branches. You are receiving a sign of our shared faith, lovingly prepared within our own parish community, and an invitation to walk together the Lenten path toward Easter.

As we enter the holy Season of Lent, the Church invites us into a time of grace, renewal, and deeper conversion of heart. Lent is one of the most important seasons in the Catholic liturgical year. It is a sacred journey that prepares us to celebrate the greatest mystery of our faith: the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ at Easter.

The Meaning of Lent

Lent lasts for forty days, recalling the forty days Jesus spent fasting and praying in the desert. During this time, He faced temptation and prepared Himself for His public mission. In the same way, Lent is our spiritual desert — a time to step away from distractions, to reflect honestly on our lives, and to return more fully to God.

The Church calls us to three essential Lenten practices:

• Prayer – growing closer to God through personal and communal prayer.
• Fasting – learning self-discipline and making space for God in our lives.
• Almsgiving – showing charity and love toward those in need.

These practices help us renew our relationship with God and with one another.

Ash Wednesday – The Beginning of Our Journey

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a solemn and beautiful day when we receive ashes on our foreheads. As the ashes are placed on us, we hear the words:

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
or
“Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

The ashes remind us of our need for repentance, humility, and conversion. They are not merely a symbol, but a visible sign of our desire to turn back to God and begin again.

In our parish, we will celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass with the distribution of ashes at the following times:

• High River – 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM
• Vulcan – 5:00 PM

We warmly invite everyone to attend one of these Masses and begin this holy season together as a parish family.

The Stations of the Cross

Throughout Lent, we also pray the Stations of the Cross, a powerful devotion that allows us to walk spiritually with Jesus on His way to Calvary. As we meditate on each station, we reflect on His suffering, His love, and the sacrifice He made for our salvation.

Praying the Stations helps us:

• Grow in gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice.
• Unite our own sufferings with His.
• Deepen our understanding of God’s mercy and love.

It is a beautiful way to enter more deeply into the mystery of the Cross and prepare our hearts for Holy Week.

Why Lent Is Important

Lent is not simply about giving something up. It is about making room for God. It is about transformation. It is about allowing Christ to renew our hearts so that we may celebrate Easter with true joy.

This season reminds us that:

• God’s mercy is greater than our sins.
• Conversion is always possible.
• New life comes through sacrifice and love.

Let us not allow this Lent to pass by as just another season. Instead, let us embrace it as a time of grace — a time to return to prayer, to the sacraments, and to a deeper trust in the Lord.

We encourage all parishioners and families to participate fully in the Lenten journey — beginning with Ash Wednesday and continuing through the Stations of the Cross and the celebration of Holy Week.

May this Lent be a blessed and fruitful time for our entire parish community.

SFDS Ministry Schedule
February 7 & 8, 2026

Stations of the Cross & Soup and Buns

Please join us for Stations of the Cross every Friday during Lent, from February 20 to March 27, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
Stations will be followed by soup and buns.

All are welcome!

Schedule & Ministries:

• February 20, 2026 – Couples for Christ
• February 27, 2026 – Decorating / Parish Council, RCIA, Liturgy & Lectors
• March 6, 2026 – Catholic Women’s League (CWL)
• March 13, 2026 – Music Ministry
• March 20, 2026 – Knights of Columbus
• March 27, 2026 – Pastoral Care Team