Virtual Lenten Mission cosponsored by area parishes draws more than 600 viewers

The planning committee for the multi-parish cosponsored Virtual Lenten Mission include Father David Richards and Sister M. Joyce King, CSSF, from Our Lady of Pompeii; Laurie Koerner from St. Martha; Janet Corda from Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta; Father Paul Steller from St. Mary of the Assumption; Deacon Greg Feary from St. Andrew; Sister M. Theresa Chmura, CSSF, from St. Mary of the Assumption; and Father Bart Lipiec from St. Martha. Photo courtesy of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, Lancaster.

LANCASTER — A virtual Lenten Mission cosponsored by four Lancaster and Depew Catholic parishes drew a Zoom viewership of more than 600 over the two nights of the Mission in March, along with dozens more who participated as links for the mission remained open throughout Lent on the parishes’ websites.

This was the sixth consecutive year of Lenten Mission collaboration on the part of the parishes – St. Mary of the Assumption and Our Lady of Pompeii in Lancaster, and St. Martha and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in Depew – and the event was a success, despite ongoing challenges posed by pandemic restrictions.

“With no end to the pandemic in sight, our planning committee faced few, if any, options for an in-person mission this year,” said Sister M. Therese Chmura, CSSF, director of faith formation at St. Mary of the Assumption, the location from which the mission was live streamed. “We were blessed to have Deacon Greg Feary of St. Andrew Parish, Sloan and Canisius College adjunct professor of religious studies, along with our technology staffers, develop Zoom presentations that ran simultaneously on the evenings of the missions on each parish’s website, and continued throughout Lent.”

The virtual mission was a journey to the depths of God’s love, and guided participants on the many ways of responding to that love. In follow-up sessions, participants had the opportunity to discuss their questions and reactions to the mission experience.

Plans will begin soon for the 2022 mission, again, cosponsored by the four parishes.