Lent and Easter 2026 Ash Wednesday opens the door to our Lenten season of renewal. This year it fell on Wednesday 18 February. The Ash Wednesday service took place in churches across the Archdiocese to mark the start of the Lenten season. The sign of the cross is made with ashes on the forehead, accompanied by the words: “Repent and believe in the Good News” or “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. Lent is traditionally a 40-day fast - a reference to the time Jesus spent being tempted in the desert. It is a time when we can prepare our hearts for the solemn remembrance of Jesus’ death. It concludes and is followed by the Easter Sunday celebration of the resurrection of Christ. The six-week period (excluding Sundays) is dedicated to prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for the great celebration of Christ’s Paschal Mystery in the Easter Triduum. This page will be updated as the season progresses. Message of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for Lent Listening and Fasting:Lent as a Time of Conversion Dear brothers and sisters, Lent is a time in which the Church, guided by a sense of maternal care, invites us to place the mystery of God back in the center of our lives, in order to find renewal in our faith and keep our hearts from being consumed by the anxieties and distractions of daily life. Every path towards conversion begins by allowing the word of God to touch our hearts and welcoming it with a docile spirit. There is a relationship between the word, our acceptance of it and the transformation it brings about. For this reason, the Lenten journey is a welcome opportunity to heed the voice of the Lord and renew our commitment to following Christ, accompanying him on the road to Jerusalem, where the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection will be fulfilled. Read Message in full Lent, Holy Week and Easter at St Chad's Cathedral Palm Sunday, 29 March - Masses at 9.30am and 11.30am Wed 1 April, Mass of Holy Chrism - 11.30am Thurs 2 April, Mass of the Lord's Supper - 7.30pm Good Friday, 3 April - Walk of Witness starts at The Church at Carrs Lane at 10am, ending at St Chad’s Cathedral. Good Friday, 3 April - Solemn Liturgy 3pm Holy Saturday, 4 April - Easter Vigil 8pm Easter Sunday, 5 April - Masses at 9.30am and 11.30am Easter Monday, 6 April - Mass at 10am DOWNLOAD poster DOWNLOAD information sheet St Chad's Cathedral website Resources and Retreats Jump to: Bible Society Easter for Children and Families Educational and Musical Resources Environment Catholic Bishops' Conference God Who Speaks CAFOD Friends of the Holy Land Pact Podcasts Retreats and Courses Written Resources Catechesis offered by the Diocesan Liturgical Commission A week-by-week focus of the Sunday Gospels of the Holy Season of Lent, 2026 (Year A). Spend time preparing for and understanding the Gospels. The Sunday Gospels of Lent Liturgy and Worship Group Resource selections Filmed by the Diocesan Liturgy and Worship Group for the 2022 Lenten season. Find out more Stations of the Cross with the Saints Members of the parish community in Longton, Stoke‑on‑Trent have created a new series of short reflections titled Stations of the Cross with the Saints, available via their Facebook page. This online initiative begins this Saturday with an introductory video, followed by daily posts leading up to Good Friday. The purpose of this project is to offer a simple and accessible way to pray and reflect on the Stations of the Cross in the midst of everyday life. St Gregory and St Maria Goretti Facebook Page Bible Society - Journey through Lent, Easter and Pentecost Journey with Bible Society Lent and Easter Resources For Children and Families New resources from the CELEBRATE TRUST Now available: A new CELEBRATE Family Activity Pack for Lent, which includes creative ways to help families grow close to God during this season. There are engaging ways to count down the days in Lent, reflective prayer and discussion, craft, games, books and movies to help families draw close to God. CELEBRATE has also created a Lent game this year - Journey to Easter Joy - which encourages children to focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving, in fun and interactive ways this Lent. The Easter Donkey The Easter Donkey is a lovely and interactive way to tell the Easter Story. The Easter Donkey Mission Together Mission Together, the children’s branch of Missio – the Catholic Church’s official children’s charity for overseas mission, are offering a wealth of Lent resources. Including a Lenten calendar, liturgies, activities and prayers. Mission Together at Lent Hot Cross Bun recipe This simple hot cross bun recipe for kids with step by step instructions is easy enough for children and beginner bakers to try. Easy Hot Cross Buns Free downloadable cards for this Easter St Francis Leprosy Guild would like to offer parishes downloadable Easter cards featuring the crucifixion and their patron, St Francis. There are seven different cards, each with an Easter design and the words Hallelujah! He is Risen! inside. Two of the cards are designed to appeal to children and one can be coloured in. The cards are simple to make as follows: download your favourite Easter cards by clicking on the links print on normal A4-sized photocopy paper fold in half and half again add your own message put in an A6-sized envelope and give to family and friends. Downloadable Easter Cards Shalom Media Shalom World has created a Lenten webpage filled with 400+ hand-picked programmes — inspiring talks, music, children’s stories, heart-warming shows, and reflections for all ages. It is completely free for everyone - no pay walls, no ads, no subscription - simply a gift to help families. Shalom World resources Educational and Musical Resources CJM Music Eight songs of the cross for Lent and beyond Songs of the Resurrection Responsorial Psalms for Lent (Year A) Born for This - 30th Anniversary performance Tickets are now on sale for the 30th Anniversary performance of Born for This, a musical reflection on the Stations of the Cross. The performance at Symphony Hall, Birmingham takes place on the evening of Wednesday 25 March. • Featuring live music by Jo Boyce, CJM Music, and a small orchestra.• Supported by a choir of 300+ young voices from Catholic secondary schools across Birmingham and Solihull (St Thomas Aquinas, Bishop Challoner, St Peter's, Archbishop Ilsley, John Henry Newman, St John Wall).• A cast of talented actors and dancers spanning the 30-year history of Born For This - bringing the past, present and future of BFT together for one very special performance. Born for This OneLife Music NEW for Lent 2026 - A Heart that Sees This half-day, afternoon online retreat is designed for all of primary school. Providing a time to stop and reflect as a school community during the blessed season of Lent and as the title suggested, the retreat encourages us to see with our hearts and to be grow closer to our God who loves us. A Heart that Sees OPEN. for Lent Join with Dan and Emily each weekday of Lent, for these short times of prayer and song to celebrate the Season. OPEN Lent OneLife STREAM Friday 6 March, 11am Join Dan, Emily and thousands of children across the country for the Lent STREAM. LIVE for an hour of Lenten song and sharing. Lent STREAM Mustard Seeds Eight-part series exploring key dates and themes around Lent. Topics include the meaning of Ash Wednesday, the significance of the 40 Days and an insight into the important Catholic devotion of the Stations of the Cross. A visual educational resource to aid our Catholic faith journey. Mustard Seeds video series Environment Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales Lent is a time for turning again to the practice of our faith - in prayer, self-denial (fasting) and practical generosity (almsgiving). We Dare to Ask Our 2026 Lenten resource seeks to encourage an appreciation of what is given in Christian Baptism. God desires what is best for each of us while respecting our freedom to choose. To express our acceptance of the wonderful gift that God offers us, with open hearts and a willingness to change for the better, all we need to do is ask. We Dare to Ask Access a host of resources: Holy Week Listening to the Word in Lent We’re encouraging our listeners to deepen their relationship with Christ through Scripture during Lent. As well as talking about the books of the Bible, Our Biblical Apostolate Manager, Fleur Dorrell, offers some achievable top tips to help us go deeper into Scripture as we journey towards Holy Week. Listening to the Word God Who Speaks The national Scripture campaign led by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and Bible Society continues. Offering a wealth of resources for the season including a focus on symbols, poetry, posters, Seven Last Sayings of Jesus, Listening in Silence: Easter Glory, and much more. Lent and Eastertide CAFOD Resources from CAFOD. Please also consider joining their Big Lent Walk to help fight global poverty. Lent family prayer ideas Easter family prayer ideas CAFOD's Lent emails of prayer and reflection will offer an opportunity to pause, reflect, pray and take action as we prepare for Easter. Join us as we journey through the Lent with our global family by signing up for our daily Lent emails Friends of the Holy Land Please join your prayers with Holy Land Christians this Lent As we enter Lent, a season of reflection and renewal, join Friends of the Holy Land’s Lenten prayer circle. Every week from Sunday 15 February until Thursday 26 March we will share the story of a Christian in the Holy Land and their personal prayer request. Please unite with us in prayer, remembering the people who proudly live in the birthplace of Christianity. Sign up via the website or scan the QR code Pact The Prison Advice & Care Trust (Pact) is the national Catholic charity that supports prisoners, people with convictions, and their children and families. We provide caring and life changing services at every stage of the criminal justice process: in court, in prison, on release, and in the community. Stations of the Cross liturgy prepared by Pact and including words from those who have lived experience of the criminal justice system. For example, former prisoners reflect on moments from their time in prison and their life afterward. People who have walked alongside family members in prison speak about how that felt. Pact Stations of the Cross Pact’s Lenten appeal During Lent, we have opportunities to reflect love and mercy into the world. You can join us as we pray each week for prisoners and those affected by the justice system. You can also donate to our Lent campaign, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’. Your support allows us to continue our work to provide people with their fresh start. Pact appeal Podcasts The Bishops' Conference presents: Reading John in Lent. During the weekdays and Saturdays of Lent, listen to daily podcasts from the Gospel of John – “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. Listen to Podcasts Good Habits podcast Exploring questions of meaning through the wisdom of the virtues, hosted by Fr John Church OP and Fr Toby Lees OP. Join Fr John and Fr Toby, two Dominican Friars, as they explore how the virtues can help us to make decisions, face our fears, grow in self-control, be a good friend and more. Good Habits is a Catholic Truth Society (CTS) production in collaboration with the Dominican Friars in Britain and Radio Maria England. Good Habits podcast Retreats and Courses CTS Lent Retreat with Newman An online retreat from the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) designed to help you go deeper into the Gospels of Lent through the preaching of St John Henry Newman. Guided by Fr George Bowen. Access online Retreat Lent Talks at Christ the King, Kingstanding Sunday 22 February to Sunday 22 March. All welcome. Lenten Retreats at the Dupuis Centre, Selly Park, Birmingham Fr Chris Thomas - Friday 27 February at 6pm - Sunday 1 March after lunch‘Freedom to live as the children of God’Fr Chris is involved in the Irenaeus Project in the Archdiocese of LiverpoolCost £225 Alison MacTier - Friday 20 at 6pm - Sunday 22 March after lunchFrom Desert to Daybreak – Exploring Lent and the coming of Easter As we approach Holy Week we take time to look back over our Lenten experiences and prepare for the coming of Easter using Scripture, guided meditations, images and music. This weekend retreat will include regular input and prayer time together with space for personal reflection. Alison is the Director of the Retreat Association, with overall responsibility for the leadership of the charity. Alison has a professional background in book publishing and the charity sector. She is also a trained spiritual director and leads quiet days and retreats. Cost £225 for the residential weekend. Saturday 23 March only, 10-4 pm, £40. Fr Maurice O’ Mahony, CSsR - Monday 9 at 6pm – Monday 16 March after breakfast‘The journey to fullness of life’Cost: £655 Fr Maurice is a Redemptorist priest and is Rector of St Mary’s Clapham, London. For further details on any of the above please contact: Sr Margaret Mattison on 0121 415 6100 or via email [email protected] PLUS: Lenten Meditations every Thursday morning Dupuis Retreat and Centre Unfettered: A Lenten – Easter Retreat on Forgiveness Hosted by Carmelite Friars, Oxford. Let it Go. Let it Be. Let it Grow. Residential and online options. Thursday 2 - Sunday 5 April / Monday 13 - Wednesday 15 April. This isn't a retreat that happens during Holy Week. It's a retreat that is Holy Week — three movements of forgiveness aligned with the three sacred days:• Good Friday - Let it Go: Bringing our wounds to the Cross• Holy Saturday - Let it Be: Entrusting what we cannot carry• Easter Sunday - Let it Grow: Rising as ambassadors of reconciliation Unfettered Seven-week online Retreat hosted by Carmelite Friars, Oxford Pierced by Love: A Lenten Pilgrimage With Mary invites you to journey through the Seven Sorrows, not as tragic events but as windows into the mystery of redemptive love. Mary will teach you what you most need to know: How to love without guarantees How to trust when the way forward is unclear How to remain present when we cannot fix what's broken How to let go of what we grasp How to hold what feels dead How to hope when all we see is stone Pierced by Love Pierced by Love: A seven-day Lenten Journey with Mary We're now offering a condensed seven-day experience for those who missed the live retreat. From Monday 23 March through Holy Week, you can journey through all Seven Sorrows at your own pace — one session per day, or however works for you. Pierced by Love: Seven-day Retreat Six-week Lenten Retreat hosted by Redemptorist Publications 'Made for Heaven' with Fr Agustino Torres, CFR Starts Ash Wednesday, 18 February Lent is an invitation not just to give something up, but to journey deeper into freedom, simplicity, and love. This year, begin the season with Made for Heaven, a multimedia Lenten retreat led by Fr Agustino Torres, CFR, a powerful voice for living the Gospel with joy and authenticity. Inspired by the spirit of St Francis of Assisi, this retreat invites you to embrace simplicity, detach from what weighs you down, and rediscover what truly matters. Each week of Lent, you’ll be guided through:• A Scripture-based meditation• Thought-provoking reflection questions• Prayer and space for journaling• Stunning original artwork by Valerie Delgado (Pax.Valerie) Made for Heaven Written resources Lent Reflections from Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Belonging in Christ: Offering a hope-filled vision of peace for all A seven-week programme. Belonging in Christ Sharing in the Life of God - A Journey into the Real Meaning of Easter Deacon Sean Loone of Our Lady of the Wayside parish in Shirley, Birmingham, has written ‘Sharing in the Life of God - A Journey into the Real Meaning of Easter’. Sharing in the Life of God A Cup of Cold Water: Finding Christ in the Sunday Gospels of Lent and Easter From Deacon Sean Loone. The book comprises of a series of reflections taking the reader on a journey through Lent and Easter, Sunday by Sunday, with an accompanying Gospel passage and questions. It is suitable for individual, or study group use. A Cup of Cold Water Lectionary Readings for Lent Commentary on every Scripture reading from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday by Fr Adrian Graffy, parish priest of Gidea Park and member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. Access Readings Easter in the Holy Land Friends of the Holy Land present a prayer resource bringing the reality of Easter in the Holy Land to life. Holy Week Voices from the Holy Land book Walk with Me Welcome to the Lenten edition of Walk with Me. At the heart of this holy season is an invitation from the Father to return to him with all our heart; an opportunity to seek healing and to know the transforming mercy of God. Also available is the Walk with Me Children’s Calendar and the Walk with Me Children’s Mini Mag. Order Walk with Me products Stations of the Cross from Alive Publishing, by Dr Anne Inman Anne Inman taught theology at universities in and around London until retirement in 2014. She has published books on the philosophy of God, and the ministry of women in Anglo-Saxon England. She is currently working on the implications of recent advances in scriptural and historical research for traditional Catholic teaching. The Stations of the Cross is an ancient but ever new spiritual discipline uniting us to the Passion of Christ. Drawing on rich and beautiful sources from St Augustine of Hippo, Jacopone da Todi, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Genoa, Francis de Sales and many others these Stations of the Cross offers us a new and exciting way of meditating upon the cross upon which the Saviour died. Order Stations of the Cross Journey to Transformative Lent: A 40-Day Lenten Guide to Prayer, Reflection and Renewal Published as a book and audio book by William Gomes. The book provides daily readings, reflections and practical exercises for each of the 40 days of Lent, helping readers deepen their relationship with God and experience personal and spiritual growth. Book Audio Book The Way of the Cross A Lenten Devotion Produced by the John Bradburne Memorial Society. This Lenten booklet is prayerful, meditating on Christ’s journey along the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. May this Lenten journey be a time of self-discovery, renewal, and a deepening of our connection with the divine. Order booklet Churches Together in England Seasonal resources from national Member Churches and partner organisations. Access resources Resources from CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network) This Lent, CSAN is offering a curated collection of spiritual and practical resources to support parishes, clergy, charities, and lay leaders as they journey through the season. Our Lent 2026 hub brings together homily notes for each Sunday of Lent, recommended reading, and reflective materials designed to deepen prayer, encourage conversion, and inspire action rooted in Catholic Social Teaching. CSAN Lent hub Manage Cookie Preferences