Lent 2023
The holy season of Lent begins February 22, 2023 with Ash Wednesday.
The first of the forty days of Lent, Ash Wednesday is named for the custom of placing blessed ashes on the foreheads of worshipers at Ash Wednesday services. The ashes are a sign of penitence and a reminder of mortality, and may be imposed with the sign of the cross. Ash Wednesday is observed as a fast in the church year of the Episcopal Church. The Ash Wednesday service is one of the Proper Liturgies for Special Days in the BCP (p. 264).
The final week of Lent is known as Holy Week. We observe Palm Sunday (April 2, 2023), Maundy Thursday (April 6), Good Friday (April 7), and Holy Saturday (April 8) with services that provide a liturgical experience of the last days of Jesus' earthly life, as well as the time and events leading up to his resurrection. The BCP provides special liturgies for each of these days. Holy Week ends at sundown on the Saturday before Easter (April 8), or with the celebration of the Easter Vigil.
Holy Week and Easter
Churches throughout the Diocese of Missouri will be marking the events of Holy Week and celebrating Easter with special services. We will be sharing livestream video of services each day on the home page of our website:
Palm Sunday, April 2 @ 10 a.m.
- The Episcopal Church of All Saints and Ascension in Northwoods (with Bishop Deon Johnson)
Holy Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, April 3, 4, 5 @ 5:30 p.m.
- Evensong at the Church of St. Michael & St. George in Clayton
Maundy Thursday, April 6 @ 6:30 p.m.
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Webster Groves
Good Friday, April 7
- 7 p.m. - St. Francis Episcopal Church in Eureka
Saturday, April 8 @ 7:30 p.m.
- The Great Vigil of Easter at Calvary Episcopal Church in Columbia
Easter Sunday, April 9 @ 10:30 a.m.
- Christ Church Cathedral in St. Louis (with Bishop Deon Johnson)
Find a worship service near you
We are gathering special resources and events here to help you observe a Holy Lent. If you have information you would like to share on this list, please send it to communications director Janis Greenbaum.
Resources:
- The Bishop's Daily Lenten Meditations
- Episcopal Church proposed trial use Good Friday liturgy (approved by Bishop Deon Johnson)
- Holy Week & Easter liturgical resources (from Bishop Deon Johnson)
- Episcopal Church 2023 Lenten Resources
- Episcopal Relief & Development Meditations
- Building Faith: Resources for children’s, youth, adult, or parish-wide programs for Lent and Holy Week
- Preparing to Become the Beloved Community (5-session Lenten study)
- Lent Madness
Events:
- Ash Wednesday in DioMO
Find a worship service near you
Wednesday, Feb. 22
- Virtual Lenten Bible Study: Healing and Understanding the Suicidal Crisis
from the National Suicide Prevention Network
Begins Feb. 27 / 6:30 p.m.
- Lenten Women's Retreat: Springs of Living Water
hosted by the Episcopal Church of St. Michael & St. George at the Mercy Retreat Center, St. Louis
Friday, March 17 / 5 p.m. and Saturday, March 18 / 8 a.m.
