Brunswick Lenten dinners to raise money for local charities

In an effort to give to others at Lent, All Saints Parish in Brunswick will be contributing all proceeds from their traditional Lenten haddock chowder dinners to several area service providers, including the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, Tedford Shelter, The Gathering Place, Habitat for Humanity, Oasis Free Clinics and the People Plus Teen Center. The chowder dinners will be available for takeout on each Friday of Lent from 5-6 p.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church on 132 McKeen St. in Brunswick. The meal includes homemade fish chowder, a package of oyster crackers and a wrapped dessert for $10. Two hundred dinners will be made each Friday.

Many Maine parishes offer fish suppers and soup on Fridays as all Catholics, ages 14 and up, are bound by the law of abstinence, which means refraining from the consumption of meat (land animals) on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent to unite ourselves with Jesus’ sacrifice, made for us on Good Friday.

In honor of St. Patrick, a secondary patron of the Diocese of Portland, and in recognition that St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) falls on a Friday during Lent, Bishop Robert Deeley is authorizing individuals who choose to eat meat on that day (i.e. a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner) to choose a different day to abstain from meat within that same week. Parishioners are able to make use of this commutation on St. Patrick’s Day for any reason, even if they are not necessarily attending a parish event that day.

Unless otherwise noted, the meals end the last full week of Lent and do not include Holy Week. Visit portlanddiocese.org/lenten-meals for a complete list of Lenten meals throughout other parishes.

Catholic youth raise nearly $14,000 in ‘Souper’ Bowl of Caring

In addition to Super Bowl Sunday parties and gatherings, young Catholics from around Maine had further reason to celebrate on Feb. 12: a wildly successful “Souper” Bowl of Caring.

The event saw young people collecting money at several Maine parishes with 100% of the donations set for delivery to local charities that help tackle hunger in the community.

Nearly $14,000 and hundreds of food items were collected at weekend Masses. All Saints Parish youth collected $3,316 for the Catholic Charities Maine food and nutrition program. St. Michael Parish youth collected over $2,600, also for the Catholic Charities Maine food and nutrition program. St. John Paul II Parish youth collected nearly $2,500 for the South Portland Food Cupboard. Good Shepherd Parish youth collected over $2,600 for the Old Orchard Beach Community Food Pantry and Resource Center. Parishes of Western Maine Lakes and Foothills youth collected $1,093 for Catholic Charities Maine’s food and nutrition program. Corpus Christi Parish youth collected $1,733 to help sponsor a child in El Salvador and for the Lighthouse Soup Kitchen in Waterville.

Since the inception of “Souper” Bowl of Caring in 1990, close to $180 million has been reported donated to local food charities across all 50 states with over 305,000 unique groups participating.

St. John’s hosts Maine Catholic Men’s Conference

The Maine Catholic Men’s Conference kicks off a trio of conferences featuring national speakers, Masses with Bishop Robert Deeley, and offerings of faith and fellowship. The men’s conference is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18 at the St. John’s Community Center on 43 Pleasant St. in Brunswick, with a theme of “Be Strong in the Lord!”

The conference will include time to pray, listen to speakers and witnesses, and be nourished by the sacraments to go out and love and serve God and his children. The event will conclude with a 4 p.m. closing Mass, celebrated by Bishop Deeley. The keynote speaker for the conference will be Deacon Matt Halbach, who serves as the executive director of catechesis for William H. Sadlier, Inc. and is a nationally known speaker on the topics of mercy, catechesis, accompaniment and evangelization. To register or for more information, visit portlanddiocese.org/Mens-conference-2023.

The Maine Catholic Youth Convention is April 21-23 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay on 88 Spring St. in Portland. The keynote speakers at will be Doug Brummel and Dave Wilson, known as The Doug and Dave Show. The convention will conclude on Sunday with a 10 a.m. Mass, celebrated by Bishop Deeley, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on 307 Congress St. in Portland. Contact Shawn Gregory, coordinator of youth ministry in the Diocese of Portland, at Shawn.Gregory@portlanddiocese.org or 773-6471 for more information.

The Maine Catholic Women’s Conference is May 6 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay on 88 Spring St., Portland, with a theme of “Holy Friendship,” meaning those in our lives who challenge us to grow in excellence, virtue and faith. The keynote speaker at the conference will be ValLimar Jansen, who has sung and toured professionally throughout the U.S. and served as a professor, inspirational speaker, and leader of worship and prayer. A concluding Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Deeley. For more information or to register, visit portlanddiocese.org/maine-catholic-womens-conference-2023.