VALPARAISO – Believers strive every day to make their lives more congruent with God’s will. With the wisdom of 2,000 years, the Catholic Church maintains a liturgical calendar calling the faithful to renewal, as during the season of Lent.
In the season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving, churches throughout the Diocese of Gary stand ready to offer opportunities to help those on a Lenten journey to eventually become “Easter people.” At St. Paul, a unique ministry initiative called Lenten Vespers and Soup Dinner is a pairing that has drawn faithful together for deeper devotion and familial fellowship.
Parishioners have praised the tradition, starting with the setting. After the simple meal in one of the church halls, participants assemble in a candle-lit church where Eucharistic adoration and a benediction occur.
“The Lenten vespers are so … when you walk into that church the lights are dimmed and they have candles up front. It is just such a peaceful place to walk into,” said Barb Kubiszak, longtime director of the parish’s St. Agnes Adult Day Service Center.
She continued, “I have not been to the dinners, but I imagine it’s very welcoming – our parish always seems to be good for little meals where people enjoy sitting and talking.”
St. Paul associate pastor Father Roque Meraz said there are many traditional practices that are beneficial to the 40-day preparation for Resurrection Sunday. The discipline of giving up something has gained traction even in pop culture, but being generous to neighbors through charity and dedicating more time for prayer are additive rather than subtractive efforts.
As a youngster, Father Meraz recalls his mother’s insistence on prayer. “Before Ash Wednesday my mom would remind us that we were about to enter Lent and to think of something you want to give up or something you wanted to pray for,” he said.
Even better, placing oneself before the Eucharistic Lord himself is always a blessing, Father Meraz said. Any chance for believers to gather can mean stronger relationships with each other, and God.
“The purpose of our evening prayer in Lent and the soup (served) before the Holy Hour is to just enter into the season of fasting and prayer –and what better way to do that than walking with the community. I think it’s easier to walk with someone.”
The associate pastor or pastor Father Douglas Mayer usually preside at the evening’s benediction, while parish volunteers are responsible for securing foodstuffs or soliciting donations of homemade basics in the spirit of Lenten simplicity for the dinner.
On Thursdays through April 10, soup will be served at St. Paul hall ‘A’ starting at 6 p.m. Candlelit Eucharistic Adoration is set to begin in the main church at 7 p.m. and continue for an hour.
St. Paul parishioner Sofia Bilder is a recent convert to the Catholic Church. She credits the support of her Catholic husband, Jim Bilder, a Valparaiso police officer, and the greater parish family for helping draw her to an experiential faith.
Bilder said she had a grasp of many Catholic beliefs, but had a confirming feeling after attending some of the early Lenten Vespers offerings, first coordinated by Father Jeffrey Burton when he was an associate pastor at St. Paul.
“I was drawn in by the prayer aspect,” said Bilder, a parish marriage preparation leader. “I never really came for the fellowship; I came for the prayer. I was in the process of converting at the time, so these were very formative for me in my own process.
Bilder continued, “I understood a lot of the Catholic teachings to be true, but coming to the vespers services were the first times I actually felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.”
Serving as the soup coordinator, Bilder detailed that meals and beverages are complimentary at the St. Paul Lenten sessions and participants will also receive printed guides for the Holy Hour. That time consists mainly of silent prayer for individuals before a consecrated host set in a monstrance and placed on the altar surrounded by votive candles. Benediction follows.
For Kubiszak, who often feels like “anything that brings people to church is good,” the specific offering of Eucharistic adoration is the most powerful presence the Body of Christ can present. It is something she hopes the Church will give more such opportunities for the faithful in the spirit of revival.
“I think because there is silence, and not a formal prayer service; there’s a lot of time to sit in front of the Blessed Sacrament,” Kubiszak explained. “And if you have someone you want to pray for there are individual candles where you can go up and just light them.
She concluded, “We’re all busy, but if you make the time to go, you’ll never regret it.”
Participants of the St. Paul offering attest to being changed by their prayer before He who is the Bread of Life. The hope of parish leaders is that the neighborly interaction with other Christians advances a common journey, such as the Road to Emmaus narrative (Luke 24:13-32).
“Prayer, fasting and almsgiving does affect each person in a very unique way, all bringing us closer to our Lord as we experience those moments.” Father Meraz said. “I think, yes, the Church does want us to benefit from it.”
Caption: Worshippers are gathered before the Blessed Sacrament at St. Paul church in Valparaiso during a vespers service in March 2024. The parish's Lent Vespers and Soup Dinner, hosted weekly this Lent promotes prayer and fellowship during the season of repentance leading up to Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday, and revolves around the simplicity of a basic meal and Eucharistic adoration before the Bread of Life. (Provided photo)