Disciple Days event held at Sacred Heart Church

posted on March 26, 2012

by Shannon Grooms

On the first Sunday of Lent, Sacred Heart Church in Pine Ridge celebrated with “Disciple Days.”  Disciple Days are a learning, fellowship activity designed to educate and help ready people for their journey through the Lenten season.

The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues until the Mass of the Lord’s Supper begins on Holy Thursday. Traditionally, Lent is a time of prayer, penance, repentance, and almsgiving. These spiritual practices help us to celebrate Easter with mind and heart renewed. In fact, the word “Lent” means “springtime.” It is the springtime of the Church as we prepare for the celebration of the Resurrection at Easter.

Jesuit novice, Bobby Karle led the adult group with a PowerPoint presentation on the meaning of Lent. According to Karle, “We had a nice turnout and it seemed to be well-received.” Meanwhile, Sr. Barb Bogenschutz and Sheila Murdock led the children with some Lenten learning and crafts. Sr. Barb explained the youth activities as follows; “The time with the young ones began by standing in a circle and counting to forty. Everyone had more than one number to count, which reminded them of the forty days of fasting before Easter. We did this in remembrance of Jesus, who spent forty days fasting in the desert. Next they painted door hangers that read “Hanging out with Jesus” on one side, and participants were invited to decorate the other side.

Each child then picked out a cross and was challenged to wear this cross each day of Lent; a sign that they are a Christian and are walking this journey also. The third and final project was completing a Lenten cube. On each side was written something they could do for the day such as: give someone a smile, clean their room, and the like. A blank space was left, which will allow them to write something they chose. Then they can roll the cube each day to decide what they would do that day.”

The activities were concluded with a prayer service led by Charles McGaa. Participants stood in a circle with a simple processional cross in the center. Forty footprints were on the floor, and everyone walked the circle of footprints while singing. The theme of this was that Lent calls us to walk a journey, and at the end of the journey we are in a different place, both physically and spiritually. Participants then walked forward and placed crosses on which were written the names of people for whom they would pray, or something they vowed to do during Lent. According to Sr. Barb, “ It was a very powerful prayer experience.”

If you are interested in learning more about any of the Catholic churches on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, contact Fr. Steve Sanford and 605-867-5491 ext 604.