Dear St. Joseph Catholic Church Community, please see the following announcement from Fr. Andrew and the Diocese of Austin:
Dispensation from fasting and abstinence for Ash Wednesday and the First Friday of Lent -
For all Catholics in the Diocese of Austin, in recognizing the difficulties experienced over the past few days by so many, including the inability for some to secure food for themselves and their families, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez has dispensed all from the obligation to fast and abstain from eating meat for this Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 and Friday, Feb. 19, 2021 (Canon 87§1).
This unprecedented weather event only compounds the suffering our community has endured together throughout the pandemic. Bishop Vásquez asks each of us to pray for those who are suffering in the cold and, if possible, to offer support where we can. On this Ash Wednesday, he also calls each of us to turn to God, knowing that God will never leave us to face our challenges alone.