Carnival time isn’t over yet, but as Fat Tuesday approaches, it’s a reminder that so too does Lent, a time to prepare hearts for Easter. One way the Church marks the Lenten season is by abstaining from saying, “Alleluia.” By fasting from this powerful word (meaning “Praise God) there is an appreciation of its depth and meaning in the Easter celebration.

As a visible sign of this tradition, St. James will again bury the Alleluias at the conclusion of the 10:30 a.m. service on February 26. Participants in Sunday School and Children’s Church will learn more about Lent and decorate their own Alleluias to be physically buried and joyously later in the Lenten season.