Ash Wednesday is just around the corner (February 18)! Here's everything you need to know about Polish Catholic life in Southern California during Lent 2026.
⛪ POLISH CHURCHES IN SOCAL
🕊️ OUR LADY OF THE BRIGHT MOUNT (Los Angeles)
Parafia Matki Boskiej Jasnogórskiej / Shrine of St. John Paul II
📍 3424 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018
📞 (323) 734-5249
📧 shrineJP2LA@gmail.com
Mass Schedule (Polish)
• Sunday: 9:00 AM & 12:00 PM
• Monday & Thursday: 8:00 AM
• Wednesday & Friday: 7:00 PM
• Saturday: 9:00 AM
• Confessions: 30 min before each Mass
The oldest and only official Polish parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles! Also home to the Shrine of Saint John Paul II. Check their weekly bulletin at parafiala.org for the full Lenten schedule.
🕊️ ST. JOHN PAUL II POLISH CENTER (Yorba Linda, OC)
📍 3999 Rose Dr, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
📞 (714) 996-8161
📧 polishcenter@polishcenter.org
Pastor: Fr. Zbigniew Fraszczak, SVD
Mass Schedule
• Saturday: 4:00 PM (English)
• Sunday: 7:15 AM (Latin), 9:00 AM (English), 10:30 AM (Polish)
• First Friday: 8:30 AM (EN), 5:30 PM (Latin), 7:30 PM (Polish)
• Eucharistic Adoration: First Fridays after 8:30 AM Mass until 10 AM, then 5-9 PM
Upcoming events
🎉 Clergy Night - February 21, Italian dinner after 4 PM Mass ($20/person, RSVP by Feb 15)
📚 Adult Confirmation Classes - starting February 22 (10 weeks, Confirmation on Pentecost May 24)
Office hours: Tue/Thu/Sat 12-4 PM, Sun 9:30 AM-2 PM
🕊️ ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE POLISH MISSION (San Diego)
📍 1735 Grand Ave, San Diego, CA 92109 (Pacific Beach)
📞 (858) 272-7655
Mass Schedule (Polish)
• Friday: 7:00 PM
• Saturday: 6:00 PM
• Sunday: 9:00 AM & 11:00 AM
Founded in 1984. Hosts the annual Polish Festival in October. Call for Lenten schedule details.
🕊️ GUARDIAN ANGEL POLISH NATIONAL CATHOLIC CHURCH (Los Angeles)
📍 1118 N Commonwealth Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029
📞 (323) 655-2075
🔗 gapncc.org
Pastor: Fr. Andrew Machowski
Mass: Sunday 11:00 AM (English/Spanish)
A Polish National Catholic Church (PNCC) with Polish heritage. Hall rental available.
📅 KEY LENTEN DATES 2026
• Feb 18 - Ash Wednesday (Środa Popielcowa) - Lent begins!
• Feb 22 - First Sunday of Lent
• Mar 29 - Palm Sunday (Niedziela Palmowa)
• Apr 2 - Holy Thursday (Wielki Czwartek)
• Apr 3 - Good Friday (Wielki Piątek)
• Apr 4 - Holy Saturday (Wielka Sobota)
• Apr 5 - EASTER SUNDAY (Wielkanoc)! 🐣
🙏 POLISH LENTEN TRADITIONS TO EXPERIENCE
🕯️ DROGA KRZYŻOWA (Stations of the Cross)
Every Friday of Lent, typically at 6 or 7 PM before evening Mass. Follow the 14 stations of Christ's journey to Calvary - a deeply moving experience, especially in Polish.
🎵 GORZKIE ŻALE (Bitter Lamentations)
A uniquely Polish Lenten devotion! Sung on Sundays during Lent after the main Polish Mass. Three-part meditation on Christ's Passion with beautiful, haunting melodies dating back to 1707. You won't hear this anywhere else outside of Poland!
📖 REKOLEKCJE WIELKOPOSTNE (Lenten Retreats)
Parish missions typically held mid-Lent, often led by visiting priests from Poland. Multi-day spiritual retreats with special homilies and confession opportunities.
🍽️ POST (Fasting Rules)
• Ash Wednesday & Good Friday: Full fast (one full meal + two small snacks, no meat)
• All Fridays of Lent: No meat (abstinence)
• Traditional Polish Lenten foods: herring, pierogi ruskie, żurek, barszcz
💡 TIP: Detailed Lenten schedules (exact times for Droga Krzyżowa, Gorzkie Żale, and Rekolekcje) are typically published in parish bulletins the week of Ash Wednesday. Check parafiala.org and polishcenter.org after February 15 for updates!
Polish Lent in California is a beautiful way to connect with your faith and heritage. See you in church! ⛪🇵🇱
Sources: parafiala.org, polishcenter.org, polishmission.org, gapncc.org
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