WATERTOWN -- Building on a practice that met with success during the pandemic, the CatholicTV Network will air a five-day Lenten mission from April 4-8, the week before Holy Week. But unlike the previous missions, this year's will consist of a variety of speakers, including diocesan priests and religious sisters.

CatholicTV began holding virtual Lenten retreats in 2020, at a time when parishes were prevented from gathering in person. When the first virtual retreat aired, public Masses were still suspended, and strict limits were in place regarding the use of public spaces, including houses of worship.

"The last two years, we've had this virtual retreat in response to people's struggles with the health crisis and their inability to connect, particularly during the season of Lent, which is so important, in their own parish communities," Bishop Robert Reed, the president and CEO of CatholicTV, said in a March 14 interview.

In the first two Lenten missions, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley was the sole presenter. But this year, the network had the idea to bring in different speakers, as well.

Cardinal O'Malley is to give the final presentation of the week. The other four speakers will be Father Brian O'Hanlon, parochial vicar at St. Mary of the Sacred Heart in Lynn; Father Michael Rora, parochial vicar at St. Peter and St. Kateri in Plymouth and Our Lady of Lourdes in Carver; Sister Julie Benedicta Turner of the Daughters of St. Paul in Jamaica Plain; and Sister Karla Goncalves of the Cistercian Nuns at Mount St. Mary's Abbey in Wrentham.

Each evening during the mission, CatholicTV will air a Mass at 7 p.m., followed by a presentation from the speaker for that night. Each presentation will begin with a brief Scripture reading and end with a series of discussion questions for groups watching the program to consider and talk about together.

CatholicTV is encouraging the faithful to host watch parties, either in homes or in parishes, and asked those who do so to email psoper@rcab.org with information about their event.

Speaking to The Pilot, Bishop Reed acknowledged that it is still "a challenging time" as people not only emerge from the health crisis of the pandemic but also wait for updates about the war in Ukraine.

"I hope that people will find some peace in this five-day retreat, that they'll be more aware of God's presence in their daily life, that they'll be encouraged, despite the complexities of life, to seek Christ more closely in this time of trial, and to be prepared to participate once again in the celebration of the Passion, the Death, and the Resurrection of Christ, which will be upon us," Bishop Reed said.

The Lenten Mission will air daily at 7 p.m., from April 4-8. It can be viewed on cable, CatholicTVLIVE.com, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and iOS and Android. The talks will also be available on-demand at CatholicTV.com and on CatholicTV's YouTube channel.