Lent is a season of repentance and refocusing that happens in the 40 days prior to Easter. The Christian practice of observing the season of Lent began around the 10th Century. First it was a six week "membership class" with learning and fasting in preparation for being baptized into the faith on Easter morning. Many baptismal fonts from that era were cross shaped and set into the floor -- a symbolic way of walking people through the transformative process of dying to our old life and rising with Christ into new life on Easter.
Please Note: There was a typo before. The Good Friday Service is at 5pm not 7pm