Each year during Lent for the past several years, the Rev. Charles Polifka has come up with a different project designed to be fun, involve the congregation and get people thinking, in some way, about the meaning of the season.

Last year, he challenged parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 1234 Ky., to pledge any amount of money for each pound of weight he could lose during the 40 days of Lent. The money raised would go toward paying a $62,500 bill to fix the church roof.

Polifka, a Capuchin Franciscan friar and pastor of St. John, lost 27 pounds. And his Lenten weight-loss project raised more than $60,000, covering the cost of the repair bill.

This year Polifka is trying to draw attention, during the reflective season of Lent, to the need for people to slow down and spend more time on what’s really important in their lives.

To get his point across, he’s baking bread — lots of it.

“I’ve always tried to do something during Lent that improves my life, that fits with the season. In the past few years, I’ve tried to involve other people with it, too. It (baking bread) takes me away from the grind to do something I enjoy doing,” Polifka said.

“It feels so basic. You take time out, and you really get focused. It’s like my morning walks, except I’m doing something with my hands. It’s just a new way to enjoy life for me.”

Since Ash Wednesday Feb. 25, Polifka has been setting aside four hours each Wednesday and Friday to bake round loaves of hearty bread in the kitchen of the Simon Parish Center. Each baking session, he turns out eight loaves of bread.

Then, at the 5:30 p.m. Saturday Mass and four Sunday Masses, Polifka draws two envelopes (with the names of parishioners written on them) from the offertory basket. And he presents both of those individuals or families with a loaf of his bread.

Polifka then tells the recipients: “My penance this Lent is to bake bread (as penance for sins of busyness). Your penance is to eat my bread.”

He also instructs them to set aside some time to share the bread with co-workers or family, thus removing some of the busyness of their day.

The Rev. Charles Polifka, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, brushes butter onto the loaves of bread he's baking during Lent. At weekend Masses, Polifka presents loaves to his parishioners.

“The main idea is to take time out to enjoy the bread, to take time out for yourself and other people. We’re just too busy with too many things going on in our lives to enjoy the fundamental things of life: friends, family — and bread,” he said.

So far, more than 30 parishioners have received loaves of Polifka’s bread.

Gary and Bonita Holtkamp and their five children recently had their family’s name drawn at one Mass to receive a loaf to share among themselves.

“It was a very profound message, because I consider Father Charles to be the world’s busiest man, seriously. For him to take the time to do this, and then to give it to me and my family — we felt so privileged,” Bonita Holtkamp said.

“It was just totally a gift of his time through bread, which, for Catholics, is changed into Jesus’ body, so it’s very symbolic also.”

Polifka said he plans to continue baking bread for parishioners until Holy Thursday (April 8 this year), the end of Lent. Loaves that are not given away at Masses are kept in the Simon Parish Center, to be enjoyed by parishioners and visitors.

By the end of Lent, Polifka figured, he will have “lost” about 48 hours of busyness, instead spending the time baking bread.

The Lenten project is proving to be a big hit with parishioners, whom Polifka hopes will emulate his example.

“They like it (the bread). I get lots of comments in e-mails from people. I think it’s reminding them that we are too busy, and what do we gain from it?” he said.

“I’m taking time out, and I want them to see it.”