Ash Wednesday, March 5th

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a period of spiritual renewal which helps us prepare for the celebration of the Paschal mystery of Christ, his passion, death and resurrection.

The ashes we receive on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday are both a reminder of our earthly mortality and a call to repentance. The ashes are made by burning the palms that were distributed the previous year on Palm Sunday. The ashes are blessed by the priest, who then dips his thumb in them and makes the Sign of the Cross on each person’s forehead, while saying these words: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) or “Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and a day of abstinence from meat. Fasting applies to Catholics between the ages of 18 and 60 and means you should only eat one full meal and two smaller meals if needed. All Catholics age 14 and above should abstain from eating meat on this day and on all Fridays during Lent.

Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation but Catholics are encouraged to begin their Lenten

journey by attending Mass.

A special collection taken up in all churches on Ash Wednesday will jointly benefit our Saint Vincent de Paul Society as well as Catholic Charities.