Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, will celebrate Mass on Ash Wednesday in observance of the beginning of Lent. Catholics around the world will fast and receive ashes on their foreheads in the Sign of the Cross as a symbol of penance and conversion.
The Ash Wednesday Mass will be Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, 1725 Rhode Island Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20036
Lent is the 40-day penitential period before Easter and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. The imposition of ashes is an ancient practice found in the Old Testament. Once a public sign of an individual’s repentance, it became part of the Church’s Lenten preparations by the seventh century. People of all faiths are invited to receive ashes.
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, which is the Friday before Easter, Catholics between 18 and 59 years old observe a modified fast; guidelines allow one full meal per day. Catholics age 14 and over abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent. Easter will be observed this year on April 20.
The Archdiocese of Washington is again partnering with the Diocese of Arlington for the “The Light Is ON” initiative. All Catholic churches in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and Northern Virginia will be open on Wednesday evenings during Lent for confession and quiet prayer. More than 200 churches will be open on March 12, 19 and 26 as well as April 2, 9 and 16. For resources on the Sacrament of Reconciliation or to learn more about why Catholics go to confession, visit www.thelightison.org
The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 620,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 96 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.
