Bishop Daniel E. Thomas will be the celebrant and homilist for Ash Wednesday Mass at 5:30 p.m., March 1 at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral, 2535 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo. Ash Wednesday will also be observed at the 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Cathedral Masses, as well as at various times at all parishes in the Diocese of Toledo.
Ash Wednesday begins the worldwide Christian season of Lent, a 40 day period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for Easter.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. The norms for fasting oblige all persons, from age 18 until 59 years, to refrain from eating meat and to take only one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Two smaller meals may also be eaten, but not to equal a full meal. The norms for abstinence from meat apply to all persons older than 14 years of age. Fridays in Lent are also days of abstinence.
During the Ash Wednesday Mass, foreheads are marked with ashes in the sign of the cross as the faithful hear "Remember, you are dust and to dust you will return" or “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” The ashes are made from burning the blessed palms used in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. Parishioners are encouraged to bring the palms to their parishes before Lent for this purpose. The ashes are blessed with Holy Water before being imposed on the faithful on Ash Wednesday.
The Diocese of Toledo will also participate in The Light is On, a national effort to encourage Catholics to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, priests in parishes across the Diocese will be available to hear confessions. Scheduled times and locations may vary due to local circumstances.
Click here to view Bishop Thomas’ Lenten video message.
Posted February 28, 2017 at 7:45 pm