Ash Wednesday is one of the most solemn of Christian dates. It's the start of a weekslong period for the faithful called Lent that comes ahead of one of the most joyous of Christian holidays ...

Is Ash Wednesday just a Catholic holiday? No, the day is not just for Catholics, but not all Christian churches observe Ash Wednesday and Lent, according to Learn Religions.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are the only two days of fasting and abstinence required by the Catholic Church, though Catholics are encouraged to abstain from meat on Fridays during the 40-day ...

Rev. Stephen Hamilton, pastor, traces a cross on the forehead of a woman during an Ash Wednesday service at St. Monica Catholic Church in Edmond, Oklahoma on Wednesday, March 5, 2014.

Members of the Catholic Church, ages 18 to 59, are required to observe Lent and fast on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are known as obligatory days of abstinence. Children 14 and ...

The ashes placed in the sign of a cross on worshipers' foreheads on Ash Wednesday are supposed to be made from last year's Palm Sunday palm branches, according to the Catholic News Agency.Last ...

Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, is on March 5, 2025. Lent, a period of prayer, fasting, and giving, ends on April 17, 2025. Easter Sunday is on April 20, 2025.

Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent, is on March 5, 2025. Lent is a period of prayer, fasting, and giving for Christians. Ashes represent death and repentance, reminding Christians of human mortality.

A Catholic parish in Des Moines says winter weather will not cancel their plans to commemorate Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday this week.St. Theresa Catholic Church will have a Mardi Gras celebration ...

Dorsey Prince, right, and Shannon Carter pray during an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. John Neumann Catholic Church on Wednesday Feb. 22, 2023. Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, a 40-day ...

But the rules for Ash Wednesday are unwavering for believers. Bishop John Dolan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix spoke with The Arizona Republic about the meaning and purpose of Ash Wednesday.