Bishop Robert J. Brennan Celebrated Mass and Distributed Ashes on Ash Wednesday

“During the season of Lent, we focus on spending this extra time with God, whether through our Lenten practices or with this pilgrimage of faith, to allow God to speak to us. ‘Repent and Believe in the Good News’ are words we hear as we receive our ashes. Believe that you are loved by God, believe that God wants your heart, and believe that the Lord is reaching out to you,” said Bishop Robert Brennan during his homily.

Today, they also marked the start of the 2024 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage in Brooklyn and Queens, where the faithful can visit different churches over the next 40 days. Individual parishes will offer opportunities for Mass, prayer, and reflection during these visits. The complete schedule can be found online at lent.diobrook.org.

Ash Wednesday begins the Christian observance of the season of Lent. As is customary, the ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made by burning the blessed palms distributed the prior year on Palm Sunday. Lent ends with celebrating the Sacred Triduum, the three holiest days of the year: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. Easter Sunday will be celebrated this year on March 31.