On Wednesday February 18, the Padua community celebrated Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, which lasts 40 days and the season ends on Holy Thursday. Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season are a time of fasting. For example, on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during lent Catholics are encouraged to not eat meat and to fast.

Ash Wednesday’s date changes every year, because it depends on the day Easter falls. Usually Ash Wednesday falls somewhere between February 4th and March 10th. During the Lenten season Catholics can either give up something or try to start doing something positive (or both!).

On Ash Wednesday the Padua community came together to celebrate Ash Wednesday during Mass. Padua invited Father Mark to say Mass. He spoke to the students about God and how God loves each of them, and how they can be transformers of the world around them. Many of the student Eucharistic ministers and the teacher Eucharistic ministers gave out ashes and every student was encouraged to receive ashes whether they were Catholic or not. Most of the student body did receive ashes in the shape of a cross on their foreheads.