After having released all aggression, urges and desires during the Mardi Gras holiday, you may feel the need to repent and ask God for forgiveness. If so, French Quarter churches will be holding services on Ash Wednesday.
Services and distribution of ashes will begin Feb. 18 at 7:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, attached to the Old Ursuline Convent Museum located at 1116 Chartres Street, then and at 12:05 p.m. and 5 p.m. at St. Louis Cathedral, located at 615 Pere Antoine Alley.
The service at St. Louis Cathedral will be Archbishop James Checchio’s first Ash Wednesday mass since he was appointed Archbishop of New Orleans in September.
Ash Wednesday is the Christian holy day marking the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer and charitable giving. The day occurs after Fat Tuesday and precedes Easter, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. This year Easter will be observed on April 5.
Observers of Ash Wednesday are marked with ash on their foreheads, which is typically done in the sign of a cross and signifies repentance.