Masses and liturgies for the distributions of the ashes took place all day on campus Feb. 22 in celebration of Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Lenten liturgical season. 

University chaplain Father Hugh Vincent Dyer, O.P., said in his homily at the 12:05 Mass in St. Vincent’s Chapel, that Ash Wednesday is about going beyond simply getting an ash on the forehead.

“There’s a temptation to want to get your identity out there, and say, ‘I’m a Catholic, see my ash tattoo?’ But are we really showing love? Are we really being encouraged?”

Father Hugh Vincent emphasized the importance of almsgiving, a Lenten pillar along with prayer and fasting.

“The Lord has a kind of preferential option for the poor,” said Father Hugh Vincent, referring to the Gospels where Jesus cures and ministers to the poor. “The Church provides us with a season of denial of the self. We should live a life unposted on social media. Things untold, these should be deeds that follow you into heaven. No one knows about them, except the person to whom you showed kindness, and God himself.”

To help the campus community live out the spirit of Lent, Campus Ministry will provide extended confession opportunities, weekly stations of the cross, reading groups and service projects. Click here for more information on key opportunities to live out Lent 2023 on campus.