PANAJI
The Catholic community in the State participated in religious services and prayers while also observing abstinence on Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the season of Lent.
Lent is a 40-day solemn period (excluding Sundays) for the Catholic community which begins with Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday (April 1).
In a departure from tradition and in view of protocols due to the Covid pandemic, the priests did not follow the customary practice of rubbing ashes on the foreheads of the Catholic faithful.
Adhering to guidelines issued by the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments last month, the priests recited the traditional, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” as part of one common address to the congregation, instead of each congregant.
While Masses with limited congregations were celebrated in all churches and chapels in the archdiocese, they were also live-streamed for those unable to participate in the services on Ash Wednesday on account of the prevailing Covid pandemic.
The Diocesan Centre for Liturgy in the archdiocese had given directives on how the blessed ashes could reach individual homes and the procedure to apply them on their heads.
“We had two Masses at 6.30 am and 8 am. Though ash was not seen on the foreheads of the parishioners, the sprinkling of ashes on the head brought out the message of the Gospel very clearly,” said Pilerne Parish Priest Fr Derick Fernandes.
At Chicalim, Parish Priest Fr Bolmax Pereira said three Masses were celebrated in the Parish Church and one Mass in Dabolim Chapel.
“We did not try anything special this time. Social distancing, hand sanitisation and the wearing of masks were followed. Almost everyone wanted to attend the Mass on Ash Wednesday but we had to restrict the number to follow the required SOPs in spite of celebrating four Masses.”
“Ashes were distributed by following the diocesan procedure with two priests and five Eucharistic Ministers administering the ashes by applying it reverently on their heads,” said Fr Pereira.
