Chancery Office, Pembroke
Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020

My dear Faithful of the Archdiocese of Kingston and the Diocese of Pembroke,

My greetings in the Lord Jesus.

Our observance of Ash Wednesday begins our precious spiritual pilgrimage towards the Easter celebration. | am very much looking forward to this Holy Season together in the Archdiocese of Kingston and the Diocese of Pembroke. The beginning of this pilgrimage is marked today by the fasting and abstinence from meat, which the Church asks us to observe. This practice helps us to focus on the beauty of the interior spiritual life of faith so that, we can follow the Lord through Lent to the victory of His resurrection. The Scripture readings from today’s Mass make this clear: “See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation’.

These words from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians exhort us to begin today. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the instruments which guide us through these forty days with Christ. He leads us into the interior truth of ourselves, our weak and sinful condition. The silence of personal prayer is the place where we encounter Christ. in His merciful care, He will carry us to the deep meaning of His death and resurrection at our Easter celebration. The more we enter this wonderful itinerary, the more we will experience the joys and freedom of the power of His resurrection.

My dear brothers and sisters, we begin this pilgrimage today with the entire Church, and we hold in prayer especially our infirm brothers and sisters, and the catechumens who prepare for baptism at Easter. Please know of my prayers for all of you as we begin this precious Lenten time, in our year and in our lives.

†Michael Mulhall
Archbishop of Kingston
Apostolic Administrator of Pembroke