FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2022

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge to Celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Va., this Wednesday, March 2

Distribution of Ashes Will Take Place During Mass

ARLINGTON, Va. - This Wednesday, March 2, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, will celebrate the Ash Wednesday Mass and distribute ashes at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington, Va., at 12:05 p.m.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of burning the ashes from palm branches blessed on the previous year's Palm Sunday. Priests use these ashes to place a Sign of the Cross on the foreheads of the faithful, reminding participants of death and the call to repentance. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting and abstinence from meat and marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day penitential season leading up to Easter Sunday.

Bishop Burbidge echoes the Holy Father's call for the faithful to offer their prayers and fasting for peace in Ukraine this Ash Wednesday.

What:
Ash Wednesday Mass, Celebrated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge
Ash Distribution to Take Place During Mass

When:        
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
12:05 p.m.

Where:     
The Cathedral of St. Thomas More
3901 Cathedral Lane
Arlington, VA 22203
(The Mass will be livestreamed on the diocesan YouTube Channel.)             
       
Interested media, contact Amber Roseboom, Director of Media Relations, Catholic Diocese of Arlington, at 571-215-8731 or Amber.Roseboom@arlingtondiocese.org.

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The Catholic Diocese of Arlington was established on August 13, 1974, and is home to 70 parishes and more than 460,000 Catholics. There are currently 276 priests serving in the Diocese and 49 seminarians discerning a priestly vocation. The Diocese has 37 parish (K-8) schools, one virtual school, four diocesan high schools, five independent Catholic schools and three free-standing (not connected with a parish school) pre-schools, serving more than 16,800 students. 

Geographically, the Diocese includes the seven cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, and Winchester and the 21 counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, King George, Lancaster, Loudoun, Madison, Northumberland, Orange, Page, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Shenandoah, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Warren and Westmoreland.