Many parishes in the Diocese of Dallas will be closed and Ash Wednesday services will be canceled due to extreme weather and dangerous road conditions.
According to the Diocese of Dallas, many churches will distribute ashes at the end of Masses on Sunday.
Reverend Edward Burns, Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas, was set to preside over the Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas before services were canceled.
For Christians, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40-day Season of Lent, a time for fasting and reflection in spiritual preparation for Easter.
In years past, ashes were placed on the foreheads of Christians as a reminder that life on Earth ends, but there is eternal life for those who believe in Jesus, the Diocese of Dallas said.
According to the Diocese of Dallas, in order to be as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the Vatican notified Bishops around the world that ashes should be administered differently than what many countries have done in the past.
The priest will say a prayer to bless the ashes and sprinkle them with holy water before cleansing his hands, putting on a face mask, and sprinkling ashes on the crown of each recipient's head without speaking, the Diocese of Dallas said.
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The Diocese of Dallas said Ash Wednesday is not a holy day of obligation, and there is no requirement to receive ashes.
Visit the Diocese of Dallas website for additional information.
