ASH WEDNESDAY

The beginning of the Lenten Season starts with Ash Wednesday. It is a reminder of human mortality and the need to reconcile with God. Many Catholic devotees attend the mass where they receive ashes on their foreheads, a sign of repentance and reminders of the return to dust in death. Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter Sunday (40 days excluding Sundays). Churchgoers of the Our Lady of Atonement Cathedral come as early as 6:00 am to attend the first Mass while other Churches are open by 6:30 am. Photos by Neil Clark Ongchangco