Ash Wednesday

While not a holy day of obligation, many Catholics desire to begin this penitential season by attending Mass and having ashes imposed upon their foreheads.  Masses on Ash Wednesday, 18 February 2026, will be celebrated at:

8:45am at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church (Oberlin, OH)
6:30pm at St. Patrick Parish (Wellington, OH)*
 *There will be NO adoration or confessions prior to evening Mass on Ash Wednesday, Feb 18, 2026

Pope Leo XIV offers this reflection on Lent 2026: “I would like to invite you to a very practical and frequently unappreciated form of abstinence: that of refraining from words that offend and hurt our neighbor. Let us begin by disarming our language, avoiding harsh words and rash judgement, refraining from slander and speaking ill of those who are not present and cannot defend themselves. Instead, let us strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness and respect in our families, among our friends, at work, on social media, in political debates, in the media and in Christian communities. In this way, words of hatred will give way to words of hope and peace.”

► https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-02/pope-leo-xiv-lent-2026-message-disarm-words-embrace-peace.html

Check out Fr. Mike Schmitz’s explanation of the significance of Ash Wednesday.

LENTEN DISCIPLINES (as taken from the Bishop’s Website: click here to visit it):

• Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics.
  In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
• For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.
  When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal.
  The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.