March 4 meant an annual milestone for thousands of local residents, possibly including participation in an Ash Wednesday church gathering. Students from Mead Hall and St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School were among participants in Aiken gatherings to mark the start of Lent,

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The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver held Ash Wednesday services on March 5, 2025. Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and marks the first day of Lent, the six weeks of penitence before Easter, which falls on April 20 this year.

A devotee with an ash cross on her forehead prays during Ash Wednesday rites March 5, 2025 at the Redemptorist Church in Manila, Philippines as Catholics in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation observe the start of lent.

Many Chicago Catholics participated in Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.