Hyderabad: Hyderabad churches marked Ash Wednesday with solemn masses and special prayers, formally beginning the 40-day season of Lent leading up to Easter.
From early morning, churches across the city witnessed steady attendance. Accordingly, clergy conducted special services as devotees gathered for prayer and reflection.
At St Mary’s Basilica in Secunderabad, large numbers of the faithful attended the mass. There, Archbishop of Hyderabad Cardinal Poola Anthony led the solemn service. During the ceremony, he marked the sign of the cross with ashes on the foreheads of worshippers, thus symbolising repentance and spiritual renewal.
Ash Wednesday rituals draw steady turnout
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the ritual of placing blessed ashes on believers. As clergy applied the ashes, they recited Biblical exhortations such as, “Repent, and believe in the Gospel” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Through this ritual, the Church reminded the faithful of human mortality and the call to turn away from sin.
In many churches, priests either sprinkled ashes gently over the heads of devotees or traced a cross on their foreheads. Consequently, the visible mark reflected humility and penance.
Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday, is observed by Christians worldwide as a time of reflection, sacrifice and preparation for Easter. During this period, believers focus on prayer, fasting and charity ahead of the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.