Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the 12:05 p.m. Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.
Blessed Ashes will be distributed to the faithful in over 200 parishes across the five-county Archdiocese throughout the day. This tangible symbol is a reminder for Catholics to repent and deepen their relationship with Christ through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving throughout Lent. Those three practices are central to the observance of Lent in preparation for the celebration of the Sacred Paschal Triduum.
Wednesday, February 14, 2024
12:05 p.m.
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul
18th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Additional Masses will be celebrated at 7:15 a.m. (Chapel) and 5:15 p.m. (Basilica). There will also be a Mass in Spanish celebrated at 7:00 p.m. (Chapel).
The Bishops of the United States prescribe, as a minimal obligation, that all persons who are fourteen years of age and older are bound to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, on all the Fridays of Lent and Good Friday. Further, all persons eighteen years of age and older, up to and including their fifty-ninth birthday, are bound to fast by limiting themselves to a single full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, while the other two meals on those days are to be light. No dispensations from the obligations of fasting are being granted due to the confluence of Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. Keeping a voluntary fast throughout Lent is encouraged on the part of all.
The Cathedral Parish will offer the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation on weekdays at 11:30 a.m. (Basilica), Saturdays at 4:15 p.m. (Basilica) and Sundays at 9:00 a.m. (Basilica), 12:00 Noon in Spanish (Chapel) and 5:30 p.m. (Basilica). Likewise, individual parishes throughout the Archdiocese may have alternative dates and times for this Sacrament in addition to already scheduled times.
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Editor’s Note: Thanks to the generous support of the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia, the 12:05 p.m. Mass with Archbishop Pérez on Ash Wednesday will be streamed live via the Archdiocesan Vimeo Channel (https://vimeo.com/event/2470138) and Archbishop Pérez’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ArchbishopPerez).
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For Ash Wednesday Mass, a press audio/video mult-box clean feed will be provided in the Cathedral parking lot with multiple HD-SDI video (BNC) and mic/line (XLR) connections. Crews will need a live truck or recording device. Please note that due to construction in the lot beside the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, media outlets will need longer cords than previous years to plug into the mult-box.
Please contact Daniel Kearns with any technical questions regarding the broadcast at 215-888-0305 (cell).
About the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia
The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia (CFGP) is an independent, nonprofit community foundation committed to growing philanthropy according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Grounded in the principles of faith and service, CFGP meets the diverse needs of donors and Catholic institutions through charitable fund management and development consulting. Its services ensure an investment in the future of our faith. To learn more about CFGP, please visit https://thecfgp.org/.
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
ArchPhilly
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Contact:
Ellen J. Gallagher
Communications Coordinator
215-587-3747 (office)