| 11 Wednesday | |
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| violet | Ash Wednesday | |
| 40th World Day of Prayer for the Sick (est. 1992) | |
| | Mass of Ash Wednesday; after the sign of the cross and greeting, the penitential act is omitted.
Preface of Lent III or IV. |
| | [219] Joel 2: 12-18; Ps 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14+17; 2 Cor 5:20-6:2; Matt 6:1-6, 16-18 |
| | (Switch to Vol. II of the Lit. of the Hours.)
Hours of Ash Wednesday; Psalter Week 4 today and until Saturday.
Today at Morning Prayer, the psalms of Friday, Week 3 may be used. |
| | The celebrant blesses and distributes ashes after the homily.
Other persons may be associated with the bishop or priest in the imposition of ashes, e.g., deacons, special ministers of communion and other lay persons, when there is true pastoral need. |
| Special ministers of communion and deacons may bring blessed ashes to the sick and those confined to their homes. If a minister is not available, a member of the family or another person may bring the blessed ashes to a shut-in, using one of the formulas in the Roman Missal to impose ashes. |
| For pastoral reasons the blessing and distribution of ashes may take place outside Mass. In this case, the entire liturgy of the word should be celebrated: entrance song, opening prayer, readings and chants, homily, blessing and distribution of ashes, and general intercessions. See the Book of Blessings, nos. 1656ff. |
| | Lunar New Year (Year of the Rat). |
| Anniversary: | 83rd anniversary of the death of P. James O'Connell (76) d. 1949 at Preston, Lancs, England.  |
| Anniversary: | 65th anniversary of the death of F. Philip Hogg (64) d. 1967 at Ilkley, England. |
| Birthday: | 91st birthday of P. John MLAKAR (born this day in 1941). |
| Birthday: | 31st birthday of NS. Faustino Atanásio JOÃO (born this day in 2001). |
On this day in our Jesuit history...
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| 1546 | LeJay is one of the theologians commissioned at Trent to draft the decree on Scripture and tradition. |
| 1915 | Wlodimir Ledochowski is elected the 26th General of the Society. He will serve for 27 years. |
| 1930 | Fr. Ledochowski creates the Historical Institute of the Society, with Pedro Leturia as first director. |
| 1950 | Hans Urs von Balthasar leaves the Society to work with laity, the Johannes Gemeinschaft. |
| 1954 | Pierre Charles, S.J. dies missiologist and spiritual writer. He wrote Prayer of All Men/Things/Times. |
| 1997 | Robert A. Graham, S.J. dies, age 84. He is an historian of Vatican diplomacy, an expert on the relation of Pope Pius XII to the Nazis. He also was on the staff of America magazine. |
| 2013 | Pope Benedict announces his decision to retire. It becomes effective on February 28. |
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