| 23 Wednesday | |
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| violet | Ash Wednesday | |
| | 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. |
| Anniversary: | 59th anniversary of the death of P. Edward Klimas (77) d. 1980 at Warsaw, Poland.  |
| Anniversary: | 22nd anniversary of the death of P. João Rebelo Valente Pereira Cabral (94) d. 2017 at Porto, Portugal. |
| Anniversary: | 17th anniversary of the death of P. James Chaning-Pearce (SAP) (81) d. 2022 at St Beuno's, Tremeirchion, N Wales. |
On this day in our Jesuit history...
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| 1555 | A letter from St. Ignatius to Claudius, the Emperor of Ethiopia, urging reunion with the church of Rome. |
| 1700 | The death of Paul Hoste, mathematician and expert historian on construction of ships and naval warfare. |
| 1945 | The freeing and rescue of 76 Jesuits and others from the Philippine internment camp, as USA troops take over. |
| 1970 | William J. Young, S.J. dies writer and translator of Ignatian/Jesuit spirituality. |
| 1982 | All Jesuit provincials assemble at Villa Cavaletti at the request of the Pontifical Delegate, Fr. Dezza, and meet until March 3rd. |
| 1984 | Joseph Putz, S.J. dies age 99 in India. He was a peritus at Vatican II, scholar, teacher, theologian, editor of Clergy Monthly for 33 years. |
| 1994 | Joseph Fichter, S.J. dies age 85, sociologist, writer. He served as Stillman Professor of Roman Catholic studies at Harvard University. |
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