HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – As Ash Wednesday kicked off the season of Lent, this year is extra significant for Catholics with the first pope from the United States leading the church during this season of prayer.
It was a packed house inside the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Downtown Harrisonburg for Ash Wednesday mass in the early evening hours.
Followers of the Catholic faith received ashes in the shape of a cross on their foreheads to start the 40 days of fasting and prayer leading up to the Easter holiday.
Wednesday also marked the first time a Pope from the United States, Pope Leo XIV, has led the Catholic church during the season of Lent.
Folks who attended the mass in Harrisonburg, like Michael Dipane and Elizabeth Chayka, say it is exciting to see one of their own representing followers of the Catholic faith on the global stage.
“It’s great to feel that you have someone from your home, your home nation,” Dipane said.
Seeing Pope Leo XIV emphasize the importance of peace not only in his Ash Wednesday homily but throughout his time as Pope is inspiring for both Dipane and Chayka as well as their fellow Catholics during this year’s Lent.
“I think his focus right now is that we treat everybody with great regard and don’t talk about each other behind each other’s back,” Chayka said.
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