Catholics from all over the Uganda and around the world trooped to churches on Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the 40-day Lenten season.
Devotees went to Christ the King Church in Kampala very early in the morning to hear Mass and have their foreheads marked with ash, Monsignor Gerald Kalumba, the parish priest revealed.
Masses at the church are expected to continue throughout the day.
In Nyamitanga, Mbarara Municipality, devotees lined up patiently to have ashes placed on their foreheads.
Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday is a period observed by Christians for 40 days focusing mainly on fasting and prayer while giving up certain luxuries including food, water, alcohol and sex.
The day is in commemoration of the time Jesus Christ spent in the desert fasting for the same number of days.
Ash Wednesday facts
According to church tradition, the ash represents the dust from which God made man.
As the priest dabs a person’s forehead with ash, he says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
A day before Ash Wednesday, palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday are traditionally burned to ashes and mixed with oil. This will be used to mark the forehead of the devotees on the day itself.
Ugandans are known for displaying these palm leaves on the windows of their houses or along stairwells believing this would drive away bad luck.
Aside from its historical significance, Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of fasting for Catholics. They are encouraged to pray more often, repent their sins and be more generous to the poor through almsgiving.
This year, Palm Sunday, or the beginning of the Holy Week, falls on April 9.
Meanwhile, Maundy Thursday will be on April 13, Good Friday on April 14, and Easter Sunday on April 16.
