By Editor, February 20, 2026
Ash Wednesday, not a holy day of obligation, nonetheless compels one of the largest attendances of any liturgical celebration of the liturgical year.
This Lenten season, Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, celebrated this important day which opens the Lenten journey with those behind closed doors–in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Newark.
As reported by America magazine, Cardinal Tobin explained that “It’s important for the church to be part of this place, out of respect for the dignity of those women and men.”
Cardinal Tobin is joined by several other bishops who have sought to ensure sacramental access for detainees, an issue which Pope Leo XIV addressed in November of 2025, noting concern and sadness over “lack of access to pastoral care” for those in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers.
As we begin this Lent, let’s remember why we have those ashes. Let us pray for a clean heart. And let us pray for peace and safety for all the faithful, and all the world.
Please leave a reply.