CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Church bells rang across Chattanooga this morning as parishioners gathered at the Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul to mark Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season.
The service brought together people of all ages for reflection and prayer.
Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of 40 days and 40 nights of reflection, repentance, and spiritual preparation leading up to Easter.
While not a holy day of obligation, it draws large crowds each year.
Worshipers received a mark of ashes, a centuries-old symbol of human mortality, humility, and the need for God’s mercy.
The ashes are made by burning the palms from last year’s Palm Sunday, a tradition that links the start of Lent to the previous year’s celebration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.
The practice dates back to early Christian traditions, inspired by biblical references to ashes as a sign of repentance.
Priests blessed the ashes and placed them on participants’ foreheads, reminding them of God’s mercy and the opportunity for spiritual growth.
Father David Carter explained, “He comes with a promise of reconciliation of healing and redemption, and they want people want that and God graciously gives it so if we humble ourselves, he’s there for us and that’s why people come to Ash Wednesday. It’s chalked full because we resonate with it; we know we’re sinners, but we also know we have a merciful God.”
He added, “We remember that we are nothing without God, especially with his redemption, and with his redemption, we can hope in everlasting life… The ashes are the symbol of our own personal repentance and the acceptance of these 40 days and 40 nights of discipline in preparation to train our souls to grow in virtue.”
For many, the day serves as a personal and communal reminder of humility, reflection, and hope.
Participants left feeling renewed, ready to embrace the Lenten season with prayer, intention, and spiritual growth.
