DOWNTOWN — THE DIOCESE ON FEB. 18 MARKED THE BEGINNING OF LENT with Ash Wednesday masses around Brooklyn and Queens. Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. James. Following his homily, he blessed and distributed the traditional ashes onto the foreheads of attendees. Monsignor Joseph Grimaldi, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and Father Joseph Gibino, the Rector of the Cathedral Basilica of St. James, concelebrated the mass and also distributed ashes.
Bishop Robert Brennan places ashes on the foreheads of worshipers at St. James Cathedral.
Photo courtesy John Quaglione/Diocese of Brooklyn
Ash Wednesday also saw the launch of the 2026 Diocesan Lenten Pilgrimage in Brooklyn and Queens. This year’s Lenten Pilgrimage is dedicated to the Jubilee for St. Francis, which Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed to mark the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi’s death. This fourth annual diocesan pilgrimage invites the faithful to visit a different parish each weekday and on Saturdays during Lent. Individual parishes are designated on specific dates and will offer opportunities for mass, prayer, and reflection during these visits. The complete schedule can be found online on the diocese’s website.
Lent concludes with the celebration of the Sacred Triduum, the three holiest days on the Christian calendar: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. This year, Easter Sunday is on April 5.