TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – In addition to being Valentine’s Day, Wednesday also marks the start of the Lenten season for Christians, with hundreds of worshipers heading to churches for this special day in the Topeka area.
It’s a fairly rare event: Ash Wednesday coincides with Valentine’s Day.
The last time this happened was in 2018.
However, according to published reports, the last time this happened before was in 1945.
This will only happen one more time this century – in 2029, according to published reports.
Lent extends over the 40 days preceding Easter (excluding Sunday) and begins on Ash Wednesday.
Easter will be celebrated this year on Sunday March 31 in Catholic and Protestant churches.
Orthodox Christians, meanwhile, will celebrate Easter – or Passover – this year on Sunday, May 5. This is five weeks after Catholics and Protestants celebrated Easter.
The date of Easter varies from year to year.
Protestant and Catholic Christians observe Easter on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox according to the Gregorian calendar. This means that Easter is usually celebrated from mid-March to mid-April.
Orthodox Christians, on the other hand, also celebrate Easter – or Easter – on the Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox. However, Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.
The use of different calendars helps explain why Catholics and Protestants may observe Easter on different dates than Orthodox Christians.
However, all three groups sometimes observe Easter on the same date – which will be the case in 2025, when Easter will be celebrated on April 20.
To mark the start of Lent, traditional Ash Wednesday services will be held beginning Wednesday morning at many Topeka area churches.
Other Ash Wednesday services will be held during the day and evening.
Many services include prayers, scripture readings, music, and the laying of ashes in the shape of a cross on the foreheads of participants.
The imposition of ashes usually takes place at the end of services. The pastor or other church official dips his thumb in ashes made from palm leaves burned during last year’s Palm Sunday services, then makes the sign of a cross on the foreheads of parishioners, accompanied words such as “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
After Ash Wednesday, many Christians observe Lent by participating in increased prayer, fasting, Bible study, and almsgiving in order to prepare for Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. Christ.
Local churches holding Ash Wednesday services on February 14 include:
CATHOLIC
• Christ the King Catholic Church, 5973 SW 25, 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.
• Mother Teresa Catholic Church of Calcutta, 2014 NW 46th, 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
• St. Joseph Catholic Church, 227 SW Van Buren, 6:30 a.m.
• Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 207 NE Chandler, 6:30 a.m. bilingual, 5:30 p.m. in English and 7:30 p.m. in Spanish.
• Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 3601 SW 17th, 7 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 312 NE Freeman, 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• St. Matthew Catholic Church, 2700 SE Virginia Ave., 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
EPISCOPAL
• Grace Episcopal Cathedral, 701 SW 8th Ave., 12:10 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• St. David’s Episcopal Church, 3916 SW 17, noon and 7 p.m.
LUTHERIAN-EVANGELICAL
• Trinity Lutheran Church, 731 SW Buchanan, noon.
• Our Savior Lutheran Church, SW 29, 2021, 7 p.m.
LUTHERIAN-MISSOURI SYNOD
• St. John’s Lutheran Church, 901 SW Fillmore, noon and 7 p.m.
• Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 3625 SW Wanamaker, 6:30 p.m.
PRESBYTERIAN
• First Presbyterian Church, 817 SW Harrison, noon
UNITED METHODIST
• Country United Methodist Church, 3221 SW Burlingame Road, 7 p.m.
• First United Methodist Church, 600 SW Topeka Blvd., 7 p.m. in Klasse Chapel.
• Highland Park United Methodist Church, 2914 SE Michigan Ave., 7 p.m.
• Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church, 7443 SW 29, 7 p.m.
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