La Salle Marks Beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday Mass
February 27, 2023
Senior Samuel Carrillo, one of the Mass’ altar servers, has been an altar server at La Salle since his freshman year. “Instead of just going to Mass, I was able to be part of the Mass, which I felt turned into a very important thing in my life,” he said.
Mass was celebrated by Fr. Paschal Ezurike from St. Philip Benizi Church in Clackamas County.
“I haven’t really gotten involved with massive Masses while we’re doing school, and I thought it would be really cool to do this last Ash Wednesday as a senior,” Jenny Le said.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and spiritual reflection for Catholics.
Describing what it was like to distribute ashes, senior Jenny Le said, “It was really nerve-wracking, but I really liked it because it feels like an act of service.”
Being able to celebrate Ash Wednesday at La Salle is important to senior Samuel Carrillo. “It was really important for me,” he said. “Growing up in a Catholic family, Ash Wednesday was always a big part of our lives.”
To mark the beginning of the Lenten season, La Salle celebrated Ash Wednesday Mass, led by Fr. Paschal Ezurike from St. Philip Benizi Church, on Feb. 22.
Members of student leadership marked the foreheads of students and staff who received ashes, a ritual which was accompanied by the words “remember that you are dust, and to dust, you shall return.”
