A day to repent, reflect and pray. Worshippers flocked to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan to mark Ash Wednesday.

Services started at 7 a.m., with many attending mass, where members of the clergy drew ash crosses on people’s foreheads. The Holy Day marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts for 40 days and concludes on Easter Sunday.

What You Need To Know

  • Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which lasts for 40 days and concludes on Easter Sunday

  • The ashes serve as a physical reminder that, one day, we will all return to dust

  • Pope Francis was first admitted to a hospital in Rome for a respiratory illness on Feb. 14
  • According to the Vatican, Pope Francis is stable but remains guarded, meaning he is not yet out of danger

This year, Pope Francis is on the minds of many. The 88-year-old is still being treated for pneumonia at a hospital in Rome, refraining from leading Ash Wednesday services.

He was first admitted for a respiratory illness on Feb. 14.

The Pontiff released a message Wednesday, in which he encouraged worshippers to remain hopeful in the face of uncertainty.

In Catholicism and in many Christian denominations, the ashes symbolize mortality and repentance. They serve as a physical reminder that, one day, we will all return to dust.

According to the Vatican, Pope Francis is stable but remains guarded, meaning he is not yet out of danger.