The season of Lent is once again upon us.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and Kildare College began preparations for our Lenten journey by cooking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.
As Lent is a time for fasting, traditionally, pancakes were made to rid the household of all dairy products before the fast.
Students and staff were invited to come and have a pancake and all profits went to Project Compassion. Money raised for Project Compassion helps to set in place structures in poor communities such as access fresh water, the maintenance of animals so as to provide milk and education so that good farming techniques can be sustained.
For Ash Wednesday, students gathered all together for our Ash Wednesday liturgy. This was also an opportunity to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Kildare Ministries.
During this liturgy, a sign of the cross with ash (made from burning palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday) is placed on the forehead. Essentially, this is done to remind us of our mortality.
It may seem strange to celebrate an anniversary at the same time as we solemnly mark our foreheads with ashes and yet it is very fitting.
The vision of Kildare Ministries forms us as a community where all people are valued. Ash Wednesday reminds us that this is a world we all share, in our common humanity. We are all made of the same dust.
Enrico Caprioli
APRIM
