CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — For Catholics, Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the Lenten season, and this year it also gives parishioners a glimpse of what things looked like pre-pandemic.
Like many Churches in the Diocese of San Diego, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Chula Vista returned to the traditional Ash Wednesday service. Holding mass inside the Church and the distribution of ashes done as it had been done before the pandemic.
The sign of the cross, marked by hand, instead of by the use of a cotton swab as it was done last year because of COVID protocols.
Associate Pastor of St. Rose, Father Eric Tamayo, talks about the significance of this return to normalcy.
“As a community of faith for any parishioner to come inside, especially on a cold morning, to be able to gather and feel the presence of people around them, for me it’s a sign of hope," said Tamayo.
In Downtown, clergy for St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral offered ashes to go near City Hall, where people could walk up and get their ashes.
Alma Machado says she missed last year’s Ash Wednesday services and was glad to return to what she’s used to adding with everything going on in the world, it really put things into perspective.
“I skipped Ash Wednesday last year so this was nice to get back to it," said Machado.
"Seeing how easy our lives can be even though we've been impacted by the pandemic, we still have a very lucky life."
