St. Jude Lenten masses to begin March 6

Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday masses at 8 a.m., and 12:05 and 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 6, at St. Jude The Apostle Church, Lewes. All Christians capable of committing sin, ages 7 and above, are invited to receive ashes as a public commitment to conversion of heart and repentance for sin. Ashes will also be imposed at Beebe Healthcare, the Moorings at Lewes and Harbor Healthcare.

Catholics abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, as well as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, which are also days of fasting. Msgr. Desmond Council of the Knights of Columbus will serve fish dinners at 5 p.m. every Friday during Lent in the Parish Life Center, following the 4 p.m. Stations of the Cross and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Pilgrims to the Holy Land walked the Via Dolorosa, or the Way of Sorrows, also called the Via Crucis, or the Way of the Cross, in Old Jerusalem. They commemorated Jesus bearing his cross to Calvary, meditating with prayers, scripture readings, and psalms and hymns.

In the 12th century, crusader tales of this tradition and his own visit to the Holy Land inspired St. Francis of Assisi to place Stations of the Cross in churches, as depicted on canvas, glass and stone. The Roman Catholic Church has preserved the custom of erecting these images in every church and chapel. Some, like St. Jude, also have outdoor stations.

St. Jude The Apostle Church is on Route 1 northbound just before the Nassau bridge at 152 Tulip Drive, Lewes. For more information, call the parish office at 302-644-7300.