Turn away from sin and be faithful to Christ.” In normal times, to mark the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday, the priest would mark a cross on the forehead of each recipient and recite the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Churches may choose to reopen for Lent services, by which time the lockdown will have been reviewed by the Government. While government guidance permits places of worship in England to remain open under the current restrictions, many churches have chosen to close anyway to mitigate the risk of coronavirus infection. THE imposition of ashes will be permitted during Ash Wednesday services next month, with precautions, for Church of England churches that are open for public worship during the current lockdown, new guidance states.
