Lent begins for many Christians this week

2/9/2013

This week, most Christians start observing the season of Lent, the 40 days (not counting Sundays) before Easter that are used as a time of prayer and fasting.

On Tuesday, many faithful people could be celebrating Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, and getting the “party” out of their system, or they might be more sedate and attend a church’s pancake supper.

Among the Roman Catholic and Protestant congregations holding Ash Wednesday religious services, Trinity Episcopal Church at One Trinity Plaza in Toledo will have imposition of ashes, when worshipers will receive the sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads, at noon and 7 p.m.