Catholic Origins of Ash Wednesday

Originally, this practice was reserved for the Order of Penitents. These people were sinners who had been prescribed a public penance for their sins. They were required to stand outside the Church before Mass. The priest would hear their confessions, clothe them in sack cloth and sprinkle ashes on their heads.

After this ceremony, everyone would fall prostrate and recite the seven Penitential Psalms (6,31,37,50,101,129,142). Then all would walk in procession through the streets with the penitents walking barefoot at the back.

When the procession returned to the church the bishop would address the penitents with these words: “Behold, we drive you from the doors of the church by reason of your sins and crimes, as Adam, the first man, was driven out of paradise because of his transgression.” The choir then sang responsories from the Book of Genesis that told of the punishments on mankind for disobeying God. At the conclusion the doors were shut and the penitents were required to stay out of the church until Maundy Thursday.

This sure makes “Say one Hail Mary and one Our Father” seem like a piece of cake, doesn't it? Go to confession!

By the 11th century the custom of sprinkling ashes was widespread enough that Abbot Aelfric, an English monk, mentioned it in his writings. The practice of public penance also began to decline during this century but the practice of receiving ashes while barefoot spread throughout the Church.

In the 12th century the Pope and the cardinals would walk barefoot from the church of St. Anastasia to the church of St. Sabina (about 1km) where the stat ional Mass for for Ash Wednesday was celebrated.

It was also during the 12th century that it became a common practice to burn the palms from the previous Palm Sunday to create the ashes, making this the first recycling project in recorded history.

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