Ash Wednesday Mass: Assistant Cathedral Administrator Calls for True Conversion

By Bernard Bakalu,

Luweero

Catholics have been solemnly exhorted not to trivialize Ash Wednesday into a mere outward display of ashes upon the brow, but to enter the holy season of Lent as a sacred pilgrimage of interior purification, penance, and authentic conversion of life.

The appeal was made by Rev. Fr. Joseph Mukasa, Assistant Parish Priest of Our Lady of Fatima, Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral, as hundreds of the faithful gathered in unity with Christians throughout the Kasana–Luweero Diocese and the Universal Church to mark the solemn commencement of Lent.

Ash Wednesday ushers in the penitential season of Lent — forty consecrated days of prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and repentance — during which Holy Mother Church calls her children to prepare their hearts for the radiant triumph of Easter.

The Cathedral was filled to capacity during the 7:00 a.m. Holy Mass, as worshippers assembled in reverent silence to receive the imposition of ashes — the ancient sacramental sign of repentance and the humbling reminder: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

A second Holy Mass followed at 9:00 a.m., presided over by Fr. Joseph Mukasa in his capacity as Assistant to the Cathedral Administrator, Msgr. Vincent De Paul Mukiibi.

“It Is Not Enough to Wear the Ashes”

In a homily marked by pastoral gravity and spiritual urgency, Fr. Mukasa issued a stirring call to genuine interior renewal.

“It is not enough to wear the ashes upon the forehead,” he declared. “The ashes must descend into the heart.”

The priest cautioned the faithful against reducing the sacred rite to an external observance devoid of inward transformation.

“If Lent passes without prayer, without fasting, without sincere repentance,” he warned, “then the holy sign we receive today risks becoming empty — a mark on the skin but not a change in the soul.”

Quoting the perennial call of Scripture, he urged the congregation to heed the divine command: “Rend your hearts, not your garments.”

A Spiritual Pilgrimage, Not a Single Day

Fr. Mukasa reminded the faithful that Lent does not conclude at the altar after the ashes are imposed.

“Lent does not end when you leave this Cathedral,” he said. “It begins. It continues as a sacred journey — a pilgrimage of self-examination, sacrifice, reconciliation, and return to the Lord.”

He exhorted every believer to seize the season as a providential opportunity to cleanse the soul, renounce sin, and draw nearer to Christ through deliberate acts of penance.

Emphasizing the seriousness of conversion, he added:

“Repentance must be intentional and proportionate. Those burdened by greater sin must commit themselves to deeper prayer, more fervent fasting, and sincere confession.”

Conversion Must Bear Fruit

At the same time, the priest underscored that true repentance cannot remain interior alone.

“Authentic conversion bears fruit,” he preached. “It manifests itself in works of mercy — especially toward the poor, the suffering, and the forgotten.”

He urged the faithful to practice almsgiving generously and to embody the charity of Christ in tangible acts of compassion.

Fr. Mukasa further encouraged Christians to participate devoutly in the Way of the Cross every Friday throughout Lent, uniting their sacrifices to the Passion of the Lord.

“When we walk the Way of the Cross,” he said, “we walk with Christ. We unite our sufferings to His, and in that union we find redemption.”

A Blessed and Transformative Season

Describing Lent as a sacred season meant to be lived deeply rather than observed superficially, Fr. Mukasa concluded by invoking God’s grace upon the faithful now marked with ashes.

“May this holy season not pass you by unchanged,” he prayed. “May it cleanse your hearts, renew your spirits, and lead you to the joy of Easter reborn.”

As the faithful departed in solemn reflection, their foreheads marked with ashes, the Church’s ancient call echoed anew — a summons not merely to ritual observance, but to profound spiritual rebirth.

Rev. Fr. Joseph Mukasa interacts with members of the faithful following the Ash Wednesday Holy Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral on February 18, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.

Seminarian Simon Peter Masiira prepares to impose ashes upon a member of the faithful during Ash Wednesday Holy Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral on February 18, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.

 Seminarian Simon Peter Masiira imposes ashes on a toddler during Ash Wednesday Holy Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Queen of Peace Kasana Cathedral on February 18, 2026. PHOTO BY BERNARD BAKALU.