On February 18, Seton Hall University marked the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday services across its three campuses. The event drew close to 1,400 participants, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators who attended one of nine Masses held throughout the day.
The noon Mass at Bethany Hall was the largest gathering, while afternoon services in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception also saw high attendance, with some crowds exceeding 200 people. At the 5 p.m. Mass, demand was so great that attendees stood outside to receive ashes and Communion.
During his homily at the noon service, Father Nick Sertich reflected on the significance of receiving ashes. He said that although it may seem unusual for people to pause their busy schedules to have their foreheads marked with ashes, this act serves as a reminder of human imperfection and sinfulness. “While we wear the ashes as a token of our brokenness,” Father Nick told those gathered, “the washing away of our ashes at the end of the day is also a powerful reminder of the love of Christ, which cleanses us and washes away our sins.” He emphasized that Lent is a time for humility and spiritual growth.
Jonathan Farina, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Seton Hall University, shared his perspective on Ash Wednesday: “Ash Wednesday reminds us of our earthliness and mortality, that we come from dust and to dust shall return, but this celebration of our ‘humility’ (a word rooted etymologically in the connection of humanity with humus, or soil) in turn refocuses me each year on the joys of life and care for others.” After attending Mass, Dean Farina noted he was left “thinking about my love of learning, of literature and of university life in general” and felt “inclined to think a little less about myself and my petty gripes and to think more instead about others.”
A student participant commented on what Ash Wednesday means personally: “Ash Wednesday is important because it is a reminder of our brokenness but also of what Jesus has in store for us. Lent calls us to fully rend our hearts to the Lord in the hopes of growing closer to God and experiencing the full joy of the coming Easter season.”
Seton Hall’s observance reflects how members find meaning in Lent through prayer, fasting, almsgiving—and by taking time out from daily routines for reflection.
