The Diocese of Norwich entered the holy season of Lent with the celebration of Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick, with the Most Reverend Richard F. Reidy as celebrant, concelebrated by Father Ted Tumicki and Father Brian Romanowski.
In his homily, Bishop Reidy set the tone for Lent with words that were both direct and deeply hopeful. He began by drawing attention to the opening call of the prophet Joel—words the Church places on our lips at the start of the season: “Return to me.” Bishop Reidy reminded the faithful that those words are not a scolding, but an invitation filled with mercy: “As long as we draw breath, as long as we are able to respond to God’s call… it is not too late. All can be restored, renewed and made whole.”
The Truth Ash Wednesday Names
Ash Wednesday is honest about the human condition. We come forward marked with ashes, acknowledging what we often try to hide: our weakness, our need, our mortality. But Bishop Reidy emphasized that the Church does not begin Lent in despair. Instead, she begins with clarity—and with confidence in Christ.
Bishop Reidy offered a simple framework that immediately connected with the moment: “There are three things that unite every person in this cathedral and every person on earth. We are all sinners. We all have a Savior. We all need Lent.”
That first truth is hard, but necessary. Lent starts by naming reality: we fall short in thought, word, or deed— bad action committed, good action omitted. Yet the second truth is greater than the first.
Mercy Is the Point of Lent
Bishop Reidy proclaimed the heart of the Gospel with reassurance: “There is no sin, however grievous… there is no relapse… that cannot be forgiven. In Jesus Christ… we have a Savior.”
This is why Lent matters. It is not self-improvement for its own sake, nor a gloomy stretch of religious obligation. It is a season of grace that places before us the greatest realities of our faith—our sinfulness, Christ’s saving Cross, and the hope of the Resurrection.
Bishop Reidy also addressed the different attitudes people may bring to Ash Wednesday—resignation, complacency, or cynicism. The ashes confront each of these with the same message: we are not perfect, but we are not abandoned. As Bishop Reidy put it: “By our ashes, we show to the world we are not perfect… by our faith in Jesus Christ, we remind ourselves and others that Christ perfects us.”
Prayer, Penance, and Almsgiving: A Path Back to God
Bishop Reidy pointed to the Church’s traditional Lenten disciplines—prayer, penance, and almsgiving—explaining their true purpose: “These three Lenten practices don’t heal us directly, but they dispose us to be more open to God’s healing graces.”
He encouraged practical steps for the weeks ahead: make a good confession, attend weekday Mass when possible, choose a real sacrifice that reorders the heart toward God, and respond to God’s generosity by being generous to those in need.
A Lent That Leads to Peace
As the faithful left the Cathedral marked with ashes, the message of the day remained clear: Lent is a gift. It is the Church’s merciful insistence that change is possible—because Jesus Christ is real, His grace is active, and His Cross is not the end of the story.
In Bishop Reidy’s words, a faithful Lent leads to the peace we all desire: “A good Lent leads to a wonderful Easter, peace in our hearts, peace with God, and peace among ourselves.”
Watch the video of the Mass below. Homily begins at 19:15.