Ash Wednesday Prayer Service of Repentance

 

When: Ash Wednesday, February 26, 2020 — from Noon-1:00 p.m. 

Where: White House, north side on Pennsylvania Ave. Due to construction of a new $64 million fence around the White House, we cannot be on the street directly in front of the White House. We will gather on Pennsylvania Ave. where there are no barricades, near where visitors exit the White House and in proximity to the Treasury Dept. Walk east on along Lafayette Park and then at the end of Park pedestrians are permitted to walk onto non-fenced off area of Pennsylvania Ave. 

On Ash Wednesday, people from the faith-based peace and justice community in the D.C. area will hold a prayer service in front of the White House to call for repentance and conversion of ourselves, our society and our churches to the Gospel way of justice, nonviolence and a reverence for all life and creation. 

During this Holy Season, we call upon all people of faith and goodwill to join with us in seeking to eradicate what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the “triple evils of poverty, racism and militarism.” While tax cuts are given to the rich, an estimated 140 million American are either poor or low income. Millions are without adequate health care. We call for an end to corporate domination, systemic racism and income inequality; justice for the poor and homeless; comprehensive immigration reform and affordable health care for all. We call for an end to torture, indefinite detention, the mass incarceration complex and the death penalty; for debt forgiveness for poor countries; and for continued aid to help rebuild Puerto Rico. We commit ourselves to upholding the human rights of all people.

Let us begin Lent together by joining in this important Ash Wednesday witness as we strive with sisters and brother worldwide to make God’s reign of love, justice and peace a reality.
 
Ashes will be blessed and distributed. Please join us.

Scott Wright, Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach
 
Jean Stokan, Sisters of Mercy Justice Team
 
Marie Dennis, Assisi Community
 
Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, Assisi Community

Susan Gunn, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Johnny Zokovitch, Pax Christi USA

Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore

Dorothy Day Catholic Worker

For more info contact Art Laffin, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker: artlaffin@hotmail.com, 202-360-6416.