ASH WEDNESDAY — LENT BEGINS TODAY ✝️🇵🇱
Today, February 18, 2026, is Ash Wednesday (Środa Popielcowa) — one of the most important days in the Catholic calendar and a day deeply rooted in Polish tradition.
✝️ WHAT IS ASH WEDNESDAY?
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent — a 40-day period of prayer, fasting, and penance leading up to Easter Sunday (April 5, 2026). During Mass, the priest marks a cross on the forehead with blessed ashes, saying: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
The ashes are made from burning the palm branches from last year's Palm Sunday.
🏛️ POLISH MASSES IN SOCAL TODAY
🕊️ OUR LADY OF THE BRIGHT MOUNT (Los Angeles)
Parafia Matki Boskiej Jasnogórskiej
📍 3424 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018
⏰ Wednesday & Friday Mass: 7:00 PM (Polish)
📞 (323) 734-5249
🕊️ ST. JOHN PAUL II POLISH CENTER (Yorba Linda)
📍 3999 Rose Dr, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
⏰ Check with parish for Ash Wednesday schedule
📞 (714) 996-8161
🕊️ ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE POLISH MISSION (San Diego)
📍 1735 Grand Ave, San Diego, CA 92109
⏰ Friday Mass: 7:00 PM (Polish)
📞 (858) 272-7655
🍽️ FASTING RULES FOR TODAY
• Full fast: One full meal + two small snacks (no meat)
• Ages 18-59 must fast
• Ages 14+ must abstain from meat
• All Fridays of Lent: No meat
🇵🇱 POLISH LENTEN TRADITIONS
🎵 GORZKIE ŻALE (Bitter Lamentations) — uniquely Polish! Sung on Sundays of Lent
🕯️ DROGA KRZYŻOWA (Stations of the Cross) — every Friday of Lent
📖 REKOLEKCJE WIELKOPOSTNE (Lenten Retreats) — usually mid-Lent
🥟 Traditional Polish Lenten foods: herring, pierogi ruskie, żurek, barszcz
📅 KEY DATES TO EASTER
• Feb 18 — Ash Wednesday (TODAY!)
• Mar 29 — Palm Sunday (Niedziela Palmowa)
• Apr 2 — Holy Thursday (Wielki Czwartek)
• Apr 3 — Good Friday (Wielki Piątek)
• Apr 4 — Holy Saturday (Wielka Sobota)
• Apr 5 — EASTER SUNDAY (Wielkanoc)! 🐣
Wishing all of Polonia SoCal a meaningful Lenten journey. Blessed Ash Wednesday! ✝️🇵🇱
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