Cardinal Dolan celebrates Ash Wednesday
Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks to a man who just received bread at the St. Francis of Assisi food pantry in Manhattan on Ash Wednesday. (Feb. 22, 2012) Credit: Craig Ruttle
His voice sounding hoarse and tired, newly elevated Cardinal Timothy Dolan zealously hit the streets of Manhattan on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent.
After feeding poor people at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street, Dolan crossed the street to Engine Company 1 and Ladder 24 to speak with firefighters before darting back to St. Patrick's Cathedral, where more than 2,500 worshippers waited for a noon Mass.
Dolan, 62, returned to the city late Tuesday afternoon after a whirlwind of ceremonies and celebrations in Vatican City, where Pope Benedict XVI anointed him a cardinal on Saturday.
At the cathedral's Ash Wednesday Mass, Dolan urged Catholics to think of Lent as a "spiritual spring training" not unlike what the Yankees were undergoing.
"Like the Yankees, it is important to practice the essentials and get back to the basics. We too have a spiritual spring training to do so that we can be victorious and receive eternal life," said Dolan, who received rousing applause that echoed through the cathedral's vaulted ceiling.
The applause "sustains me," Dolan told reporters after Mass. "You bet I'm tired and jet-lagged, but when I heard those applause, that perked me up and moved me to keep going."
An estimated 50,000 people received ashes, placed in the shape of a cross on the forehead as a symbol of repentance, at St. Patrick's Wednesday as Roman Catholics began Lent's 40 days of prayer, penance and charity in preparation for Easter, Dolan said.
The turnout for the Mass, Dolan told reporters, is a testament that New York is not just the "secular city of materialism" it is sometimes reputed to be. "There is a soul in New York that is alive and you see here today," he said.
After his news conference, Dolan took a few minutes to distribute ashes to NYPD officers inside the cathedral.
"I feel blessed," said NYPD Sgt. Jerry Ioveno, 39, of the Midtown North Precinct. "It's excellent," he added of the ashes the cardinal placed on his forehead.
With Gary Dymski
