As every year, this year’s Ash Wednesday delivered a busy schedule for Cardinal Timothy Dolan. However, that will never get in the way of his traditions. Cardinal Dolan makes it a point to visit prisons regularly to remind the incarcerated that the Lord still loves and cares for them and that His only Son was persecuted in a similar way to them at the end of his life.
One of the major messages Cardinal Dolan proclaimed was quoting Pope Francis’ words when he was elected to the papacy: “I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Cardinal used this message to connect all those who joined him in that chapel under one umbrella. “We’re all sinners,” he said. “And the beautiful thing about saying we’re sinners is that that is the way to get the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness.”

He continued his sermon by discussing the connection between Jesus and St. Dismas on the cross—a strong image to bring the patron saint of the incarcerated into this celebration of Ash Wednesday. Those in attendance were clearly impacted by the Cardinal’s presence. The Good Newsroom spoke with the Sheriff of Orange County, Paul Arteta, who reflected on the feeling in the room, saying, “Everybody’s excited. They’re invigorated. They have somewhat of a new life in them right now.”

The Cardinal made sure to give each member of the congregation their own personal blessing and talked with them after Mass ended. He continued through the halls blessing those who were unable to attend Mass, and many had stories of previous times meeting the Cardinal that were clearly very impacting for them.