.- The Holy See has confirmed that on Ash Wednesday, Benedict XVI will preside over a moment of prayer at the Church of St. Anselm as well as Mass at the Basilica of St. Sabina.
This year the Lenten Season begins on Wednesday, February 17.
The events will begin on Wednesday afternoon at the Church of St. Anselm on Rome's Aventine Hill. After a moment of prayer, there will be a penitential procession to the Basilica of St. Sabina, one of the oldest churches in the Italian capital.
Cardinals, bishops, members of the Roman Curia, as well as a group of the faithful, will participate in the procession.
Also in attendance will be the Benedictine Monks of St. Anselm and the Dominican Fathers of St. Sabina.
That evening, the Holy Father will celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of St. Sabina, which was built in the fifth century over the remains of the Roman martyr.
