Edinburgh, Scotland, Mar 6, 2019 / 14:05 pm
The Scottish Parliament hosted a Blessing and Distribution of Ashes for the first time this year, with Archbishop Leo Cushley of St. Andrews and Edinburgh presiding.
Archbishop Cushley reflected during the March 6 service on the gesture of receiving ashes, which he said reminds us "that we are dust."
"[A]nd, yes, it is about sinfulness, it is about acknowledging that we need God's help, that we are fragile, that we are mortal, that we have been disobedient and that we want to regain our relationship with Almighty God," he continued.
The Ash Wednesday service took place in a committee room in the parliament's Queensberry House, according to a press release from the archdiocese.