National

A Time To Return To God

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Hundreds filled churches as foreheads marked with sacred ash signifying the start of the Lenten season.

Published

1 day ago

February 18, 2026

Denielle Miller

NASSAU , THE BAHAMAS – From dust you came and to dust you shall return, the sobering reminder marking Ash Wednesday across the world.

Here at home, hundreds filled churches as foreheads marked with sacred ash signifying the start of the Lenten season.

Our Denielle Miller takes us inside St. Agnes Anglican Church where the message went beyond ritual.

Denielle Miller

“From dust you came and dust you shall return, according to theologians this is the line of scripture that illustrates the reason behind the black ash placed on the forehead of believers on Ash Wednesday. Serving as a reminder that we are not immortal and a symbol of morality and repentance.”

Jerome Sawyer – Congregant, St.Agnes Anglican Church

“We intreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God”

Archdeacon Keith Cartwright – Parish Priest, St. Agnes Anglican Church

“The greatest festival in the church is easter. If there were no easter there would not be Christianity and so it was because of christ glorious resurrection and conquering the thing that we all fear the most death that we have the birth of our own Christianity. “

Churches around the country opened their doors today by holding special services to recognize the start of Lent, known as Ash Wednesday.

In preparation for the day, palm leaves from last easter burned and served as the ash placed on the foreheads of believers in the shape of a cross.

The powdery residue being a visible acknowledgement of the life and death of Jesus.

On Wednesday afternoon, parish Priest of St. Agnes Anglican Church, Archdeacon Keith Cartwright encouraged the congregation to engage in self-reflection, fasting, and prayer. These are all practices associated with the day.

He stressed the acts associated with the lenten season should not be upheld for a season, but for a lifetime.

Archdeacon Keith Cartwright – Parish Priest, St. Agnes Anglican

“Don’t just come to get ash on your head and go walking up and down the office after you done finish getting your ash and say Father put this here I ain’t got no problem with that what I got a problem is if this ain’t changing”

Father Cartwright, also highlighted that sacrificial offerings are not the only requirement. He said that devoting time to ministry is also part of the call.

It’s a message that congregants, Preston Ferguson and Dr. Elizabeth Sarville said they’ve already answered.

Preston Ferguson – Congregant, St. Agnes Anglican

“I don’t give up I add on. But in terms of giving up sweets, but I add more in terms of giving up to the church in terms of finance”

Dr. Elizabeth Darville – Congregant, St. Agnes Anglican

“Lots of us have work as our central point and so Lent reminds us that work is not our central point that we do have a spiritual life to look after”