MANILA, February 22 ---- As millions of Filipino Catholics flock to churches in their homeland and their host countries overseas for the annual ritual of the laying of ashes on their foreheads on Ash Wednesday, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle appealed for donations for the anti-hunger program dubbed, “HAPAG-ASA”.

In his pastoral letter for Ash Wednesday, Tagle said the program’s aim this year is to raise P40 million so 40,000 children “can be fed once a day, five days a week for six months with nutritious food.” The anti-poverty program also has a component through which parents of the children are “provided with basic skills that improve their capacity to care for their children” as well as training for employment and livelihood.

In an interview on Radyo Veritas, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on the faithful to renew themselves despite their weaknesses and shortcomings because “we are always given a chance to be renewed.”  During the imposition of the ashes, priests and assisting religious and lay ministers say either of two “formulas”: Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel or Remember, you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

Source: gmanetwork.com