Archbishop Hicks leads first Ash Wednesday at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC
The newly-installed Archbishop Ronald Hicks led Ash Wednesday services in New York City, one of the busiest days on the Catholic calendar.
The holiday marks the start of Lent, which is the 40-day period of fasting, prayer and self-reflection leading up to Easter.
Hicks was installed just 12 days ago and will be hosting Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in the morning to begin the most solemn season for Catholics.
In his homily Tuesday, Hicks asked congregants to reflect on how they plan to use this time to get God back into the center of their lives.
"We fill our lives, our centers with so many things. If we can fill that center with God's goodness, with God's hope, with God's peace, with God's mercy... that is my message for all," he said.
Ashes will be distributed all day until 9 p.m.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin leads services in Newark
"Today and wherever possible, Christians will receive a sign of the cross of ashes on our foreheads, a sign that indicates our mortality," Tobin said. "Remember that you are dust, and into dust you shall return."
Tobin said there is hope in the sacrifice.
"Change your mind. You've been thinking one way, think another way. And so hopefully those themes of hope and welcome, and of turning away from things that ultimately are toxic, can help us," Tobin said.
At the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, ashes to go were on offer for those who couldn't attend a full service.
"Having the ashes is a symbol of what this season is, which is Jesus dying and resurrecting for us," one person said.
"We always do ashes on Ash Wednesday to renew ourselves and to commit to being better," Julia Nunez said.
What does Ash Wednesday mean?
Participants who attend service receive ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. It symbolizes mortality and sorrow for sins.
It is also the beginning of the season of Lent before the observances of Jesus' death on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday.
During this time, the faithful devote themselves to prayer, charitable deeds, fasting and other forms of self-discipline. Catholics commonly give something up that they find difficult to do without.
"There's a lot of things I probably could give up. I would eat better. I could drink less. Things like that," said Marc Sikoscow.
Another woman shared her goals outside the church.
"I'm going to be kinder to my children, kinder to my husband and just kinder to my coworkers," Karen Lee said.
They also abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays during the season.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani took to social media to commemorate Ash Wednesday.
"God bless you. In a city of such staggering inequality, let this be a season of reflection, repair and service. May you have a meaningful Lenten season of prayer, fasting and spiritual renewal," Mamdani wrote.
The season of Lent ends on Holy Thursday, three days before Easter.