Archbishop Hicks leading first Ash Wednesday at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC

The newly-installed Archbishop Ronald Hicks will be leading Ash Wednesday 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.

Ashes will be distributed all day until 9 p.m.   

What does Ash Wednesday mean?  

The holiday is a day of public Catholicism as 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.

They also abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays during the season.

The season of Lent ends on Holy Thursday, three days before Easter.