This Wednesday, 18th February 2026, marks the commencement of the holy season of Lent for the Catholic Church: 40 days of prayer, penance and almsgiving in preparation for the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna will celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass, including the blessing and placing of ashes, at St Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Mdina at 9am, as well as at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta at 6pm. During the evening Mass, the relic of St Francis of Assisi will be exposed for the veneration of the Christian community. Everyone is invited.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi will celebrate Mass at the Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa at the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana. The Mass will be at 9.30am and will be broadcast on TVM+, church.mt, RTK 103 and Newsbook Malta.
In his Lenten message for this year, Pope Leo XIV invites us to place God at the centre of our life through listening to His Word and fasting which are “the foundation for sincere repentance”. Listening helps us enter a deeper relationship with God, as well as recognize the cry of the poor and of those who suffer, while fasting disciplines our desires and channels them to justice and love. The Pope also refers to fasting as abstaining from words that “offend and hurt our neighbour” and instead “to strive to measure our words and cultivate kindness” among us. Together, as a community, we are called to embark on a journey of spiritual and social renewal in order to be more “ready and eager to contribute to building a civilization of love.”
Throughout Lent, the Church encourages Christians to read the Word of God and participate in the sacraments and spiritual exercises. Everyone is encouraged to visit the website randan.knisja.mt to find updated dates and times of Lenten and Holy Week celebrations and activities in parishes in Malta. The website will be updated continually during Lent.
Moreover, during this period, one can also access beHOLD.mt, beKids.mt and soter.church.mt which include prayers and resources suitable for Lent.
