The Archdiocese of Cincinnati, along with Catholics around the world, will observe Ash Wednesday, on February 26, 2020. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent in the Catholic Church in preparation for Easter (that will fall on April 12 this year). Ash Wednesday is an obligatory day of fasting (one full meal and two smaller meals that together do not add up to the one full meal) and abstinence from meat for Catholics.

This year the Archdiocese has launched a new digital initiative to assist the faithful in their Lenten observance. We are inviting local Catholics to download The Ultimate Guide to Lent – an inspirational and helpful digital guide to having a life-changing Lent. The Guide was produced by The Catholic Telegraph, the media arm of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. It includes information on traditional Lenten observances, local Lenten traditions, details about Holy Week, ways to observe Lent as a family, vegetarian recipes and even a recommended movie guide for Lent.

The Guide is part of the Archdiocese’s larger strategy to put a greater emphasis on digital communication. People who sign up for the Ultimate Guide to Lent will also have an option of subscribing to two new digital offers from The Catholic Telegraph: The Daily Divina and The Ember. The Daily Divina is a daily Scripture meditation that is emailed each day and reflective of part of the daily Mass readings. The Ember is a weekly source of news and inspiration that local Catholics will find relatable and timely. These two products were launched in January and have seen great growth in subscription over the last several weeks.

Dominick Albano, oversees the new initiatives. was hired in 2019 at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati as the Director of Digital Engagement. “The Ultimate Guide to Lent is something totally new from the Catholic Telegraph. We designed it to be beautiful, inspirational, and helpful. It’s got everything you need to have a truly life-changing Lent,” said Albano. “The Archdiocese is trying to do something different by offering these digital products in order to reach more people where they are, inspire them and help them in their daily faith lives.”

To sign up for the Ultimate Guide to Lent, click here
To sign up for the Daily Divina, click here
To sign up for the weekly Embar, click here

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati is the 44th largest Catholic diocese in the country, with more than 450,000 Catholics, and has the sixth largest Catholic school system in terms of enrollment with more than 40,000 students. The 19-county territory includes 211 parishes and 110 Catholic primary and secondary schools.