by Carol Burns
Ash Wednesday Act of Witness and service of repentance for the continued possession and development of nuclear weapons
Although there has been an Ash Wednesday Service in London for over 30 years, 2025 was the first time we have organised one in Leeds.
We gathered outside Holy Trinity Church on Boar Lane as a public witness to our commitment to ending the possession of nuclear weapons.
We prayed for our leaders, and ourselves to do everything we can to end nuclear war preparations and to give priority to those most disadvantaged in our world
We are inspired by Pope Francis in 2023 in his Urbi et Orbi message when he said,
‘To say yes to the Prince of Peace, then means saying no to war to every war and to do so with courage, to the very mindset of war, an aimless voyage, a defeat without victors and inexcusable folly’
Our service included a time for repentance a time for remembrance and those present tied purple ribbons to a wooden cross as a symbol of all those effected by conflicts throughout the world. We remembered those in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Democratic Republic of Congo and many others throughout the world
It was encouraging to be joined by young people from Corpus Christi Catholic College who held our banners including one that proclaimed ‘Say Yes to Peace and No to War’
Our service ended with singing Ubi Caritas and a sign of peace to each other.
