The Catholic Church, its more than 1 billion members and other denominations will celebrate Ash Wednesday today, the first day of Lent.
Brogan Drumm, a junior theatrical studies major, called herself as a “cradle Catholic,” which means she was born and raised into the faith.
“There have been times where I haven’t wanted to be Catholic, but all in all, I always seem to come back to my faith,” she said. “It’s something that I love, and it’s something that is an integral part of who I am.”
When she was younger, Drumm said she didn’t like going around all day with the forehead ash mark. But as she got older, she said she better understood the importance of the day in her religion, which deals with mourning, mortality and penance. She also said she enjoys the conversation Ash Wednesday creates between Catholics and has learned about acquaintances’ religious beliefs by seeing the mark.
Drumm said she finds some spiritual satisfaction out of these traditions because they serve as reminders of faith in the modern world.
“We’re so busy in today’s world,” she said. “There’s so many bright and shiny objects everywhere, and we can get really distracted from the true meaning of why we’re here.”
For Rachel Holmes, a 22-year-old ministering to some students at Ball State, said she took time off after graduating from the University of Illinois to explore her faith.
“College is where we are forced to question our lives,” Holmes said. “I decided that I wanted to spend my life with Christ.”
As for Lent, she said she sees it as a reminder to strive for spiritual growth.
“It’s a time to grow closer to Christ,” she said. “I always hunger for the Lord.”
Sophomore nursing major Morgan Sparks wasn’t born a Catholic, but she converted.
“I found [Catholicism] to be the truth,” she said. “I struggled with the idea of the Eucharist. I realized that it was more than a symbol and that set me on the journey to find what is the truth.”
Raised Methodist, she converted during her senior year of high school. For her, the spiritual side of her life “didn’t take off until college.” She is now the service chair of Catholic Student Union Council and is enrolled in the Christian Leadership Program.
Sparks also lives and works out of St. Francis of Assisi in Muncie. The Fellowship of Catholic University Students brought this opportunity to her. Through this program, she has had the opportunity to teach Catholic religious study classes to third grade students.
The Catholic Church considers the markings of ash to be an outward sign of penance, and that is also how Sparks said she interprets the tradition.
“We’re reminded that we are all sinners and that we need to be born again in Christ,“ She said. “It’s our public mourning.
“The closer I’ve gotten to the Catholic doctrine, the more alive I feel.”
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