Ash Wednesday service held at St. Vincent

The Rev. Saviour Nundwe places ashes in the sign of the cross on Emily Booker and her daughter, Eloise, who are visiting from St. Louis, during the noon Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Cape Girardeau. Ash Wednesday, a day of repentance, marks the start of the Lenten period before Easter for many Christian denominations. Traditionally, the ashes are gathered from the burned palm crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday services.