Ash Wednesday Published March 10, 2014 By Airman 1st Class Lauren Pitts Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Capt. Piotr Gadja, 5th Bomb Wing Catholic chaplan, led two masses on Ash Wednesday, Mar. 5, 2014 to mark the beginning of Lent. Lent, which is 40 days long, ending on Easter Sunday, is a time for members of the Catholic Church to reset, reevaluate, and make personal sacrifices that may ultimately improve their lifestyle. Using the ashes of burnt palms, Catholics wear the mark of a cross on their foreheads as a symbol of Ash Wednesday. (U.S. Air Force photos/Airman 1st Class Lauren Pitts)