WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 22: Marked with a cross of black ash on the forehead, Catholics pray during an Ash Wednesday Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle February 22, 2012 in Washington, DC. Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent, the 40-day penitential period before Easter when Christians celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead. One of seven Ash Wednesday services at the cathedral, the noontime mass was packed with worshippers, leaving many to stand in the back and the aisles of St. Matthew. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
