The Beginning of Lent: Shrove Tuesday & Ash Wednesday

On Tuesday, 4 March, our Hospitality students cooked up a delicious tradition, preparing pancakes for Shrove Tuesday—also known as Pancake Day. This long-standing custom dates back centuries when people used up rich ingredients like eggs and milk before entering the fasting season of Lent. And what better way to do that than with pancakes?

The pancake fundraiser raised an incredible $1,035 for Caritas, supporting those in need and making a meaningful impact in our community.

The following day, students gathered in faith to mark Ash Wednesday with a Mass led by Fr Roshan. As one of the most significant days in the Catholic Church’s liturgical calendar, Ash Wednesday signals the beginning of Lent—a time of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in preparation for Easter.

The ashes used in the service were made from blessed palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday Mass. They serve as a reminder of our faith and humility, symbolising the dust from which God created us.

Lent is a sacred season of reflection, inviting us to draw closer to God through prayer and acts of service—helping us live out the promises made for us at Baptism, to walk in justice and love as Jesus teaches.