Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, in time of Pandemic The Congregation for Divine Worship has issued a Note concerning the Imposition of Ashes in this time of pandemic. Priests will distribute the Ashes as follows: 1. The priest says only once "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" rather than repeating the formula to each person; 2. The priest puts on a facemask and sanitises his hands before distributing the ashes; 3. The priest sprinkles the ashes on the heads of the faithful who come forward. The act of putting ashes symbolises fragility and mortality, and the ...