The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments has directed priests to take special anti-COVID 19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, February 17, including sprinkling of ashes on the top of the head rather than making a cross on the person’s forehead. The Vatican document further says that the priest sprinkles the ashes with holy water without saying anything, says only once to the entire congregation – “Remember that you are dust and unto dust shall you return,” cleanses his hands, puts on a face mask and sprinkles the ashes on the top of the head of those who come before him without saying anything. Sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads, rather than marking the foreheads with ashes, is the customary practice at the Vatican and in Italy. Given the spread of the coronavirus, the practice has the advantage of not requiring the priest to touch multiple people.