Students started their annual Lenten journey last week on Ash Wednesday, continuing to give up pleasures in honor of the religious practice.

“Ash Wednesday is such an important day,” said Fresno State President Dr. Joseph Castro, who is Catholic. “I think it’s important for our community to have lots of different kinds of celebrations.”

The Catholic religion observes Lent in a 40-day period, not including Sundays. The season includes fasting, repentance, self-reflection and preparation for Easter. The Lenten season ends the evening before Easter, which is called Holy Saturday.

Hundreds of university students, faculty, staff and Fresno residents began Lent in the Satellite Student Union with a Mass last Wednesday. The event was co-sponsored by the Newman Catholic Student Association and the St. Paul Catholic Newman Center.

Student Romyna Teale, who is Catholic, said she is giving up fast food for Lent.

“This is important to me because the Lord saved me from my sins, and he died for me, and I’m only giving up something so small for him,” Teale said.

Student Miko Lababit, who is also Catholic, said, “I’m giving up unhealthy foods and soda.”

Lababit said Lent season is important to her because it teaches her how to sacrifice the simple things “just as the Lord sacrificed his life for all of us.”

She added, “I think it’s important for students at Fresno State to celebrate [Lent] so it teaches us how to appreciate what the Lord did for us.”

Susana Zantoz said, as she laughed, that she is giving up watching YouTube videos for Lent.

“It’s important to me because it’s one of the seasons where, as a Catholic, I get to change up my lifestyle and just kind of get away from the things that bring me down and come closer to God,” Zantoz said.

Castro said that when he was approached by the university Catholic Student Association to set up the event, he did not hesitate in saying yes. Bishop Armando X. Ochoa of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno celebrated the Mass and distribution of the ashes.

The Mass included passages from the Bible, songs of prayer, an offering, prayer, communion and a final blessing.

“A change of heart — that is what the Lenten season is all about,” Ochoa said. “A time of looking in ourselves — where we’ve been, where we are, but where possibly we can be.”

Castro said instead of giving something up, he decided to do more: “I’m going to try to do more to serve others and give more in different ways — that’s my goal.”

In addition to Mass, Castro provided lunch.

“I noticed that people couldn’t eat lunch if they came here, so it was a way to help them so that they could do it during their lunch hour or between classes,” Castro said.

Castro said Ash Wednesday is one of many religious expressions on campus.

“We have prayer space in the library. We have lots of events on campus that are religious in nature, and it is really up to the student groups to decide what they want to do,” Castro said. “They have the ability to sponsor any kind of event like this.”

Castro said it is important for the university community to observe various religious traditions, and that the university is always welcoming of those traditions.