MONMOUTH, Ill. — The office of the chaplain at Monmouth College will hold a special Ash Wednesday service on March 5 at noon in the Whiteman-McMillan Highlander Room of the college’s Stockdale Center. The service is free and open to the public.

According to the Rev. B. Kathleen Fannin, Monmouth College chaplain, the Ash Wednesday service will be one of Holy Communion and ashes. Ash Wednesday begins the liturgical season of Lent, which is the 40-day period on the church calendar that precedes Easter.

The service will feature a variety of special performances, including the Monmouth College Concert Choir performing Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of “Were You There?” and T. L. da Victoria’s “Laudate Deminum.” Special communion music will be performed by Michael DiFuccia, executive director of the Buchanan Center for the Arts, who will sing Keith Hurlen’s “Surrender.”

Also participating in the service will be the Rev. Jonelle Loehnig of Cameron Christian Church; the Rev. William C. Myers of Faith United Presbyterian Church in Monmouth; and John Huxtable, a student chaplain at the college and licensed lay pastor at Knoxville United Presbyterian Church. Loehnig will also share her musical talents by playing the piano prelude to “At the Cross” by Jay Rouse.

The scripture message by Fannin, entitled “The Time Has Come,” will focus on Mark 1:9-15.