With Valentine's Day on Ash Wednesday, Diocese of Pittsburgh won't dispense from abstinence from meat

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Diocese of Pittsburgh is encouraging Catholic couples to celebrate Valentine's Day a little differently this year because it falls on Ash Wednesday.

Some people might be looking for dispensation from the practices of fasting and abstinence from meat on Valentine's Day, but Bishop David Zubik said "Ash Wednesday is too important, too sacred to make such a concession." 

"With that in mind, no dispensations from fasting and abstinence will be granted on February 14 in the Diocese of Pittsburgh," Zubik said in a news release. "We should also remember that Saint Valentine was exactly that – a Catholic Saint! He would agree that the celebration that bears his name should take a back seat to Ash Wednesday!"  

Instead, the diocese is encouraging couples to celebrate Valentine's Day the night before or maybe the weekend after so Ash Wednesday "can receive undivided attention." 

"Or even better, couples could intentionally observe Ash Wednesday together," the diocese said in a news release. "Couples might make a point of going to Mass and receiving ashes together. Instead of a lavish dinner, couples could share a meager meal together, recognizing that true love isn't found in material things and fine dining, but in one another and ultimately in God."

If you still want to get dinner, the diocese recommends a date night at a parish fish fry.

Last year, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh dispensed from abstaining from meat when St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday. Pittsburgh Catholics didn't, however, get a free pass when the Pirates' home opener coincided with Good Friday, and to accommodate, the Pirates added a fried fish sandwich to the gameday menu.