Q. 1. What is the Catholic Church guideline as to when I can wipe off the ashes that were placed on my forehead on Ash Wednesday? Do I have to wait until they disappear on their own?

A. 1. The Catholic Church does not provide any instruction regarding how long the ashes should remain on your forehead. It is a matter of preference. I would recommend that if you are going out in public, then you should remove them beforehand. If you decide to leave them on, by Thursday morning (the next day), you should remove them.