Stephen Maguire
A Donegal priest has come up with an idea to ensure people do not miss Ash Wednesday due to Covid-19 restrictions, offering takeaway ashes instead. However, demand has been very high.
Normally, parishioners would receive the sign of the cross from priests at mass on the day, but Clonmany parish priest Fr Brian Brady teamed up with the local Centra shop on the Inishowen Peninsula to ensure parishioners did not have to go without ashes this year.
The blessed ashes were placed in sealed containers and left in local churches to be picked-up by parishioners.
Among the churches in the Clonmany parish are St Mary’s Church, Clonmany, St Michael’s Church, Urris and the Oratory of the Assumption, Ballyliffin.
“Receiving the ashes has been an important part of our way of being Catholic and this is an attempt to ensure that those who wish to continue this valuable tradition will have the opportunity to do so.”
As well as the holy ashes, the containers include a prayer to be said on Wednesday, when the ashes can be given out in parishioners' homes.
The 200 containers were left in the churches on Sunday and Fr Brady has confirmed they have since run out.
Fr Brady said they are now working to provide more containers before Ash Wednesday is celebrated in two days time.
Other parishes, including Clonakilty in Co Cork and Dunmore in Co Galway, have instead opted for drive-thru options, supplying parishioners with sachets of blessed ashes that they can apply at home on Wednesday.
