Clergy find creative ways to mark Ash Wednesday with ‘Ashes to Go’

Ash Wednesday is a time of repentance when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God.

News 12 Staff

Feb 26, 2020, 10:52 AM

Updated 1,682 days ago

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Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Christians all around the world, and some clergy members are finding unique ways to bring their services to the masses.
Clergy members are heading out of the church to administer ashes as part of a movement, Ashes to Go, that began in 2007. The event is being held at train stations in Irvington, White Plains and Tuckahoe today.
Ash Wednesday marks the start of the season of Lent leading up to Easter, which is when Christians believe Jesus was resurrected. The holy day is a time of repentance when Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God.
During Mass, a priest will place the ashes on a worshiper's forehead in the shape of a cross. The ceremony can also be performed by a minister or pastor. 
The ashes, which symbolize both death and repentance, come from palms that are burned from the previous year's Palm Sunday.
Clergy members have been distributing ashes to people in public places, such as city centers, sidewalks and train stations, and even to people waiting in their cars at stoplights.