Wednesday this week marks Ash Wednesday, the start of the Christian season of Lent. But like most everything during the pandemic, it’s going to look different.
In Catholic churches, priests or ministers will be sprinkling ashes on the tops of the heads of people or administering ashes with the use of a cotton swab.
"It’s not a spoonful of ashes or a salt shaker. It’s just a light sprinkling with the fingers on the top of the head of the person that approaches the priest or the minister for ashes," said Bishop Robert Casey.
"Sprinkling of ashes isn’t something new, because of the pandemic. It’s actually something that has gone on for centuries. It can be found in the Old Testament even and it’s been a practice on Ash Wednesday in other countries of the world."
Just as they do for Sunday masses or other services, Catholic churches will require people to register to get ashes. It's a requirement for contact tracing should someone contract the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, in Aurora, Pastor Derek Rogers of Flowing Faith United Methodist Church will have drive-up ashes.
"I’m going to be sitting in my car with my seat heaters on and just getting out when people come," he said.
"People will drive up in our parking lot. I’ll get out of the car. We’ll use a Q-tip to make the sign of the cross on their forehead and say a little prayer."
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Pastor Rogers said families in his congregation will also be receiving, at their homes, what he’s calling "Lent in a Bag", a bag containing a plastic bag of ashes and a Lenten study book coordinated with planned sermons leading up to Easter.
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