The Rev. Bill Nesbit keeps his hands warm and his thumb at the ready as his St. Charles Episcopal Church does Ashes to Go at the Geneva train station for Ash Wednesday.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Commuters hurrying to work Wednesday morning got a dose of faith as local churches visited Metra stations across suburbs to offer Ash Wednesday prayers and ashes for many who might otherwise have been too busy to mark the holy day.
“The goal is to show that the church isn’t just in a building,” said the Rev. M.E. Eccles of St. Simon’s Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights. “It’s a way of trying to acknowledge that times have changed and the church is trying to change with them.”
At least 28 churches in the Chicago area participated in ‘Ashes to Go,’ a program that began delivering on Ash Wednesday in 2007. The program started with an Episcopal church in St. Louis and has since spread nationwide.
“People are crazy busy these days and we understand that and are trying to respond to people’s needs,” Eccles added
Pastor Emily Mellott of Calvary Church in Lombard helped bring the program to the Chicago area in 2010 and this year gave ashes to more than 100 people at the village’s Metra station.
“Since this is the third year we’ve done it, several people came looking for us and were glad we came back,” Mellott said.
Some churches in the area are just joining in the ‘Ashes on the Go’ program, including St. Lawrence Episcopal Church in Libertyville, which participated for the first time Wednesday.
“We wanted to be a part of the group that takes the church out to the people,” said the Rev. M.J. Leewis-Kirk, who helped give ashes to about a dozen people at the Libertyville Metra station. “It was a wonderful experience to greet people so early in the morning, smile and be a part of their day.”
The program reaches busy people who would not have time to get to church on Ash Wednesday, but also people who have lost the connection with their faith, Mellot said.
“It’s a really important thing for churches to go out and go into the places where people are trying to live their faith, and sometimes that’s on the way to work,” she said. “This is a way of saying, ‘God will come meet you even if you can’t or don’t come to church.’”
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter.
“Lent is a time for self-examination and returning to the relationship with God,” Eccles said. “You don’t need to be in a church to do that, I don’t think God cares where you are.”
Images: Ash Wednesday in the suburbs
Pastor Emily Mellott, of the Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard, takes a close-up photo of ashes given to commuters at the Lombard train station on Wednesday.
Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, of St. Simons Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, distributes ashes to Denise Hoppe of Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station Wednesday morning.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, of St. Simons Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, distributes ashes to Chris Witt of Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station Wednesday morning.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
The Rev. Patti Snickenberger, of St. Lawrence Episcopal Church in Libertyville, places ashes on the forehead of Jason Smith of Libertyville at the villages Metra Station.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
Pastor Emily Mellott, of the Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard, dispenses Ashes to Go to commuters like Don Feeley, right, at the Lombard train station.
Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
Polly Aschom of Geneva is administered ashes by the Rev. Liz Meade, a deacon at St. Charles Episcopal Church, during Ashes to Go at the Geneva train station.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Third-grade St. Margaret Mary student Tara Houghian receives ashes from Deacon Patrick Maher during Ash Wednesday service at the Algonquin church on Wednesday.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
The Rev. Bill Nesbit, of St. Charles Episcopal Church, administers ashes to Robert Gutierez of St. Charles during Ashes to Go at the Geneva train station on Wednesday.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, of St. Simons Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, distributes ashes to Rhonda Letempt of Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station Wednesday morning.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Pastor Emily Mellott, of the Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard, offers Ashes to Go to commuters at the Lombard train station.
Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, of St. Simons Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, distributes ashes to Fuodor Ishaya of Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station Wednesday morning.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Pat Vavrina, of Ingleside, receives ashes from Anders Edstrom, a member of St. Lawrence Episcopal Church, during Ashes To Go at the Libertyville Metra Station.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
Maureen Elliot, of the Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard, dispenses Ashes to Go to commuters like Marilyn Stein, left, at the Lombard train station. At right is Ruth Ann Pfohl, who offers a prayer.
Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, of St. Simons Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, distributes ashes to Demian Reyes of Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station Wednesday morning.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
The Rev. M.E. Eccles, of St. Simons Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, distributes ashes to Carol Okamoto of Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station Wednesday morning.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Pastor Emily Mellott, of the Calvary Episcopal Church in Lombard, dispenses Ashes to Go to commuters like Maritza Summers, left, at the Lombard train station.
Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com
The Reverend Peter Sarnicki places ashes on the forehead of St. Margaret Mary Catholic School principal Sue Snyder during an Ash Wednesday service at the Algonquin church.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
Tony Schmidt of Wheeling has ashes on his forehead as the Rev. Patti Snickenberger and members of St. Lawrence Episcopal Church offer Ashes To Go for commuters at the Libertyville Metra Station.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com