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St. Charles church provides 'Ashes to Go' at Metra station

For the fourth year in a row St. Charles Episcopal Church offered “Ashes to Go” to busy commuters at the Geneva Metra station on Ash Wednesday.

Rev. Bill Nesbit and church member Katie Thomson administered ashes to anyone who would stop on their way to the train. Ash Wednesday is the first day of the season of Lent in the Christian traditions.

Despite a steady snow, a handful of travelers before each city-bound train stopped to take the ashes as a sign of their mortality.

“Ash Wednesday is a special day in the church and we live in a busy society and people don't always remember to make it to church,” Nesbit said. “This is an opportunity for us to be the church in the world.”

“Every year I'm surprised again and again by the need, as people come up and are very thankful that we're out here,” Nesbit said.

  John DeMartino of St. Charles receives ashes from Katie Thomson of St. Charles Episcopal Church at the Geneva train station on Ash Wednesday. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
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