Betsy Birk, left, and Laura Graf of the St. Charles Episcopal Church put ashes on the forehead of Julia Kuipers of St. Charles during a drive-through service on Ash Wednesday.
Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
A light mist and dropping temperatures couldn't stop the members at St. Charles Episcopal Church from venturing out this morning to give ashes on the go.
The local church served more than 90 people at the Geneva Metra station, where ministers and parishioners have been offering ashes for a half-dozen years on Ash Wednesday.
The Rev. Stacy Walker wanted to try something different this year, and so at their St. Charles location on Route 25 they took another approach: using their driveway as a drive-through to offer ashes.
After a slow start at 6:30 a.m., traffic started to pick up from 8:30 to 9 a.m.
“We thought that we would step it up this year,” said church member Betsy Birk. “If McDonald's can do it, so can we,” she said.
In the Christian tradition, Ash Wednesday marks the start of the holy season of Lent, a 40-day period of reflection and preparation for the celebration of Christ's Resurrection at Easter.
Lent is observed by Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Roman Catholics, among others.
There has been an effort to make it more accessible in recent years.
“Jesus always meets us where we are, and this morning, we're at the train station,” said the Rev. Elizabeth Jameson of St. Simon's Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights.
“As people get busier and busier, we need the church in new and nontraditional ways.”
Dan Rooney of Arlington Heights receives ashes from the Rev. Elizabeth Jameson of St. Simon's Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights, as St. Simon's takes Ash Wednesday to commuters at the Arlington Heights Metra Station. "Jesus always meets us where we are, and this morning, we're at the train station," Jameson said. "As people get busier and busier, we need the church in new and nontraditional ways."
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Transfiguration School kindergartner Tristan Steckler goes back to his seat after receiving ashes from Rev. Juan Pablo Avila Ibarra during Ash Wednesday service at Transfiguration Church in Wauconda. Almost 200 students participated in the Ash Wednesday service that marks the first day of the 40 days of Lent.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
The Rev. Christopher Lankford administers ashes to IC Catholic Prep student Ryan Kenneally as Allan Stohl, left and Tommy Sloan, center, wait during an Ash Wednesday service at Immaculate Conception Church in Elmhurst. It was an all-school mass with grades 9-12 attending.
Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com
Commuter Jared Lindeman of Arlington Heights receives ashes from parishioner Lesley Davan of St. Simon's Episcopal Church in Arlington Heights at the Arlington Heights Metra station.
Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com
Frassati Catholic Academy sixth grader Thomas Burton receives ashes from Rev. Juan Pablo Avila Ibarra during Ash Wednesday service at Transfiguration Church in Wauconda. Almost 200 students participated in the Ash Wednesday service that marks the first day of the 40 days of Lent.
Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com