Northern Ireland

Parishes supply ash-to-go to save traditional Ash Wednesday

In the Saint Mary Star of the Sea parish in Annagry, Fr Nigel Ó Gallachóir is making special envelopes of blessed ashes with instructions available for collection.
In the Saint Mary Star of the Sea parish in Annagry, Fr Nigel Ó Gallachóir is making special envelopes of blessed ashes with instructions available for collection. In the Saint Mary Star of the Sea parish in Annagry, Fr Nigel Ó Gallachóir is making special envelopes of blessed ashes with instructions available for collection.

A number of Catholic parishes are making ashes-to-go available to ensure the faithful can mark today’s start of Lent with the traditional ash cross on the forehead.

With covid-19 restrictions north and south of the border, the Ash Wednesday distribution of ashes is not possible. However, some parishes are making small amounts of blessed ashes available to parishioners – complete with instructions - to distribute at home in the traditional manner.

The tradition of placing ashes on the forehead to mark repentance dates back to Old Testament times and is mentioned in the Old Testament Books of Job and Samuel. For centuries, Catholics and other Christian denominations have marked the start of Lent by having the sign of the cross marked on the forehead with the words “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return” or “Repent and believe in the Gospel”.

Irish church leaders have recommended a range of methods of marking Ash Wednesday. Archbishop Eamon Martin said it would not be possible for Catholics to gather in churches today in the traditional manner.

"Some parishes are making small envelopes of blessed ashes available for those who will be visiting their parish churches in the early days of Lent for indvidual prayer," Archbishop Martin said.

In Inishowen, Clonmany parish priest, Fr Brian Brady has teamed up with his local Centra store to make ashes available in small plastic holders to parishioners. Fr Brady told RTE’s Morning Ireland programme there had been a great demand for the ashes since news got out.

“It seems to have caught on with the parishioners because we have left out the little containers and they all seem to be gone,” Fr Brady said.

In west Donegal, Fr Nigel Ó Gallachóir has produced special envelopes so that his parishioners can distribute ashes at home. Posting on his parish Facebook page, the Annagry priest presented a list of instructions to go with the ash envelopes.

“Each envelope contains enough blessed ashes for a household. Please only take one envelope. To administer the blessed Lenten ash, mix with a few drops of holy water and make the sign of the cross on the forehead with the words ‘déan aithrí agus creid sa Soiscéal’ or repent and believe in the gospel,” he said.

In the neighbouring Kincasslagh parish, Fr Pat Ward has adopted a similar approach with envelopes containing a “little quarter teaspoon of ashes” for collection which will be blessed at this morning’s Masses.

In guidelines issued by the Vatican for areas where public worship is permitted, priests are being told to sprinkle ash on parishioners heads rather than mark the forehead with the sign of the cross.