Cold weather drives Ashes to Go inside

Ash Wednesday observances across the region were affected by today’s bitter cold and afternoon snow squalls.

At David’s United Church of Christ, its annual drive-through Ashes to Go event was moved inside.

“Normally we do it in the parking lot, but this year because of the weather we decided to do it in the office,” said Michelle Wilkey, associate pastor at the West David Road church.

This is the fourth year for the Ashes to Go event, held throughout the day at the church in addition to its traditional Ash Wednesday evening service.

To mark Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent and 40 days before Easter, the church will “impose ashes on people’s foreheads” as a reminder of mortality, Wilkey said. “We say ‘we are dust and to dust we will return’ and we make the sign of the cross.”

The weather not only moved the drive-through ashes inside, it also may have affected turnout: As of early evening about 20 people stopped in to receive ashes, according to the church.