Ash and dash at drive-thru West Cork church 

Parishioners can drive through the surrounds of the Immaculate Church in Clonakilty to collect their ashes in envelopes from an outdoor stand

Monsignor Aidan O'Driscoll with Orla and Adhran Scully and Rachel Collins at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clonakilty, preparing for the drive-through to hand out the Ash for Ash Wednesday. Picture: Denis Boyle

A West Cork church is organising a US-style Ash Wednesday 'drive-through' to allow its congregation collect the traditional blessed ashes in compliance with level 5 restrictions.

On Wednesday, February 17, parishioners can drive through the surrounds of the Immaculate Church in Clonakilty to collect their ashes in envelopes from a special outdoor stand in order to celebrate a traditional holy day which goes back some two thousand years.

Ash Wednesday, as parish priest Monsignor Aidan O’Driscoll explains, is a tradition marking the first day of Lent:

“The custom of people having ashes on their foreheads after mass on Ash Wednesday goes back to biblical times," Msgr O'Driscoll said.

"It is a sign of penance and humility before God and a very sacred time for Christians all over the world. 

"It gives us an opportunity to reflect on our lives and reconnect with our faith,” he says of the custom, in which blessed ash is rubbed on the foreheads of worshippers in the sign of the cross to mark the start of Lent.

NEWS 9/2/2021 Pictured at the Church of the Immaculate conception Clonakilty was Orla Scully marking the forehead of her son Odhran for Ash Wednesday. Picture Denis Boyle

However this year, given the collapse of normal social and religious life and the introduction of strict government protocols guarding against the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Clonakilty along with other churches in the Diocese of Cork and Ross is offering congregations a new way to receive the ashes, which traditionally come from the burning of palm branches on the Palm Sunday of the previous year.

This year worshippers will be collecting their ashes themselves, via an American-style ‘drive-thru’ system.

“Clonakilty and churches throughout the diocese are placing the blessed ashes in envelopes which will be made available on tables for people to collect,” Msgr O'Driscoll said.

Monsignor Aidan O'Driscoll filling his envelopes for Ash Wednesday with Orla and Adhran Scully. Picture: Denis Boyle

The Monsignor said people can either drive through the church grounds and collect one of the envelopes which are being carefully prepared in compliance with Covid-19 regulations or enter the church itself and collect an envelope from an indoor table.

“The diocese is encouraging all parishes to make these envelopes available to people who drive by the church grounds.

“The initiative is being encouraged by the bishop in these difficult and challenging times,” he said, adding that the diocese has also prepared a special leaflet to be collected with the envelopes which detail how to hold a special family ritual for the home on Ash Wednesday.