Thousands of churches in Texas will be gathering tomorrow in recognition of Ash Wednesday. One of those churches will be St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, and they’ll be offering their ashes to go.
Ash Wednesday is a day of prayer and fasting that takes place 46 days before Easter, according to Britannica. Participants observe the occasion by spreading ashes into the shape of a cross on their foreheads, signifying repentance.
While many churches offer Ash Wednesday services, St. Martin-in-the-Fields offers its ashes with a unique twist — volunteers greet drivers at their vehicles, pray for them and offer them ashes through their drive-thru setup. Children's minister Liza Goodner says the church has held drive-thru ashes since 2013 and pulled inspiration from other Episcopal churches that did something similar.
“There are many churches throughout the Episcopal dioceses that do ashes to go in various ways,” she says. “All are welcome to join in.”
Parish administrator Anika Rinker says interest in St. Martin-in-the-Fields’ drive-thru ashes has grown over the years. They served about 40 cars in their first year. They doubled that number last year with 80 cars, with even more expected this year.
“It’s very convenient for those people just getting off of work to be able to go through our drive-thru and get that done," Anika says. “It’s a chance where they can connect where they otherwise wouldn’t have had the time to. There’s a need there, and we just wanted to be there and support the people that need it.”
The drive-thru is open from 5:30-6:30 p.m. tomorrow at their church, located at 223 S. Pearson Lane. St. Martin-in-the-Fields also holds Ash Wednesday services at noon and 7 p.m. To learn more about Ash Wednesday and St. Martin-in-the-fields, go on its website at StMartinInTheFields.org.