Convenience of Ashes to Go climbs in popularity

Vehicles were moving through the Ashes to Go line Wednesday at St. Barnabus Episcopal Church in Brackenridge quicker than a Starbucks drive-thru.

The program began at noon and within 30 minutes had seen more than 45 people requesting ashes on their forehead, a Christian tradition that marks the start of Lent.

“We mean business,” said the Rev. Frank Yesko as he dashed in the rain from the church lobby to vehicles lined up along Morgan Street.

“I didn’t know with the rain how many people we’d see, but we are very busy.”

While Yesko darted through the rain, volunteer Lorraine Gross waited inside with dry vestments for him to change into.

He was doling out the ashes until 2 p.m. and then again from 4 to 5 p.m.

At 5 p.m., Yesko planned to distribute ashes to residents of the Harrison Hi-Rise off Freeport Road before returning for a 7 p.m. service at his church.

Ashes to Go has grown in popularity at the Brackenridge church since it began about five years ago. Yesko said it’s a great way to reach out to the community, and it offers convenience.

“Everyone is busy and the day can pass them by,” he said. “This way, it’s a few seconds for them to pull up, and people really seem to like it.”

Most of the people who receive ashes from Yesko aren’t members of his congregation, he said.

2 spots in Leechburg

In Leechburg, Christians had two options to receive ashes on Wednesday.

First United Methodist Church and Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church partnered to offer a drive-thru Ashes to Go option in a parking lot along Main Street.

Pastors Sue Washburn of Crossroads and Sara Wrona of First United Methodist welcomed more than a dozen cars from 7 to 9 a.m. through the drive-thru.

Leechburg Pastors l-r; Sara Wrona of First United Methodist Church and Sue Washburn of Cross Roads Community Presbyterian Church offer drive-thru Ashes-To-Go Wednesday morning along Main Street in Leechburg. ⁦@VNDNews⁩ ⁦@TribLIVE⁩ pic.twitter.com/RVyV6YdgvH

— Joyce Hanz (@hanz_joyce) February 22, 2023

The drive-thru is new this year.

“It was received well, and several people said they appreciated the fact that we were doing this,” Wrona said. “We just wanted to offer it because it was set up close to school and we wanted to reach that demographic.”

Both pastors moved a few blocks away to CoCo Coffeehouse to offer ashes inside the coffeeshop from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

CoCo Coffeehouse is located on Market Street. Owner Nikki Saxion has offered her business to church pastors for more than five years.

“It’s a nice alternative for busy folks that can’t make a church service on Ash Wednesday. It’s become a tradition here in Leechburg, and I am happy to provide a location for the local clergy,” Saxion said.

Ashes to Go was started by Episcopal clergy in 2007.

At St. Barnabas, church members took the Ashes to Go program to the next level.

Yesko and Gross handed out envelopes with ashes inside for people to take with them for shut-ins.

“We want people who can’t get out to be able to express their devotion,” Gross said.