Neither snow nor ice nor chill of winter deterred the area faithful from lining up this year for the third annual “Ashes-to-Go” event hosted by Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Hamden.
On Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14, about 268 people in more than 180 vehicles stopped by the 600 Shepard Ave. location, where they received ashes in the sign of the cross on their foreheads. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season, which culminates with Easter Sunday.
The Rev. Joshua Sullivan, pastor of Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran, and the Rev. Milton Brasher-Cunningham from Mount Carmel Congregational Church, a United Church of Christ, teamed up to distribute the ashes in the morning and noontime sessions.
That evening, congregations from five Hamden churches gathered for a town-wide ecumenical worship service with the imposition of ashes at Grace & St. John’s Episcopal Church. In addition to Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran and Mount Carmel Congregational Church, other participating churches included Spring Glen United Church of Christ and Dunbar United Church of Christ.
More photos from Ashes-to-Go…
