Philly church offers ‘ashes-to-go’ for compliance with convenience

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

As part of the Ash Wednesday tradition, Christians receive ashes on their foreheads as a demonstration of their faith and to acknowledge their mortality.

One church in Old City took it to a new level.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church hosted “ashes-to-go” in Washington Square Park.

During the morning rush hour, Rev. Sarah Hedgis-Kligerman applied ashes to the foreheads of people stopping at the park across the street from Independence Hall.

“On Ash Wednesday, people usually come to church to receive ashes, a sign of our mortality, and to wear them on their foreheads throughout the day, but we found that some people can’t make it to those services because of work or family commitments,”  Hedgis-Kligerman said. “So we decided to bring the ashes to people, so especially during the commuting hour, we’re here to give people ashes who can’t make it to services.”

Reverend Dick Ullman was also distributing ashes as part of the hour-long outdoor ritual.

“Some people look at you in surprise or how odd, and other people with a smile and gratitude,” Ullman said.

Today is the first time the church has used the park. Last year, they distributed ashes out of the elements at SEPTA’s Jefferson Station, a much warmer place.

Hedgis-Kligerman said she was amazed by people walking up to get their ashes in public.

“I’m always so touched by people’s willingness to come up to someone they don’t know and let me do something as vulnerable as touch their forehead and tell them that God created them from dust and love, but they’ll also die one day and return to dust. So that’s really an honor that people trust me to say that to them.”

One participant said she received the ashes because they were given out across the street from her work.