Metro Detroit churches offer drive-thru Ash Wednesday services to commuters

Frank Witsil and Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron, center, exits the altar at the end of an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Aloysius Church in downtown Detroit on Feb. 17, 2021.
Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron, center, exits the altar at the end of an Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Aloysius Church in downtown Detroit on Feb. 17, 2021.

On Ash Wednesday, some churches are offering services that allow you the convenience — and safety if you are still social distancing from others to prevent catching viruses — of receiving the blessing and distribution of ashes without leaving your car.

The services — sometimes referred to by clever names, such as "drive-through" or "drive-thru ashes," "ashes-to-go," and "ash-and-dash" — have been especially popular during the height of the pandemic, but churches have been offering them for many years.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent — 40 days of prayer, penance and alms-giving — in preparation for Easter. It follows Paczki Day — also known as Fat Tuesday or in French, Mardi Gras — the last day to eat fatty foods, such as paczki, deep-fried Polish doughnuts often filled with jelly, before giving them up.

In 2020, the Archdiocese of Detroit encouraged parishioners to post selfies on social media while wearing their ashes as a digital effort to reverse decades of decline in Michigan, as well as continue to help and call attention to Detroit's revitalization.

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Here are some of the churches offering the services:

  • All Saints Episcopal Church at 171 W. Pike St., Pontiac, is hosting two services at noon and 7:30 p.m.

  • Dearborn First United Methodist Church at 22124 Garrison St., from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

  • Holy Family Novi at 24505 Meadowbrook Road, Novi, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and services with the imposition of ashes at 7 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m.

  • Our Lady of Refuge Parish at 3700 Commerce Road, Orchard Lake at 6:30 a.m., 8:15 a.m. and 7 p.m.

  • St. David's Episcopal Church at 16200 W. 12 Mile, Southfield from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

  • St. Fabian Catholic Church and School at 32200 W. 12 Mile, Farmington Hills, at 8:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. Plus, starting at 10 a.m., there will be scripture services every half-hour until 6 p.m.

  • St. Hugo of the Hills Parish at 2215 Opdyke Road, Bloomfield Hills, from 6:10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

  • St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church at 22412 Overlake St., St. Clair Shores, at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., noon and 7 p.m.

  • St. Mary Parish at 34530 W. Michigan Ave. in Wayne, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

  • St. Patrick's Episcopal Church at 1434 E. 13 Mile Road, Madison Heights, from 7 a.m.- 9 a.m. and in-person services starting at noon and 6:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Drive-thru Ash Wednesday services in metro Detroit