A tradition started more than a decade ago continues when St. David’s Episcopal Church pastors offer drive-thru blessings on Ash Wednesday.
The Ash Wednesday ritual involves a pastor using ashes to draw a cross on the foreheads of Christians, marking the start of Lent, a season of penitence that culminates with the celebration of Easter as a symbol of renewal.
St. David’s rector, the Rev. Chris Yaw, said last year more than 500 people attended the drive-thru ministry, adding that many helping the church perform the service felt “blessed by the opportunity we had to meet and pray with others.”
St. David’s has two indoor services planned, at noon and 7 p.m., for people who would prefer a full service with the ashes and administration of the Holy Eucharist.
Rev. Yaw said Ash Wednesday begins a time of “reflection and repentance for what we have done and what we have failed to do. We hope that Drive-Thru Ashes can make the message and meaning of this day more accessible.”
The drive-thru ashes ministry started in 2015, which drew 100 people. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 600 joined the drive-thru line in 2021.
This year, ashes will be offered outside the church between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Drivers should enter the church parking lot from the driveway closest to the sign for St. Anne’s Mead assisted-living facility to the front doors of the church, where the ashes and blessing will be dispensed.
St. David’s is at 16200 W. Twelve Mile Road in Southfield. For details, visit www.stdavidssf.org.