Paul Keenan
A Co. Galway church will ‘move to the pace of modern life’ this Lent with a ‘drive-thru’ Ash Wednesday service and Lenten Petition box.
Following discussions between PP Fr Paddy Mooney and the pastoral council of Glenamady church on how best to prepare for the Lenten season, it was recognised that something of a novel approach might work best for people on the go who, while eager to keep up with the life of their church, remain under modern time constraints and pressures.
“We looked at the situation on the ground,” Fr Paddy told this newspaper. “People and families are on the move all the time.”
Thus the idea of the ‘drive-thru’ Ash Wednesday service was born, made viable by the driveway design of Glenamady church which will allow those availing of the service to progress in one gate and out another – from 8am to 9.30am on March 1.
Prayer
“It’s about meeting people where they are,” Fr Paddy explained, adding that this was also the thinking behind the Lenten Petition box, which will stand in the church grounds and allow for people to pull in and submit prayer requests throughout Lent.
“We’re just putting [the initiative] in front of people to help them think of Lent, as a reminder of it,” Fr Paddy said, adding that he was confident that in Glenamady, “a great parish with very active people always thinking of new things for the church”, the novel Lenten ideas will be warmly received.