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| Galway church opens Ash Wednesday drive-thru | Galway church opens Ash Wednesday drive-thru |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| An Irish church is greeting on-the-go parishioners as part of a unique Ash Wednesday drive-thru service. | An Irish church is greeting on-the-go parishioners as part of a unique Ash Wednesday drive-thru service. |
| St Patrick's Church, in Glenamaddy, County Galway, is offering people the chance to get the traditional blessing from the comfort of their cars. | St Patrick's Church, in Glenamaddy, County Galway, is offering people the chance to get the traditional blessing from the comfort of their cars. |
| Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, a season of reflection and preparation before Easter. | Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, a season of reflection and preparation before Easter. |
| Catholics traditionally attend a Mass at which their foreheads are marked with ash in the shape of a cross. | Catholics traditionally attend a Mass at which their foreheads are marked with ash in the shape of a cross. |
| The Galway church's modern approach is designed to appeal to those who do not have time to attend a Mass service. | The Galway church's modern approach is designed to appeal to those who do not have time to attend a Mass service. |
| St Patrick's conveniently has a lane that leads right up to its front door. | St Patrick's conveniently has a lane that leads right up to its front door. |
| It is offering locals the opportunity to drive up to the door, receive their ashes and drive off on their way to work, school or the shops. | It is offering locals the opportunity to drive up to the door, receive their ashes and drive off on their way to work, school or the shops. |
| The move, which was first reported last week, was agreed by the church's pastoral council and parish priest Fr Paddy Mooney. | The move, which was first reported last week, was agreed by the church's pastoral council and parish priest Fr Paddy Mooney. |
| "We looked at the situation on the ground. People and families are on the move all the time," he told the Irish Catholic. | "We looked at the situation on the ground. People and families are on the move all the time," he told the Irish Catholic. |
| "It's about meeting people where they are." | "It's about meeting people where they are." |
| The church also set up a Lenten petition box in its grounds that allows people to submit prayer requests during Lent without having to leave their car. | |
| "We're just putting it in front of people to help them think of Lent, as a reminder of it," said the priest. | "We're just putting it in front of people to help them think of Lent, as a reminder of it," said the priest. |
| By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. | By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days. |
| The period of reflection is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. | The period of reflection is marked by fasting, both from food and festivities. |