The COVID-19 pandemic will transform even some long-lasting spiritual customs Wednesday. Some churches, consisting of all Roman Catholic bodies, will certainly spray Ash Wednesday ashes over individuals’s heads instead of using them on the forehead of the faithful– all in an effort to be additional safe and also cautious amidst virus concerns.
The no-touch directive came from the Vatican. At St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, Bartholomew County’s biggest single house of worship, followers appear to be on board with the modification, according to celebration planner Connie Sandlin. Unless forecasted extreme climate conflicts, she anticipates strong engagement in several solutions.
“Now, with nearly half a million Americans dead, many Catholic and Protestant leaders are adjusting this year to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Scientists believe covid-19 spreads through close contact between people, especially if they are physically within six feet, and some are encouraging congregants to self-administer ashes.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington will follow guidance from the Vatican recommending priests sprinkle ashes on people’s heads without saying anything instead of swiping it on the forehead.
Across the District, churches have tried to come up with tweaks to the holiday to avoid exposure to the virus. The Rev. Rachel Cornwell, pastor of Dumbarton United Methodist Church, is encouraging parishioners to burn their own ashes safely at home and to watch a virtual service.
“I hope it’ll give an opportunity to reflect what we’ve been through personally, individually in our community and in the world,” Cornwell said. “There’s hope on the horizon.”
Instead of ashes, congregants at Cleveland Park Congregational United Church of Christ will be asked to identify something that has been consuming in the past year, such as a worry stone or a word written on a piece of paper. During the service, they will reflect on the subject and then be asked to surrender it.”
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It is true that the ordeal of the Covid-19 disease has been a very difficult time for everyone, and we can only see that with the new variants of the coronavirus.
However, solutions emerge here and there, and therefore for better days it is essential to keep hope and have that optimistic breath that lives in us in order to face the difficulties of everyday life.
