A socially distanced line of people waited this morning to collect their ‘takeaway’ ashes from one of Ireland’s oldest churches to mark the start of Lent.
Father Malachy Conlon blessed the 1,000 individual containers during morning mass at the Church of St James, Grange, on the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth.
The ashes were placed in large open baskets in front of the altar for people to collect and take home with them.
“I got two – one for me and one for my neighbour who can’t get to the church,” said Pat Halpenny (79) from Ballagan.
It is not the first time Fr Malachy Conlon has adapted to the restrictions brought by Covid-19. Last year he used a vehicle similar to the Pope mobile to travel through the parish and bless parishioners while observing social distancing on Holy Thursday.
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