2-minute read

This week, Christians around the world will observe Ash Wednesday, marking the beginning of the 40-day period of repentance known as Lent. The solemn season ends on Easter, which falls this year on March 31.

Ash Wednesday is celebrated with a Mass during which a priest places ashes in the shape of a cross on worshippers’ foreheads while reciting the words “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The ashes, typically made from burning palms, symbolize penitence and mortality.

Over the past decade, an increasing number of priests in North Jersey, recognizing that busy commuters don’t always have time to stop into church on weekdays, have been bringing ashes to the time-crunched masses at bus stops, train stations and intersections.

The idea is to meet people where they are, said the Rev. Emily Mellott, a pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church in Moorestown, who helped popularize the phenomenon with a website, ashestogo.org.

“Many of us need those reminders more when we are in the middle of our daily business of life than when we’ve made time and preparation to come to a church building, so we take the ashes and prayer outside the church.” 

The Rev. Andrew Wright of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark added that although the act of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday is a Christian practice, “it’s available for anyone (of any denomination) who wishes to participate.”

Ashes to Go in North Jersey

Here’s a partial list of locations around the region offering ashes-to-go. The Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey maintains an map with the most up to date information at the “Ashes to Go in Northern New Jersey” webpage.

Bergen County

• Allendale train station, Main Street and East Street, 6 to 8:30 a.m.
• Glen Rock, Borough Hall train station, 6 to 8 a.m.
• Hillsdale, 6:30 to 8 a.m. at the borough train station and 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church, 326 Hillsdale Ave.
• Ridgewood, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Christ Church, 105 Cottage Place; drive-thru ashes from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• Tenafly, 7 to 7:45 a.m. at the town bus stop.

Essex County

• Bloomfield/Glen Ridge, 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Glen Ridge train station
• Millburn, 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the train station
• Newark, Trinity & St. Philip’s Cathedral, 7:30 a.m. at 688 Broad St.
• Orange, 8 a.m. to noon at Epiphany & Christ Church, 105 Main St.
• Short Hills, 6 to 8 a.m. at the Short Hills train station and 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at Christ Church, 66 Highland Ave.
• Verona, 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 2 to 2:30 p.m. at Church of the Holy Spirit, 36 Gould St.

Hudson County

• Bayonne, Trinity Parish in Bergen Point, 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Eighth Street light rail station
• Hoboken, 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the PATH station

Morris County

• Denville, 5 to 6 p.m. at Church of the Saviour, 155 Morris Ave.
• Lincoln Park, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 221 Main St.
• Madison, 6 to 8 a.m. at the Madison and Convent Station train stations
• Morris Plains, 6 to 7:30 a.m. at the train station; drive-thru ashes from noon to 12:45 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church, 29 Hillview Ave.

Sussex County

• Wantage, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. at Church of the Good Shepherd, 200 Route 23

Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: yellin@northjersey.com