“Ash Wednesday is one of the most important and holy days in the churches liturgical calendar. Having been a Self Supporting Priest until my appointment here in Leeds last September, I know making time to go to church is somewhat difficult for everyday folk,”, said Fr Darren.
“So this year in the sleet, snow and biting cold, we decided to take the Church to the streets of Cross Green, where people were prayed for and ‘ashed’. Ashes also symbolise grief and everyone I met was told that the ‘the grief we think about are the sins that we have committed that have caused division from God.
“We also met people from the Wednesday Community Lunch Group at S. Hilda’s who were “ashed” too, before they had lunch,” said Fr Darren who earlier had celebrated Mass with the traditional imposition of ashes in S. Hilda’s.
“In communities such as Cross Green and Richmond Hill, it is vitally important that the Church which is the heartbeat of its community is seen in action upon the streets, communicating the gospel in action where it can be easily understood and taken to heart by people who are on the very edge of society.