Ashes To Go: In The Joliet Herald-News

St. Benedict and I were in the Joliet Herald-News for offering “Ashes to Go” for the fourth year yesterday, Ash Wednesday. I was glad to work with the reporter and photographer – they “got” what we were doing and did a wonderful job capturing the day. Donna Ialongo, our Priest Associate, and I got to […]

Ministry of Silly Lenten Book Titles

I’ve been working on ideas for a new book of devotions for Lent (not based on Narnia this time). I’ve received wonderful ideas from many of you – keep them coming! I’ve noticed as I make notes, do reading, research, and brainstorming, that it’s easier to come up with ridiculous titles for books than serious ones.  Monty Python has a […]

House Diary: April Snow, Morning

From my friend and colleague, Matt Gunter (bishop-elect of Fond du Lac, WI): Like a lot of folk here, I was not excited when I woke up to snow on the ground on this mid-April morning. But, I want to suggest that snow on the ground is a great way to kick off Holy Week. […]

Ashes to Go, 2014

St. Benedict did “Ashes to Go” again this year – we offer ashes and a prayer of confession to passers by, since so many people have become too busy for their spiritual lives, and because we believe church shouldn’t stay contained inside the four walls of a building. We were out from 6-9 a.m. We […]

On “Ashes to Go”

Starting early on Ash Wednesday morning, while it was still dark, two church members and I stood in our church driveway and parking lot, wearing white robes and offering ashes to the people driving by. We’re on a relatively busy street, but it was freezing cold and dark and I’m not sure that, before the […]

Ash Wednesday Diary

8:00 a.m. Stop at church to pick up ashes, bread, wine, and the communion kit.   9:00 a.m Visit R.H., who doesn’t leave home much, and her home care aid, M., in Naperville. We talk about the pictures on her walls, mostly painted or drawn by relatives, now long dead. We share ashes and communion. […]