Community Corner

Catholics Welcome Lenten Season

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent in the Catholic church.

Catholic parishes will be decorated in deep purple today for Ash Wednesday as volunteers have worked hard to dress up local churches in preparation of the Lenten season.

Joseph Andrasko, the sacristan who takes care of the behind the scenes work at in Scott Township, has spent the past few days putting up purple banners around the church and preparing the ashes for each mass today.

The former telephone pole climber from Scott Township is used to scaling heights to arrange the banners. Although at age 82, he now enlists the help of younger volunteers to attach the long cloths high above the altar.

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“A lot of this stuff is done behind the scenes,” Andrasko said.

When the parishioners arrive to celebrate mass today, they will find the church adorned in solemn colors in the buildup to Easter.

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“People often say the church always looks great during the change of seasons and they want to help,” Andrasko said. “So they do appreciate it. You don’t think they see it, but they do.”

The workload is much smaller during Lent than at Christmas and Easter when nearly 40 volunteers gather to decorate trees or arrange flowers around the parish. Still, the Rev. Richard Infante, pastor at Our Lady of Grace, said the volunteers’ work is vital and helps the priests concentrate on other matters.

“It is very well organized,” Infante said. “A wonderful team of volunteers.”

Andrasko also prepares the ashes for Wednesday. In the past, the parish used to burn the previous year’s Easter palms to create the ashes. Now, like many churches in the area, the parish purchases its ashes from J.M.J in Bethel Park, although Our Lady will sometimes burn the palms on request by parishioners.

The Lenten season is more subdued than other holidays, Infante said, except for one notable exception: the fish fry.

“It becomes a big social event,” Infante said.

OLG and other Catholic parishes, such as in Bridgeville, in Scott and in Collier, will all hold a fish fry tonight as well as each Friday night during Lent. The churches also have other various events during the season.

At Our Lady, there will be a speaker series devoted to marriage and family each Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m., which usually will be in Keefer Hall. There will also be a St. Patrick’s concert on March 20 at 1 p.m. featuring popular Irish singer Michael Gallagher.

Holy Child Parish also will have a weekly speaker series each Wednesday at 7 p.m. featuring the topic of reconciliation.


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