Earlier this week, Newstalk.com brought you the story of a Galway church offering a drive-thru service for Ash Wednesday.
The idea was to allow people drive in one gate, receive ashes on their forehead, and then drive out the other.
Catholics traditionally go to mass and have their foreheads marked with an ash in the shape of a cross to mark the first day of Lent.
The arrangement followed discussions between the parish priest, Fr Paddy Mooney, and the pastoral council of Glenamady church.
Newstalk Drive’s Henry McKean has been to Glenamaddy to see how it all works.
Image: Henry McKean
One man told Henry: "This is a great reminder of difficult days in our history when, through repression and other factors, we were unable to attend church.
"It’s bringing us back almost to the time when the church had to come out to the people.
"Maybe it’s not through repression today, but there are other pressures on people that makes it difficult for them to attend.
"It’s the reaching out to the people that makes the difference".
Image: Henry McKean
One student told Henry: "I think it’s really helpful because the likes of my mam and dad can’t go to mass during the day because they’re working so they just come in before they drop us to school to get it done".
Image: Henry McKean
Explaining the reasons behind the move, Fr Mooney said: "We decided that - for people going to work, people who couldn’t go to mass and receive the ashes – that we would meet them where they are.
"Jesus himself didn’t spend all his time in the temple, he went out an met the people where they were, and he gave them an invitation – and we’re doing the same."
Image: Henry McKean
Listen to Henry’s full report below:
