Churches

On Good Friday, April 18, Bishop Mark Beckwith will participate in two public Stations of the Cross processions as four congregations “take the altar into the world” to focus attention on issues that challenge or enliven their communities.

At 9:30 a.m. the clergy and members of the three Jersey City congregations – St. Paul’s in Bergen, Church of the Incarnation and Grace Church Van Vorst – will start at the intersection of Clinton and Bergen Avenues and visit fourteen street corners that have been the sites of violent crimes. At 3 p.m. Christ Church in Bloomfield/Glen Ridge will hold a procession to locations in their two communities where they feel Christ is present, both in need and in hope.

[The Star-Ledger] Essex County has forged a new partnership with local churches in its latest push to reach unemployed and underemployed people.

From eye-catching public signs to a haunting display of empty shoes, congregations in the Diocese of Newark found creative ways to join over a thousand other houses of worship across the country in observing Gun Violence Prevention Sabbath, March 13-16, 2014.

[Parsippany Life] Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent for Christians, signifying the 40 days until Easter. It’s usually a time for the faithful to reflect and to offer personal sacrifice.

The use of ashes, in fact, dates back to the very early days of the church. In ancient times, they symbolized a period of mourning, expressing sorrow, or penitence. For those raised in Christianity, Ash Wednesday still serves as a reminder, as said in Genesis 3:19, "That thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return."

But as modern times progress, the tradition of attending an Ash Wednesday service is becoming less traditional.

[The Record] One local church has enacted a unique way to make the distribution of ashes more accessible to the public on Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the Lenten season for western Christians. St. David’s Episcopal Church has established an "Ashes to Go" initiative.

[The Star-Ledger] For some Christian denominations, a cross of ash on the forehead for the first day of Lent is supposed to represent mortality, and a fleeting period of time on the Earth.

But not every Christian sets aside the time for a church service in the middle of a busy work week.

So instead of waiting in churches for parishioners who might never come, some clergy are going to the people — to the bus stops and coffee shops. They call it “Ashes to Go,” and it’s a way to reach out to the people where they are on this Christian holiday.

“People are busy – we understand,” said the Rev. Adele Hatfield, of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Mountain Lakes. “We’re not trying to beat up on them.”