Donegal FEBRUARY 3, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LXII • NO 2
R067971
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St. Mark’s To Hold Ash Wednesday Events BY CATHY MOLITORIS
hinking outside the box (or the church), St. Mark’s United Methodist Church will offer outdoor distribution of ashes on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17. The church, located at 27 E. Main St., Mount Joy, will provide ashes for anyone who wants to receive them, said pastor Helen Adams.
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“We wanted to give people the opportunity to have a communal experience as they begin the Lenten season.”
Drive-Through Meal To Benefit Retirement Community
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church will offer Ash Wednesday events including a drive-through option at its portico behind the church.
of Ashes and post it online to its YouTube channel, Facebook page and website, Adams noted. “We are (also) planning to distribute small containers of ashes to homebound members who might not be able to get to the drive-through service, so they can participate by marking themselves with ashes at home as they watch the service,” she said, noting that the church has been
finding unique ways to connect with parishioners over the past year. “We had already arranged to get DVDs of our recorded services to people who don’t have internet capability - and some portable DVD players to those who don’t have DVD players either so as many people as possible have access to worship while we are not meeting together.” For Ash Wednesday, Adams
Children Invited To Music Program
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
On Saturday, Feb. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mount Hope Nazarene Retirement Community will offer a curbside pickup meal as a fundraiser for the residence. The pickup will take place at the LCBC Manheim Campus, 2392 Mount Joy Road. The snow date for the event will be Saturday, March 6. See Meal pg 2
BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Little ones are invited to make music at Florin Church of the Brethren during the Little Notes music ministry. The program is held from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. on the second, fourth and fifth Thursdays of the month at the church, 815 Bruce Ave., Mount Joy, and is open for children up to kindergarten age and their caregivers. “Little Notes is a program we offer to introduce children to music,” said Jan Chavez, program director. “We’ll get out a variety of musical instruments for the children to play with.
I’ll play some sing-along songs. I like to include songs they know and pepper in some new ones for them to learn.” The program, which is free, also features play time and other activities. “We’ll have parachute time and snack, and I might play a DVD or do a simple craft or coloring page with the children,” Chavez stated. To stay as safe as possible during COVID-19, the program is held in a large space where participants can spread out, and all snacks are individually wrapped. Chavez also sanitizes all instruments between sessions.
encourages anyone to come out to receive ashes and Communion, adding that the distribution offers a way for the church to connect to the public and provide solace in a particularly difficult time. “Isolation has been such a problem for people throughout the pandemic,” she stated. “Any opportunity we have to safely offer some connection, we want to do that.”
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VFW Posts Youth Singing Contest . . . . . . . .3 Pork, Sauerkraut Dinner Planned . . . . . . . . .6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Business Directory . . . . .11 House Of Worship . . . . . .12
See Little Notes pg 4
Harper Kline enjoys making music at Little Notes at Florin Church of the Brethren.
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“We’re planning to offer three one-hour blocks (for distribution),” she shared. Ashes will be distributed from 1 to 2 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. in the rear of the church. “We have a portico where people can drive through and receive ashes,” she explained. “And, if they would like, they can also receive Communion. We’ll have individually packaged Communion
for anyone who wants it.” From 3 to 4 p.m., the church will offer ashes in front of its building on Main Street. “This will be an option for anybody who would like to be marked with the cross as they come by,” Adams said, noting that logistics were still being worked out at press time for walk-ups and curbside options. Even though this year posed its unique challenges, the church wanted to keep its traditional Ash Wednesday observation, Adams stated. “Ash Wednesday is important because it’s the beginning of Lent, which is one of the two biggest seasons of the church year,” she remarked. “We wanted to give people the opportunity to have a communal experience as they begin the Lenten season.” Adams noted that all activities will follow COVID-19 protocols, with social distancing and mask wearing, as well as glove use for anyone making physical contact with the public. Along with distribution at the church, St. Mark’s will record a brief Ash Wednesday service of Imposition
