Ash Wednesday gets different look at Holy Trinity

Submitted article

FORT MADISON - Holy Trinity Catholic continued the Christian tradition of distributing ashes to our students to mark the beginning of the Lent - Ash Wednesday. Typically our students are able to gather together for Mass but with our safety and health in mind, Holy Trinity students have gathered in smaller groups to worship God each week.
This year for Ash Wednesday the Holy Trinity fifth grade elementary students worshiped in St. Mary's Church in West Point while the other elementary grades watched and participated from Facebook Live in their classrooms. Fr. Dennis Hoffman then distributed ashes to the students in the school gymnasium.

For our Holy Trinity students in grades 7 - 12, the freshman class had their turn to worship during Mass in the school chapel with Fr. Dan Dorau while the rest of the student body and faculty watched via Zoom in their classrooms.
Along with masks and social distancing, Covid 19 precautions also changed the way in which our students received their ashes. In place of receiving the ashes on their foreheads, everyone received a small sprinkling of ashes on top of their heads. This is actually the common practice throughout much of the world including many European countries.
Holy Trinity students are tasked during this Lenten season to remember their mortality and to find ways to draw themselves closer to God.