Huge demand for Clonmany priest’s DIY Ash Wednesday

Father Brian Brady, Parish Priest of Clonmany, teamed up with the local Centra shop in the village to provide ‘takeaway’ ashes for parishioners at the weekend.

The ashes were blessed at Mass on Saturday night and placed in small containers provided by Centra and its manager Joe Joyce. They were then left at churches in the local parish for collection.

It was a hugely popular idea and 200 containers of ashes were collected by grateful parishioners in around an hour and a half on Sunday morning.

The gesture has captured the imagination of people across the country and Fr Brady appeared on local and national media.

Speaking to the ‘Journal’, he said he had no idea it would prove such a talking point and insisted he just wanted to help his parishioners celebrate a very significant holy day.

“I was struggling with it and trying to think of something I could do,” he said. “I really hadn’t come up with anything and, then, Joe Joyce, from Centra, approached me and suggested this. I thought it was a good idea and he had about 200 containers available.

“I made up a prayer service for use in the home and blessed the ashes at Vigil Mass on Saturday night. We left them in the churches on Sunday and I was shocked at how fast they went.”

“We put them in around 9.30am and they were gone by around 11am.”

Fr Brady is slightly perplexed at the interest surrounding the gesture but said it would be great if it helped more people celebrate the holy day.

“If people think it’s worth running with then I’d be delighted.

“Ash Wednesday is very important to Catholics. It’s great that something is being offered so that we can continue our worship at this time, as our faith is very important.”

Fr Brady said he and Mr Joyce have arranged further ashes for collection due to high demand.