SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-Holy Cross Catholic Church in Santa Barbara took Ash Wednesday to the streets.
This is the second year in a row the church hosted an Ash Wednesday Drive-thru on the first day of Lent.
The church on Cliff Drive already has drive thru style architecture at the entrance.
Due to the drive-thru's popularity last year they opened the driveway leading to the back parking lot as well.
Fr. Egren Gomez welcomed people of all faiths.
They did not have to attend Holy Cross, but they are invited to check it out and join the community.
Drivers and their passengers received ashes in the shape of a cross on their fore-heads at the start of the 40-day Lenten season.
Rain didn't put a damper on the turn out.
"It is raining a little bit, it is also raining God's mercy, God's favor, God's friendship and that is what the cross means, when we are signed with the sign of his cross, God is saying I am with you in a very intimate way on earth and that is what this is all about," said Gomez.
Gomez attended to passengers first.
He said he learned the hard way last year when a driver almost ran over his foot as he went to the other side door.
The pastor's staff also helped out.
One youngster came back for ashes a second time after her cross wore off.
A parishioner in her 90's enjoyed the drive-thru, too.
Students from Santa Barbara City College also stopped by.
The church, known for its stained glass windows, held a bilingual Mass in the morning.
Fr. Egren said he doesn't know of another church with a drive-thru Ash Wednesday.
Thanks to the response he intends to carry on the fairly new tradition.
Holy Cross Catholic Church hosts Ash Wednesday Drive-Thru to mark the first day of Lent News Channel 3-12.
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