Illinois snowstorm forces cancellation of Ash Wednesday services

Published: 2008-02-08

ANTIOCH, Ill. (CNS) -- A major snowstorm that hit Illinois Feb. 6 not only made roads treacherous, kept people indoors and stranded hundreds of travelers at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, it also forced the cancellation of Ash Wednesday services for some Catholics. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, the season that calls Christians to prayer, fasting, repentance and charity. So at least one Catholic pastor, Father John Jamnicky, decided to distribute ashes after all Masses the weekend of Feb. 9-10 to help those parishioners who missed out. Father Jamnicky, pastor of St. Raphael the Archangel Church in Antioch, in the Chicago Archdiocese, reported that his parish "received many calls from disappointed parishioners who look forward to attending Mass on Ash Wednesday to help them prepare for the season." One woman called to inform him that this year "marked the first time she has ever missed an Ash Wednesday Mass or service," he said. The Associated Press reported the snow that hit the Midwest made driving so impossible that in at least one place, Mundelein, Ill., police had to use trucks, sport utility vehicles and snowmobiles to make calls.

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