Northeast Ohio churches adapt with Lenten fish fries during pandemic
From canceling them altogether to going drive-thru only, parishes across the area are changing they way they fry fish. Author: Will Ujek Updated: 9:04 PM EST February 19, 2021
NORTHFIELD, Ohio It s the first Friday of Lent, meaning churches across the area would typically be packed with parishioners enjoying a fish fry.
However, this year many are forced to pivot their plans to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Fish fries in the parishes of the Diocese of Cleveland have been a Lenten tradition for many, many years, Jim Armstrong, a deacon with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, says. In our diocese, this is quite an occasion.
Local Catholic churches will take on the customs used commonly in Europe this Ash Wednesday to avoid the risks of COVID-19.
Instead of tracing the mark of the cross on believers’ foreheads, they will have ashes sprinkled on the crown of their heads. The ashes placed by the priest to symbolize penitence and mortality as they begin observing the 40-day holy season of Lent.
“The sprinkling over the head is very common in Europe,” said Rev. Rod Kreidler of St. Edward Catholic Church in Ashland.
According to the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, the practices of both sprinkling ashes on the head and tracing a cross on the forehead were used in the past. At one time, it was common to sprinkle ashes on men’s heads and trace crosses on women’s foreheads because they wore head coverings in church.
The start of the Lenten journey for most Christians is just a week away.
And, for many, it will start with Ash Wednesday services that will look a lot different amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some churches like the Episcopal Church of the Saviour handed out Ash Wednesday kits for parishioners to apply their own ashes while watching an online service that will broadcast next week.
Others like the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Akron will forgo ashes entirely and instead will offer a music-oriented service that will be livestreamed.
The Rev. Jonathan Hauerwas said the church on West Market Street has been all online since before Easter a year ago.
When Larry Kulick was a little boy at St. Martha Parish in Leechburg, he told his pastor that he wanted to be an altar server. The priest told him that
Cleveland Catholic school teacher arrested for sending sexually explicit messages to undercover officer posing as teen
Our Lady of Angels School has placed 43-year-old Gregory Kinat on leave pending the outcome of the matter. Author: WKYC Staff Updated: 11:18 PM EST February 8, 2021
CLEVELAND A 43-year-old teacher at Cleveland s Our Lady of Angels School has been arrested for having what authorities say were sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old girl.
Between January 27 and February 3 of this year, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor s Office says Gregory Kinat was engaging in the sexually explicit conversations with the officer. The conversation was initiated through a popular social media application.