ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. - Wednesday was Valentine's Day, but it also marked the start of Lent for many in Michiana, with churches holding special Ash Wednesday services where practicing Christians received the traditional sign of the cross in ashes on their foreheads as a sign of repentance and their devotion to God.
It is typically a time of prayer and reflection but can also involve participants giving something up for the forty days of Lent, like caffeine, alcohol, or even chocolate to name a few.
The Christian observance of Lent runs through Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
Church officials know life gets busy and it can be hard cut out over an hour of your day to make it to a full mass in the middle of the week.
That's why one church in Elkhart is offered "Ashes To Go", a quick drive-through devotional experience for those on go, still making time for their faith.
Pastor Wicks with First Presbyterian Church said Ash Wednesday is for everyone.