The Estevan Ministerial Association is once again offering Lenten lunches for the community this year.
The lunches will occur every Friday at noon during Lent. The first lunch is Feb. 28 at St. Giles Anglican Church, and the last will be April 3 at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church.
Other lunch dates are March 6 (St. Paul’s United Church), March 13 (Trinity Lutheran Church), March 20 (St. Peter’s Lutheran Church) and March 27 (St. Joseph’s Hospital’s chapel).
Each week the get-togethers will include a short service with music, a brief message and prayer, followed by a lunch with homemade soup and bread.
“Because it’s Lent, it’s a simple meal of soup and bread … although the soup is amazing and the bread is amazing,” said Rev. Wilma Woods from St. Giles Anglican Church.
People who attend the Lenten lunches during their lunch break for work have the opportunity to eat first.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
“This has been going on for a long time,” said Woods. “They do it to mark Lent, so that people can come during the week to worship, and it’s also a chance for people to move around from church to church, just to fellowship with other denominations in town.”
People don’t have to belong to a particular church in town to attend, either, as all are welcome.
A freewill collection taken during the lunches will be donated back into the community. Woods said the direction of that money varies from year to year.
The lunches are usually well-attended. For some, it’s part of what they do every year, and for others, it’s a new thing that they discover.
“They tend to grow in size,” she said.
Also, Woods was joined by Barb Wright from St. Giles Anglican Church and pastor Lori James from Trinity Lutheran Church for Ashes to Go on Feb. 26 in front of the Estevan Leisure Centre. People could receive ashes and prayer, and take a brief moment to pause and reflect during their busy lives.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent.
