The following day, February 18, Ash Wednesay, St. Mark’s will hold three short services for the traditional imposition of ashes at noon, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
“I’m thankful that Saint Mark’s is such a welcoming community of faith. We invite everyone to share in the fun and worship that mark the beginning of the Lenten season,” said St. Mark’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jim Priddy.
Shrove Tuesday, also called Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras in French) is the day before Ash Wednesday. In northern European cultures going back millenia, pancakes, with their eggs, butter and sugar, were considered a rich food, fit to indulge in before the self denial of Lent. So popular is the tradition in England that Shrove Tuesday is called Pancake Tuesday. Pre-Christian Slavs ate the hot, round pancakes during a spring festival to help the coming of the sun and the Latin tradition of carnivals before Lent is also analogous.
Priddy noted that he plans these pre-Lenten and Lenten events to give a special perspective to Easter. “We all like to come to church to celebrate Easter but in my opinion it’s hard to appreciate what Easter is all about unless we experience Lent and Holy Week.”
Thus, St. Mark’s plans full services for Holy Thursday and Good Friday, culminating on Easter with a festive choral Mass, Easter lilies (uncommon in Mexico) an Easter bonnet contest and an Easter egg hunt.
St. Mark’s is a two-minute drive north of Plaza Mexico, on the corner of Aztecas and Chichimecas in Colonia Monraz. It is near the westernmost end of bus route 33A. www.stmarksanglican.org, (33) 3641-6620.