CLEVELAND — Rev. Bob Stec of St. Ambrose Parish in Brunswick said that typically on Ash Wednesday, Christians will attend church service, listen to songs from the choir, and have ash applied to their foreheads in the shape of a cross as the Lenten season begins, a period of time that symbolizes repentance and prayer.

"Typically, it's turn away from sin and follow the Gospel,” Rev. Stec said. “You know, if you think about what the Gospel stands for, it stands for peace, and unity, and acceptance, and unconditional love, and compassion, and respect. And if you think about all of the things we've seen, all of the things tell me that's not what all of us need to work on right now.”

With COVID-19 causing people to socially distance, many churches are rethinking how to perform the traditional ceremony.

Rev. Jon Hauerwas is the pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Akron. His church has been worshipping virtually since last March, and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

Hauerwas said instead of doing the traditional ash service, his congregation will take communion together from home.

"I think that there are similarities, in that communion is also remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection. It's also something that is highly symbolic,” Rev. Hauerwas said. “You have elements present. These elements being bread and juice, rather than ashes, but we're saying do this in the remembrance of me. And this is all of course meant to help us get in the mindset of remembering Jesus, his life, ministry, death, and resurrection.”

Some churches in Ohio and nationwide have plans to sprinkle the ash over members’ heads avoiding touching their foreheads.

Others are providing members with ash kits to put the ash on their own foreheads.

"The goal is that we want to take care of anybody who wants to step forward right and say this is what I want. I need more of God in my life,” Rev. Stec said. “Some people are going to be most comfortable doing it on their own, and I want to respect that because they need God. We all need God, and if this is what's going to keep them comfortable it's a simple thing for us to do this year more than ever to help them walk more closely with the Lord.”