April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
SACRED HEART PARISH
Castleton symbol of Lent: sand in holy water fonts
Castleton symbol of Lent: sand in holy water fonts
"Christ spent 40 days in the desert tempted by the devil, and we spend 40 days [during Lent] on our own desert journey," said Rev. Thomas Krupa, pastor. "The sand reminds us of the desert."
The idea for placing sand in the fonts was borrowed from other local priests, Father Krupa explained. Around five years ago, at a Lenten reflection he was attending, priests from the Albany Diocese spoke about how they were trying the practice.
"I thought, 'Wow, that's a great idea," Father Krupa recalled. "But then I forgot about it."
Then, this winter, one of the worst flu seasons in years took the country by storm, with parishes across the Diocese taking precautions to avoid spreading germs. Father Krupa said he removed the holy water from all the parish fonts as part of that effort, since parishioners dip a finger in the font as they arrive at church and leave after Mass, blessing themselves with the water.
When the pastor saw the empty fonts, he remembered the sand.
At the beginning of Lent, Katherine Monty, pastoral associate for administration and pastoral associate for faith formation, went to the local Dollar Tree store and purchased five packages of white sand to fill the fonts.
At first, some parishioners were perplexed by the sand. Father Krupa said children would come up to him after Mass, asking why the fonts had become a sandbox.
One first-grader asked Father Krupa to put some water into the sand. The pastor explained that "then we would have mud, not sand."
A notice was placed in the parish bulletin explaining the purpose of the sand, and was also mentioned in the parish's weekly email blast, which reaches a majority of Sacred Heart parishioners.
"Once people understood, they thought it was a good idea," said Father Krupa. "A couple people said we should do it again."
The pastor himself has forgotten about the sand a few times before the entrance procession into Mass, and attempted to bless himself with the water that isn't there.
"I'll put my hand in the font, and it's sand," he recalled with a laugh.
On Easter weekend, the fonts will be emptied of the sand and filled with newly-blessed holy water. Though the sand is a small gesture, Father Krupa said that anything reminding people of their Lenten journey is important.
"We have the Stations of the Cross and the church decorated for Lent to encourage people to participate in Lent, and the sand is just another way," he explained. "Any way a parish can keep people in the Lenten spirit is good."[[In-content Ad]]
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