SHERBORN — With his black coat buttoned up, Pastor John Hudson stood patiently as cars lined up in the Dukin' drive-through line.

Placed next to him stood a white sign with the words: “ashes to go prayers too”

In honor of Ash Wednesday, Hudson, the pastor at Pilgrim Church on Main Street, stood outside Sherborn Fuel to help people celebrate the first day of the Lent season.

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As Dunkin' patrons waited to pick up their morning coffee, Hudson offered to place ash on their forehead and handed them a prayer card. The ash symbolizes the dust in from which Christians believe humans were created.

“It used to be in the world that a church or a synagogue or a mosque could open the building and everyone would show up,” Hudson said. “That is not the case anymore, so we need to get out where the people are, like a [Dunkin'] drive-through lane.”

Some reports say Lent dates back to even earlier than A.D. 203, when a saint wrote to the then-pope about fasting during the Easter season. The seasonal observance didn’t become regularly observed until after Christianity was legalized in A.D. 313.

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It’s primarily celebrated by Catholics, though other Christian faiths observe the day as well.

“Ashes are a symbol of our mortality, and our need to depend upon God,” Hudson said.

This is the third year Hudson has done this. He noted last year was particularly cold, with temperatures in the low teens.

Town Clerk Carole Marple went out of her way on Wednesday to head to the Sherbon Dunkin' to receive ashes.

“It’s a wonderful idea. Not everyone can get to the evening church service, so this offers people the opportunity to receive ashes and have a prayer the two minutes they are waiting in line to place their order,” she said.

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Cesareo Contreras writes about environmental issues and technology for the Daily News. He can be reached at 508-626-3957 or ccontreras@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @cesareo_r.