From The Pittsburgh Tribune-
Last year's palms become this year's ashes. Many Catholic churches still burn dried, leftover strips from Palm Sunday Masses to make their supplies of ashes for the next Ash Wednesday.
But more Western Pennsylvania churches planning Ash Wednesday services today will use purchased, boxed palm ashes compared to a few years ago, said Jerry Zufelt, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg. That's on top of the thousands of palm strips that local churches will buy from growers in Florida, Texas and other Southern states to pass out on Palm Sunday, which is April 17 this year.
Today marks the start of a key season for retailers who sell Christian and Jewish merchandise to places of worship and the public. Stores and suppliers in the region say the weeks surrounding Easter and Passover rival or surpass December's religious holidays in terms of being the year's busiest time.
Roughly half of JMJ Catholic Book Store's annual retail sales are rung up between February and May, as customers buy gifts and personal items for Lent and Easter and families prepare children for First Holy Communion, confirmation and graduation, said Linda Gentili, who owns the 17-year-old Bethel Park business with other family members. Mother's Day shoppers, too, stop in to look for religious items.
JMJ's church goods business is fairly steady year-round as parishes order ashes, palms and priests' vestments or have chalices and other altar items refinished, she said.
"We've been very fortunate that we've been able to do fine -- the economic downturn has affected a lot of people, but we have a niche product," Gentili said.
Read more:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_726454.html#ixzz1GOa5b9bA
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