Ithaca College

On Ash Wednesday, Roman Catholic and Protestant Christians begin a forty-day journey of spiritual renewal leading to Easter. Inspired by the NYC-based organization Parity, Hierald Osorto, director of Religious and Spiritual Life, will offer a twist on the traditional sign of this journey: glitter ashes. 

According to Parity: "Ashes are a statement that death and suffering are real. Glitter is a sign of our hope, which does not despair. Glitter signals our promise to repent, to show up, to work. Glitter never gives us, and neither do we."

Ashes, with or without glitter, are a public symbol. For some Christians, glitter ashes announce that they are LGBTQ-affirming. For others, glitter ashes offer testimony that—to riff on Carl Sagan and Genesis—they are star dust, and to star dust they will return.

Curious? Compelled? Come and visit Hierald in Campus Center on Wednesday, March 6, where he will administer glitter ashes from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

To learn more about Parity's work, visit their website: https://parity.nyc.