Ashes at Sea

CLIFTON  A trip to the land down under is a-once-in-a-lifetime adventure for many and for Deacon George Forshay and his wife, Mary, the couple’s recent trip on a cruise ship that traveled to New Zealand, Australia and Indonesia will be filled with memories that will last forever. One particular memory that stands out for Deacon Forshay was distributing ashes at an Ash Wednesday service to people from around the world traveling aboard the cruise ship Silversea Silver Muse.

The couple, who were parishioners of St. Anthony’s in Hawthorne for many years before moving to the Jersey shore, have enjoyed many cruises throughout their 46 years of marriage and this trip would be their first south of the equator. They realized just before the trip that they would be at sea on Ash Wednesday.

There were no ashes available to him before he left the U.S. but after a number of passengers asked if they could attend an Ash Wednesday service, Deacon Forshay, who has served as a permanent deacon for almost 25 years, decided to email the Adelaide Archdiocese in Australia to ask if he could obtain some ashes.

“I made a simple email request for ashes to the Archdiocese of Adelaide and was met with an immediate response,” said Deacon Forshay. “Not only did they offer ashes, they offered to bring them to our ship, which would be docked 45 minutes from their offices. However, we had a shuttle bus into town, which brought us within a five-minute walk to the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier.”

When the ship arrived at port in Adelaide a few days before Ash Wednesday, the Forshays headed to the cathedral where the staff gave them a tour and provided ashes to take back to the ship. They also stayed for the celebration of midday Mass.

Deacon Forshay said, “At Mass, we saw the real universality of the Church as we were all united in the Sacred Liturgy. Fortunately for us, Australia’s official language is English so there was no language barrier. Yet, even if there was a barrier, we would be able to follow our universal liturgy. The universality of our Church is one of the things that makes us so connected to the Lord Jesus.”

On board the ship, the passengers mostly comprised of American, Australian and British tourists and about 50 people attended the Ash Wednesday service. “On this particular cruise we made friends within the Jewish community and at their invitation we worshipped with them Friday evening,” Deacon Forshay said. “I returned the invitation for them to attend our Ash Wednesday service.”

During the couple’s other travels out to sea, Deacon Forshay has volunteered his services for interdenominational services that offers an opportunity for Christians to come together in prayer.

Deacon Forshay, who owns Browning-Forshay Funeral Home in Hawthorne, said, “Having the good fortune to travel to so many destinations broadens our appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation. At every turn one can see the magnificence of nature which yells aloud that only God is the author of the universe.”

He thanked those who served at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral for making the distribution of ashes possible. Deacon Forshay said, “Traveling introduces one to the diversity of cultures and people. We have discovered that people all around the world desire the same thing — security and safety for their families. In this regard, we found the people in this region as beautiful as the magnificent scenery that graces their land.”