STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A Staten Island woman says a frustrating parking mix-up in Manhattan turned into a memorable Ash Wednesday encounter with the new leader of the Archdiocese of New York.
Janine Materna, a Staten Island attorney and new mom, had a serendipitous moment during a trip to Manhattan on Feb. 18, Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent in Western Christianity.
For those unfamiliar, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season that leads to Easter Sunday. The day is focused on prayer, fasting and repentance, and many people receive ashes on their foreheads as a symbol of human mortality, sorrow for sins and the need for God’s mercy…