Reverend Scott Ciosek could not be found at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church on Ash Wednesday, but instead, stood outside at the Big Value Outlet with ash-covered hands.

Traditionally, Christians celebrate the 40-day period preceding Easter with mass and ceremonial ashes on Ash Wednesday. However, to provide convenience to parishioners not able to attend church services, as well as to welcome potential worshipers into the church, the Dartmouth and New Bedford Episcopal churches offered “ashes to go.”

“We want to get out of our walls, to get out in the community and meet people where they are,” Ciosek said.

The latter is the reason Patti O’Brien was there to help out. Although raised Catholic, O’Brien said she had faded away from the church until a chance shopping trip to Big Value three years ago. After her encounter with the “ashes to go” program, she attends regular services at St. Peter’s, and volunteers her time cooking and helping out at church events.

Ciosek added that O’Brien’s experience is not unique. In 2014, the first year that St. Peter’s offered the program, it had 13 parishioners. Since then, it has grown to more than 50 regular church-goers.

Some participants came on foot, while others stopped their cars in front of the group for drive-through service. Betty Furness, senior warden of St. Peter’s, said that a crowd, including regulars who attend the service yearly, had already formed by the 3 p.m. scheduled start time.

Last year, 210 people attended the “ashes to go” program at its two locations — outside of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in New Bedford and outside the Big Value Outlet — said Ciosek. He hoped to hit that record again.