A priest was pulled over by cops who spotted dozens of “dodgy looking” clear bags in his car – only to discover they were for Ash Wednesday.
Police stopped Father John Campbell, of the Sacred Heart Parish in Cumbernauld, on Saturday night.
The priest had been out visiting someone on a “sick call” but was found to have a stash of small, clear polythene bags – which are often used by drug dealers.
But the innocent clergyman had planned to hand out the bags to parishioners today at his Ash Wednesday service.
Due to the current pandemic situation, Father Campbell has been leaving the small bags in the chapel presbytery for people to administer themselves.
He said the officers asked why he wasn’t at home and didn’t “quite believe” his alibi.
However, he managed to see the funny side of his run-in with the law and posted on social media about the incident on Saturday.
He wrote: “Out doing a sick call tonight and got pulled over and asked why I was out of the house. The officer didn’t quite believe or understand what I meant when I said these were for ashes for Wednesday.”
Father Campbell attached pictures of the small clear bags beloved of drug dealers and dangerous gangsters.
Since he posted his story, it has been shared on Twitter, where social media users thought it was hilarious.
A Twitter user shared a screenshot of Father Campbell’s post and said: “Absolute gold from the priest on the chapel’s Facebook page.”
@bertiecauld said: “A wee line and communion wine please Father.”
@lauraKelly-X posted: “Priest on a mad one.”
@J0nIrwin- commented: “Gearing up for Lent.”
Ash Wednesday is a holy day observed by Christians across the world and falls the day after Shrove Tuesday, more commonly known as Pancake Tuesday.
It marks the first day of Lent and the name derives from the placing of ashes on the foreheads of participants.
The ashes come from burning palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebrations, which fall a week before Easter Sunday and the end of Lent.
