Compassionate Friends to light candles
The South of the River Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will participate in the 16th annual Worldwide Candle Lighting on Sunday, Dec. 9, to honor the memories of all children, regardless of age, who have died.
The event, believed to be the largest mass candle lighting in the world, will have its local gathering as part of a special service held at 7 p.m. at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 12650 Johnny Cake Ridge Road.
It will feature music, readings and a candle-lighting ceremony.
Annually tens of thousands of families, united in loss, light candles for one hour during the Worldwide Candle Lighting.
Candles are first lit at 7 p.m., local time, just west of the International Date Line. As candles burn down in one time zone, they are lighted in the next, creating a 24-hour wave of light as the observance continues around the world.
The organization’s national website, www.compassionatefriends.org, is expected to receive and post information on more than 550 services.
The website will also be open for posts to a Remembrance Book on Dec. 9, which is expected to receive thousands of tributes.
To contact the South of the River Chapter, call Susan Ferber at (651) 683-9236.
For more information about the national organization and locations of its chapters, call toll-free 877-969-0010 or visit the website.
