About 75 people attended the Season of Light Remembrance Tree Lighting Ceremony Tuesday evening at St. Benedict’s Senior Community in Monticello.

 

Also known as the Hospice Memory Tree Lighting Ceremony, the event is an opportunity for friends and family to gather and remember their loved ones who have passed away. 

 

The event has been held at the Monticello-Big Lake Hospital/CentraCare for more than 20 years.

 

It was moved to St. Benedict’s this year because of construction at CentraCare.

 

After a welcome by St. Benedicts’s Director Sandy Haggerty and an invocation by Rev. Jocelyn Bakkemo, the candle lighting ceremony took place.

 

The four candles represented the feelings each who have a lost one share - grief, memories, courage and love.

 

Anika Athman of CentraCare Home Care and Hospice, read a passage as each candle was lit.

 

Grief: The pain of losing you is intense. We hope to find the courage to persevere and move through this pain. It reminds us of the depth of our love for you.

 

Memories:  Memories of holidays or special days past. Memories for the times we laughed and the times we cried. Memories for the silly things you did and the joy you gave us.

 

Courage: Our courage to comfort our sorrow. Our courage to comfort each other and to change our lives. Our hope for the future, whatever it brings.

 

Love: As we enter this holiday season, day by day we cherish your special place in our hearts that will always be reserved for you. We are warmed by the love we shared together. We thank you for the gift your living has brought to us. We love you always. We will remember you.

 

Jennifer Smolen of CentraCare closed the candle lighting ceremony with a poem.

 

Thank you for the gift of you.

 

You gave us hope just by being you.

 

After the hurting and healing are through. 

 

We’ll treasure most of all, the gift of you.

 

Those candles were placed on a table next to photographs of loved ones who had passed away.

 

That was followed by the bell ringing ceremony. Each time the bell chimed, a name of a loved one was read individually and a family member placed an angel ornament on the tree.

 

Then the lights were turned on the tree, and CentraCare Administrator Mary Ellen Wells gave some closing remarks.

 

“This season is usually filled with joy. I hope this evening helps find that joy for you this season. 

 

As I look under the candles of love, courage, memory and grief, your hearts are filled with many of those feelings. I hope this brings you comfort.”