Posted on 22 November 2010.
Submitted by JoAnn Stein
The death of a child at any age is devastating. The darkness that sets in when a child has died is all too well known to families who have lost a child. This year, St. Alphonsus Catholic Church will once again provide the opportunity for grieving families and their friends to come together on Sunday, December 12 to celebrate the life, love and light of those children gone much too soon. This candle light service will symbolize that the light of these precious children will forever be held in our hearts.
If you have lost a child or know of someone who has please call JoAnn at the Church Office, 261-4650, so that we can personally invite them to this service.
The following was written by parishioner Glenn Jarreau about last year's service:
I remember the memorial service for our children.
A song keeps running through my mind, “Here without You”. This is so true. I am here without my oldest daughter. I am here without my son.
The memorial service last year, the evening, those few hours, I know now they were here with me. Many others were there that night too. They came to see their families, their parents, to share a time set aside.
It was intimate. It was painful. It was healing.
There is something special about gathering together, many families gathering to remember, to remember good things, to put aside the unpleasant memories, the painful memories of our children passing from this world.
A roll call, too many names, too many left behind with only memories now. Not able to reach out and touch, not able to see, not able to hear. But one evening, one brief period to touch, to see, to hear again with our hearts.
They came to us that night, our Children. They came to celebrate their time with us, to remember with us and to feel our love for them and to let us feel their love for us. I know I felt my children’s love.
So many, so many gone from us now, some very young, many older.
My Mother-in-Law mourns for her only child, her child who became a wife and a mother herself who before passing from this life mourned the loss along with me of two of our children. Through the memorial service my wife’s Mother, and myself celebrated their lives and the time they were with us in this world.
I think about the generations that will not be born to this world because my children died so young. I think about what my children would be doing today. Would they have gone to college? Would they be working? Would they be struggling with life? Would they have found their soul mate?
I think about why they came into this world? What lessons are to be learned from their brief lives on this earth? Where they here to strengthen my marriage through loss?
There is power in the spoken word, to hear your child’s name clearly spoken to announce their presence to all gathered
There is power in the visible symbol of the candles as they are lit one by one as a witness to a life lived in this world, to a life still being lived in the safe place known to God, out of our view and for now, out of our reach.
There is power in the music of the memorial to let the well-spring of emotions manifests itself in tears, stories, and smiles. The music binds us to our children, gone from us now.
There is power in many souls gathering on both sides of this world for the singular purpose to be as one with each other, our children and our God.
There is healing in the pain that came with this memorial.
I encourage all who have lost children to consider making the next move. Come celebrate a life lived in this world, one that continues to be lived in eternity.
Our children are truly “Here with Us”
May God Bring Comfort to Those That Have Lost,
Glenn Jarreau
If you or a loved one or a friend has lost a child, then consider joining us or have your loved one or friends name submitted to the St Alphonsus church office. A special invitation will be sent to invite them to our upcoming memorial service, on Sunday, December 12, at 7:00 PM, to celebrate our children who are no longer with us.
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