ESCANABA — Candles will glow Sunday, December 8th when tens of thousands of bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives and friends around the globe will join together to light remembrance candles to honor the memories of children who died but will never be forgotten.

A local observance is planned in Escanaba.

This service started in the United States in 1997 and is now thought to be the largest mass candle lighting in existence today. The first candles are lit in New Zealand at 7 p.m. and move around the globe in each time zone creating a virtual 24-hour wave of light as hundreds of thousands of people commemorate and honor children in a way that transcends ethnic, cultural, religious and political boundaries.

Held annually the second Sunday in December, this 22nd annual Worldwide Candle Lighting is sponsored by The Compassionate Friends (TCF), the nation’s largest self-help bereavement organization for families that have suffered the tragic loss of a child. TCF has more than 600 chapters in the United States with sister organizations in 30 countries around the globe.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting is one way that we try to bring light out of darkness during this difficult time of the year. Like a ring, this circle of light surrounding the globe represents that there is no beginning and no end for the love we carry for our children.

Locally, the Worldwide Candle Lighting will be held on Sunday, December 8th at 1 p.m. in the St. Francis Hospital Chapel located at 3401 Ludington Street in Escanaba.

The service will include special music, readings, poems, the lighting of individuals candles and the reading of deceased children’s names. A sharing time and refreshments will follow the service. The public is invited to join in lighting a candle to remember children who have died. If you cannot join us physically for this event, we ask that you light a candle in your home in memory of our children so “Their Light May Always Shine.”

This event will be hosted by the Bay de Noc Chapter of Compassionate Friends. The candles are lit to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause.

For additional information, call Neil or Betty at 96-786-0477.