The service will start promptly by 2.30pm in the church sanctuary. Refreshements will be held in the Fellowship Hall until 5.00pm

Refreshments must be dropped off before 1:00 pm.

Service will start promptly at 2:30 pm. in the church rectory After Service, refreshments will be in the Fellowship Hall until 5:00 pm.

Each family who chooses to participate will be given one drip protected candle which will be lighted during this very special memorial service as you say your child’s, sibling’s or grandchild’s name.

BRING ANY SPECIAL OR BUTTERFLY ORNAMENT TO HANG ON OUR TREE

Please mark your child’s name on the ornament Be sure to take your ornament home with you. After the Candlelight, refreshments will be served. You may bring any hors d’oeuvres, salads, or desserts, etc. in honor of your child, children, siblings or grandchild.

(NOTHING THAT NEEDS HEATED)

All Parents, Siblings, Grandparents, & Relatives , and friends are welcome. This is a time for all of us to remember our children. Even if you have never attended a TCF meeting, we encourage you to come to this very special event. The Holiday Candlelight Memorial is an annual event to honor our children who have died. It is a service that includes music, poetry, words of hope and as our child’s name is read, we light a candle in his/her memory. The service is very beautiful. We are pleased to offer the opportunity to each of you to share with us as we acknowledge the Holiday Season with a candlelighting experience dedicated to the memories of our children, siblings, grandchildren of any age, who have died before us. This service is meant to be a celebration of our love for them, not their death.

This year marks the much anticipated 15th anniversary of The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candlelighting.
In 1997 a group of internet volunteers from The Compassionate Friends conceived the idea to create a virtal day of remembrance - a special day to honor and pay tribute to children everywhere who have died, but not forgotten. Every year on the second Sunday candles are lit for one hour local time around the globe, producing a wave of light that will encircle the earth. As candles burn down in one time zone, it becomes 7:00pm in the next zone and so on creating a 24 hour memorial.

Our Pittsburgh Chapter Candlelighting is also on Sunday, December 11, 2011. However, many of our members will light another candle at 7:00 pm, at home, thereby joining all the other chapters around the world. Extended chat rooms will be available on this day. You are also invited and encouraged to post a memorial message on December 11th to the message board on the national website at www.compassionatefriends.org.

THERE WILL NOT BE ANY SPECIAL SHARING AFTER THE CANDLELIGHT SERVICE