Compassionate Friends to hold candle lighting service Dec. 9

The Lighthouse Chapter of The Compassionate Friends will participate in the annual Worldwide Candle Lighting with a service at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach. This service transcends all ethnic, cultural, religious and political boundaries, and includes music, inspirational readings and a guest speaker. All loved ones are welcome.

When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or daughter, a brother or sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.

Those who wish to attend this special event and have their children’s names read aloud during the service are asked to register beginning at 6 p.m. The service begins at 6:30 p.m. The candle lighting part of the service to honor each child will take place at 7 p.m., to coincide with the mass candle lighting to circle the globe.

The candle lighting will begin in New Zealand and then move westward through each time zone as tens of thousands of bereaved parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives and friends around the globe join together to light remembrance candles to honor their children who have died but will never be forgotten.

For more information or to preregister, contact Jill Hicks, co-leader of the Lighthouse Chapter of The Compassionate Friends, at LighthouseTCF@gmail.com. By preregistering, families can add their child’s picture to a slide show that will be featured during the candle lighting. An ornament will be placed on the tree in memory of each family’s child. Ornaments will be available for pickup after the service.

The Lighthouse Chapter of The Compassionate Friends meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of every month at Epworth Church.