Berthiaume Family Funeral Home of Hawkesbury and Vankleek Hill will be holding a very special celebration. In order to bring moral support to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, a Service In Memory will be held Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 1:30 p.m. at Saint-Pierre-Apôtre Parish, at 470 Main Street East in Hawkesbury.

“The upcoming Christmas season is a very difficult time for those who have suffered a loss, especially if it is their first Christmas without their loved one.  Instead of possessing a sense of peace, often, bereaved people feel alone and isolated during this very special time of the year”, says Yves Berthiaume, Funeral Director at Berthiaume Family Funeral Home.

“The purpose of this Service in Memory is to bring moral support to those who have suffered a loss by reminding them that they are not alone in their grief. It is also a good occasion for our community to remember those who have died”, adds Mr. Berthiaume.

Inter-denominational and bilingual service

This inter-denominational and bilingual service will hold no resemblance to a funeral service.

Upon arrival, every person will receive a candle that will be lit during the ceremony and which he or she will keep in memory of the loved one who has died.  Each participant will also be asked to light another candle which will then be kept at Berthiaume Family Funeral Home and which will be offered to the bereaved families during the following year. This symbolic gesture is to remind the bereaved people that they are not alone.  The person that lit this candle shared the same pain and undertook the same journey.

For this occasion, Berthiaume Family Funeral Home will install a Christmas tree in which the bereaved will be invited to hang a Christmas ornament in memory of their loved one.  At the end of the ceremony, the Christmas tree will be installed at Berthiaume Family Funeral Home, 416 McGill Street in Hawkesbury for the holiday period.

Everyone who lost a loved one is invited to attend. It is not required that Berthiaume Family Funeral Home was entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

Refreshments and fellowship will follow the service.