Preparing the Remembrance Tree

Ideas are great!  They abound in some cases, and this is indeed a good thing.  New ideas bring new opportunities for life to be celebrated, and this place is certainly no stranger to new ideas.

Last year at this time, I started sending a letter to all the families with which we had celebrated a funeral during the previous year ... just a little way of letting them know that we haven't forgotten about them.  Christmas can be a difficult time for those who are mourning.

This year, we will introduce what I'm calling a Remembrance Tree.  Over the past year, we have celebrated baptisms, weddings and funerals.  We have helped little ones to discover the mercy of forgiveness and the ultimate gift of the Eucharist.  All these moments (and there were a fair number of them since January 1) will be commemorated this year.

There's a tree set up not far from the manger scene.  This tree will hold particularly chosen ornaments for every baptism, for every child who celebrated First Reconciliation and First Eucharist this year, for every young adult who confirmed his or her faith here,  for every couple who celebrated their weddings here, for every soul who has been reunited with our God, and for whom we celebrated a funeral here.

As of tonight, the ornaments are now ready.  Each one bears the name of one of those who has celebrated with us, and when the Christmas festivities are complete, individuals and their families will be invited to take these tokens home with them.