Grieve, honor, heal at Ceremony of Remembrance on Saturday

Devin Weeks Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month AGO

DEVIN WEEKS/Press file Many who attend the Ceremony of Remembrance in Lake City Church choose to write the names of loved ones who have passed on ornaments and place then on Christmas trees as their loved ones’ names are spoken aloud. The 16th annual Ceremony of Remembrance will be held Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

COEUR d’ALENE — The holidays aren't always the most wonderful time of the year, especially for those experiencing heartache.

The Ceremony of Remembrance gives those who are suffering a place to face that grief, share it and work through the season with their heads held a little higher.

"This season is so difficult for people in grief," Ceremony of Remembrance organizer Joanie Dwyer said Wednesday. "When people realize that grief is what’s right with us, not what’s wrong with us, it's literally the path that will take us to the healing from the pain of loss."

In its 16th year, the Ceremony of Remembrance provides a comfortable space for anyone in the community to honor loved ones who have died, whether recently or long ago, and to see their names written on keepsake ornaments and to hear their names spoken aloud.

"There’s something about being able to hear the name of the person you love," Dwyer said. "Everything changes when somebody dies, but the name doesn't. That’s why I put my grandparents’ names; it’s not just their names, it’s the whole person and what they meant to me. It fills up my soul again."

Guest speakers Rodney and Traci Wright work with Pure Desire, a ministry that helps to restore broken marriages and establish healthy relationships. In their previous season of pastoral ministry, Rodney oversaw Lake City Church's Care Ministries for 18 years. Traci was the director of counselors at Union Gospel Mission. Rod and Traci have counseled and helped many grieving families through the passing of loved ones.

"It’s a safe place where you can have your feelings as little or as big as you want," Dwyer said. "Everybody understands, and it’s very comforting."

The ceremony will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at Lake City Church, 6000 N. Ramsey Road, Coeur d'Alene. It is free and open to everyone and will include a self-serve continental breakfast.

People are welcome to drop in, or they are welcome to register to provide their loved ones' names and number of people attending at www.lakecity.church/ceremony or call 208-676-0632.