GREENWICH — Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport will once again light a Remembrance Tree during the Christmas season in honor of loved ones who have died.
The annual tree lighting and blessing on December 5 from 5 to 7 pm regularly brings several hundred people to St. Mary-Putnam Cemetery and has been described as an occasion of sadness and joy.
All families in the community who have experienced the loss of loved ones are invited to the lighting of the 12-foot-tall tree, so they can be honored during the holiday season. For those who do not bring ornaments, complimentary ones are provided.
“The Tree of Remembrance has quickly become an event that families look forward to each year as part of their holiday tradition,” said Family Advisor Jenine Berardesca. “It is an opportunity for them to recognize and honor their loved ones during what can be a very difficult time of year. When we planted the tree, we did not realize how much it would come to mean to families, and the real surprise was we did not know how much the event would mean to all of us. We anticipated the tears. What we did not anticipate was the joy of the event.”
“Each year I look forward to this beautiful event,” said Carolyn Killian, Director of Bereavement. “The energy is so positive and uplifting. I have tried to figure it out, and I would stop and ask, ‘How can this be? A few hundred people come together on a dark December night in a cemetery, and we are somehow lifted up.’ I realize that Christ wants us to heal, and so do our loved ones, waiting for us on the other side.”
She said that coming together in this sacred place to hang an ornament on a blessed tree in memory of someone we dearly loved and lost is a healing and life-affirming experience.
Berardesca said that the lighting will take place at 6 pm. Caffe Bon of Greenwich will provide refreshments, and there will be music. The event is open to the public and people of all denominations are invited. Also, the person being remembered with an ornament does not have to be buried at St. Mary-Putnam.
“We will have ornaments available at the cemetery office starting in November for those who would like to come in before the event and make an ornament ahead of time or who cannot come in person,” Berardesca said. “Families are welcome to bring their own ornaments as well, but we ask that it is nothing of sentimental or financial value because the ornaments are not returned.”
The tree, which will stay up throughout the Christmas season, gives the community an opportunity to acknowledge their loved ones during a time of year that is especially difficult for those who have a loss, she said.
Berardesca, who conceived of the idea, said the tree was donated in 2021 by Carla Pereira after the loss of her husband Dino. This is the third observance, and Carla and her daughter Mandy have volunteered every year, assisting families with making ornaments.