About 400 people attended the annual Tree of Remembrance event at Calvary Cemetery on December 5, braving 32-degree weather for a prayer service and tree-lighting ceremony. The gathering offered families and friends a chance to honor deceased loved ones by personalizing ornaments and hanging them on the tree. By the end of the evening, the tree’s branches were filled with these ornaments. Music was provided by the St. Patrick Children’s Choir, who sang Christmas carols during the event.

Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre led the prayer service, telling attendees, “What we do here tonight is something that is incredibly human. It’s human to want some kind of a ritual to remind us, because rituals take over when words really don’t capture everything.”

The event aims to give people an opportunity to remember loved ones in a formal setting during the holiday season. Families are invited to add their own ornaments or pick up free ones from the Catholic Cemeteries office at Calvary Cemetery, located at 1600 Newburg Road. The tree will remain decorated until January 6, after which families can retrieve their ornaments; any remaining will be buried by cemetery staff.