Children'S Memorial Day

The Christmas Holiday season is perhaps one of the happiest times of the year. Not so for those who have suffered loss, especially the loss of a child. The pain for bereaved families is great and the holiday festivities adds to the level of pain.

On Sunday, December 10, 2017, the Western Diocese will participate in the worldwide commemoration of Children’s Memorial Day. At 7:00PM an outdoor candle-lighting ceremony will take place at the St. Leon Cathedral at the Turpanjian Plaza. With prayers, kind embraces and stories of loved ones, an opportunity is created for families to share their loss or stand in solitude with others who share their plight.

This remembrance is part of a worldwide event organized by the Compassionate Friends, a bereavement support group. In each time zone throughout the world, candlelight services will take place that day, creating a wave of light that circles the globe. In 1997, then President Clinton official named the second Sunday in December as Children’s Memorial Day.

The Armenian Church has organized this unique vigil for the past 20 years, ever since a young girl, Cathia Hamparian, was tragically killed in an auto accident. Her mother, Maria Hamparian speaks of the importance of this memorial, “For a fleeting second, every memory we have came flooding back to us as we saw the flame through tears, transformed it into something magical. This is as close as we can get to our child now.” Others who have participated confessed that the presence of friends at a time like this gives strength and reassurance to family members and emphasizes the power of love.

His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese is pleased to offer this service for the community, in an effort to assist families during the holiday season.

Says Fr. Vazken Movsesian, “Of all the services our church offers, this is the one which we would hope would never increase in participants, but sadly it has.” Accidents, illness, addictions and war are all claiming the lives of the innocent. “At the memorial we remember the names of our children and promise that their light will always shine in our hearts and in our lives." 
 
All families who have suffered through the loss of a child are asked to submit their child’s names for inclusion in the prayer and candlelight service by contacting Maria at forcathia@aol.com or by phone at 626.826.7833. Families are invited to bring a picture of their loved one. The service begins at 7:00PM on Sunday, December 10 at the St Leon Cathedral, 3325 N. Glenoaks Blvd., Burbank, CA 91504. The service is open to all.