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December 10, 2023

memorial-wall-btnWorldwide Candle Lighting Memorial Service

The Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting on the 2nd Sunday in December unites family and friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon. As candles are lit on December 10th, 2023 at 7:00 pm local time, hundreds of thousands of people commemorate and honor the memory of all children gone too soon.

Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the annual Worldwide Candle Lighting (WCL), a gift to the bereavement community from The Compassionate Friends, creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. TCF’s WCL started in the United States in 1997 as a small internet observance and has since swelled in numbers as word has spread throughout the world of the remembrance. Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held, and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes, as families gather in quiet remembrance of children who have died and will never be forgotten.

Add a Candle Lighting Program

IMPORTANT: If you attempt to submit your candle lighting service and we do not contact you or your service is not listed within 48 hours, please contact kathiek@compassionatefriends.org.

We also will be holding a virtual candle lighting for those who would prefer to attend virtually. We will have four programs in the
Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones.

Register below for your time zone.

Virtual Worldwide Candle Lighting

Every year you are invited to post a message in the Remembrance Book which will be available, during the event, at TCF’s national website. The Remembrance Book will be open to post a message Thursday, December 1st, through Friday, December 16th. Photos can be posted on our Worldwide Candle Lighting Facebook page.

The Compassionate Friends and allied organizations are joined by local bereavement groups, churches, funeral homes, hospitals, hospices, children’s gardens, schools, cemeteries, and community centers. Services have ranged in size from just a few people to nearly a thousand.

Click on your state below to view Worldwide Candle Lighting events in your area.

View International Countries
If you do not see a candle lighting program in your area, contact your local chapter to see if they are planning a program. Find a chapter.

Florida

Lakeland

Lakeland – Polk County Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:00 PM
Location:

Redeemer Presbyterian Church
1520 W. Pipkin Road
Lakeland, FL 33801

Highlights:

Reading of children, grandchildren, and sibling names.
Tribute video of our children/grandchildren/siblingschildren/grandchildren/siblings

Bring:

Picture of children/grandchildren/siblings with the children/grandchildren/sibling named on pictures.

Special Events (after):

Snacks provided by the chapter

Contact:
Steve Pleima
Email:
tcflakelandfl@gmail.com

Jacksonville

Orange Park-Jacksonville Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:30 PM
Location:

Southside United Methodist Church
3120 Hendricks Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Highlights:

After the lighting of our candles each member who wishes to do so can read a poem then we will have our slideshow.

Bring:

Bring a picture of your loved one for our memory table.

Special Events (before):

Our ceremony starts promptly at 6:30 PM, please make sure you are at the Church and sitting in the sanctuary by 6:15 PM.

Special Events (after):

After the ceremony at about 7:30 PM, we will have a potluck dinner. Please contact Pam Dampier 904-562-0530 if you wish to bring a dish.

Contact:
Pam Dampier
Telephone:
904-562-0530
Email:
pdampier65@gmail.com
Additional:

A fundraising table of craft items will be available, please stop by her table and feel free to shop.

Jacksonville

Orange Park-Jacksonville Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:30 PM
Location:

Southside United Methodist Church
3120 Hendricks Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32207

Highlights:

After the lighting of our candles each member who wishes to do so can read a poem then we will have our slideshow.

Bring:

Bring a picture of your loved one for our memory table.

Special Events (before):

Our ceremony starts promptly at 6:30 PM, please make sure you are at the church and sitting in the sanctuary by 6:15 PM.

Special Events (after):

After the ceremony at about 7:30 PM we will have a potluck dinner. Please contact Pam Dampier 904-562-0530 if you wish to bring a dish.

Contact:
Pam Dampier
Telephone:
904-562-0530
Email:
pdampier65@gmail.com
Additional:

Christy is bringing craft items to sell as a fundraiser please stop by her table and feel free to shop..

Clearwater

Pinellas County Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:30 PM
Location:

Good Samaritan Episcopal Church – 2165 NE Coachman Rd., Clearwater, Florida 33765

Highlights:

A video presentation, special music and reading of the names as you light your children, grandchildren, and siblings’ candles. A keepsake ornament will also be given to the family.

Bring:

A dish to share for the reception after the program.

Special Events (before):

Video presentation

Special Events (after):

A gathering will be held in the fellowship area. Please bring a dish to share. No desserts, a cake will be provided.

Contact:
Christie Potts
Telephone:
727-623-1234
Email:
jjjjcm@aol.com

Bonita Springs

Southwest Florida Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 5:30 PM
Location:

28388 Beaumont Road, Bonita Springs, FL 34134
Parish Life Center @ St. Leo the Great Catholic Church
Behind the Bonita Boat Center, on the West side of 41, Foley Rd turns into Beaumont Rd. The Parrish Life Center is the round building located at the far south end of the complex. There should be signs directing you to the correct building.

Highlights:

This is a beautiful, personalized program where we display your loved one’s photo as we read their names allowing the family to stand and light their (battery operated) candle.

We share a “light” meal together starting at 5:30 PM, then at 6:45 PM we start the “Program” so you can come at any time prior to 6:45 PM.

Bring:

Please bring a photo of your loved one that can be displayed on our “Gallery of Remembrance” table (please remember to take them home) a dish to share (maybe something that was a favorite of your loved one),

Special Events (before):

There is a “light” dinner from 5:30 PM until 6:40 PM. The Chapter will provide pizza and chicken, we are asking people to bring things to share in disposable dishes.

Special Events (after):

The Slide Show will be on a continuous loop but we can stop it and pull up your loved one so you may take photos.

Contact:
Linda Wallace
Telephone:
612-812-0186
Email:
info@tcfswfl.org
Additional:

This Candle Lighting is also offered Virtually. Please email us at info@tcfswfl.org to obtain the link & provide us with your information. We will be holding a practice Zoom on Saturday, December 9, time -TBD to make sure everyone knows how it will work.

Cocoa Beach

Space Coast Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 5:30-7:30 PM
Location:

Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 525 Minutemen. Causeway, Cocoa Beach Florida 32931

Highlights:

Slide show with music, readings, lighting of special candles, lighting of individual candles while children, grandchildren, and sibling names will be read.

Bring:

Bring an appetizer or dessert for social time before the ceremony.

Special Events (before):

5:30-6:15 PM sharing time with light food. Ceremony starts precisely at 6:15 PM.

Contact:
Mary Lane
Telephone:
321-442-3540
Email:
izzinmac@icloud.com
Additional:

Contact us before December 1st if you want a slide with your child, grandchild, and sibling pictures. Up to 5 pictures. Email pictures to izzinmac@icloud.com.

Davie

St. Bonaventure Church

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:15 PM
Location:

1301 SW 136th Ave
Davie, FL 33325

Highlights:

Program will feature readings, poems, and live music and each family will receive an angel ornament and program.

Bring:

Attendees should bring a candle. If not able to bring a candle, one will be provided.

Special Events (before):

Sharing time prior to program

Special Events (after):

There will be a Holiday Choral Concert immediately following the Candle Lighting.

Contact:
Sue McCrea
Telephone:
(954) 476-5204
Email:
redirector@stbonaventurechurch.com
Additional:

Link for live stream. Can be viewed live or any time after
https://www.stbonaventurechurch.com/candlelight

Tallahassee

Tallahassee Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:45 PM
Location:

St Stephen Lutheran Church
Sanctuary & Fellowship Hall
2198 N Meridian Rd
Tallahassee, FL 32303

Highlights:

This is a beautiful program that includes music, reading of poems, lighting of special candles, and a remembrance slide show of our children, grandchildren, and siblings, allowing families to stand and light their candles as their names are read. Each family will receive an angel gift.

Special Events (before):

Our program starts promptly at 6:45 PM, please make sure you are seated in the sanctuary by start time.

Special Events (after):

The program in the sanctuary usually lasts about 40 minutes, after which we will move into the fellowship hall to mingle and share some sweet refreshments, and send the wave of light to the next time zone at 8:00 PM.

Contact:
Becky Barch
Telephone:
850-296-8413
Email:
tcfot@yahoo.com
Additional:

Contact us before December 6th if you plan to attend and want a slide with your children, grandchildren, and siblings pictures. Email photo to tcfot@yahoo.com. Candles will be provided.

Vero Beach

TCF Indian River Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 7 PM
Location:

First Church of the Nazarene
1280 27th Avenue
Vero Beach, FL

Highlights:

We will have readings and special music and a slide show of our children, grandchildren, and siblings.

Bring:

Attendees do not need to bring anything.

Special Events (after):

We will have a sharing time after the service, refreshments will be served and each family will receive a butterfly gift.

Contact:
Gina Wattles
Telephone:
772-321-6680
Email:
hwkwnd@aol.com

The Villages

TCF of Central Florida

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 7:00 PM
Location:

St Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, 7801 SE HWY 42, Summerfield, FL

Highlights:

Poems, Songs. Children’s Tribute, You will be given a candle that you can light and say your child’s name. Friends and other family members are welcome. The program starts promptly and 7pm

Bring:

Candles will be provided.

Contact:
Richard R Bauer
Telephone:
312-307-0072
Email:
rbjbvirgil@aol.com
Additional:

For more information, call or email 352-753-2370 or rbjbvirgil@aol.com

Pensacola

TCF of Pensacola

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 7:00 PM
Location:

Holy Cross Episcopal Church
7979 N. 9th Avenue, Pensacola, Florida 32514, USA

Highlights:

There will be a picture slide show of our children, grandchildren, and siblings. We will be sharing a memory of our children, grandchildren, and siblings if you wish to share.

Bring:

Bring your favorite dish
Send pictures to tcfpensacola@yahoo.com to include in the slide show

Special Events (before):

Please arrive about 6:30-6:45 PM

Special Events (after):

There will be a dinner immediately following the ceremony

Contact:
Debbie Zabukovec or Dawn Underwood
Telephone:
850-516-0810 or 850-630-7989
Email:
tcfpensacola@yahoo.com

Volusia and Glahkef

Volusia/Flagler Chapter

Date & Time:
December 10, 2023 - 6:00 PM
Location:

Compassionate friends candle lighting

🌹See Below for our local Candle Lighting Event at Daytona Beach (address below) as we join internationally🌹

❤️Please join The Compassionate Friends of Volusia/Flagler Counties as we commemorate and honor our loved ones!

🌹On this very special evening. “In memory of all children, grandchildren, and siblings in our community and worldwide, who have passed, so that their light continues to shine.”

❤️December 10th 2023 6:00 to ?
Place: 3602 Cardinal Blvd.
Daytona Beach.

Parking: At Lori’s Home
Down the street at beach
711 Convenience store close by

Please bring appetizers and deserts or healthy snacks

If your last name begins with please bring:

A-I bring an Appetizer

J-S bring a desert

T-Z bring a healthy desert or appetizer

Thank you Lori Bernstein for agreeing to have this at your home just a short walk from the Ocean

Reservations are not required

Please bring outdoor chairs, flashlights, and jackets! We will be going to the beach for part of this and it will be chilly.

Note: Please bring umbrellas in case of rain. This event will be cancelled in heavy rain.

You and your family are invited to bring pictures, photo albums, letters or poems if you like.

🌹For all our family and friends who can’t be here with us personally, please light at candle this Sunday at 7:00 pm. You are united with us and the world. For all our parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters who have experience the passing of a loved ones and can’t be with us. There is a virtual candle lighting I will post.🌹. If I can get someone to complete a Facebook live for ours, I will. 🌹

Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, the Worldwide Candle Lighting,
creates a virtual 24-hour wave of light as it moves from time zone to time zone. This event started in the United States in 1997 as a small internet observance and has since swelled in numbers as word has spread throughout the world.

Hundreds of formal candle lighting events are held, and thousands of informal candle lightings are conducted in homes. As families gather in quiet remembrance of children, grandchildren, and siblings who have passed but will never be forgotten.

The Worldwide Candle Lighting gives bereaved families everywhere the opportunity to remember their child(ren), grandchild(ren), and sibling(s) so that their lights may always shine!

For questions ( not answered here) please text Joan at (201) 966-4861.

Patricia Armor (Trish)

Bring:

Picture of child(ren), grandchild(ren), and sibling(s), an appetizer or desert

Special Events (after):

Snacks

Contact:
Joan Perretti
Telephone:
Joan at (201) 966-4861
Email:
trisharmor@outlook.com
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