A service for grieving parents and families of children who have died will be held in St Machar’s Cathedral in the Chanonry, Old Aberdeen this Sunday (14th December) at 7pm.
The vigil is one of many being held around the world on this day, which has been initiated by Compassionate Friends (www.compassionatefriends.org) a website community which supports grieving parents, as a special ritual time for parents who have lost children to light candles in remembrance.
The service by Reverend Dr Easter Smart, Chaplain to the University of Aberdeen, will offer time for quiet contemplation, music, readings, the lighting of candles and the reading out of names of the persons to be honoured and remembered.
Anyone who has lost a child of any age is invited to attend the vigil to come and appreciate the peace and company of fellow friends who are grieving.
Entrance to the Cathedral is from 6.50pm and refreshments will be served in the Gatehouse at St Machar's Cathedral following the service.
Reverend Easter Smart said: "The initiative for this service came from a few grieving parents who wanted to light candles for their children along with others grieving children lost. Causes of death are many but the importance of this event is to welcome others and build solidarity at what is already a challengingly difficult time of year for many families for whom the absence of their loved one is always present.
"St Machar's Cathedral is a suitably ancient sacred space to hold this vigil, as its graveyard is full of the graves of children lost to illness, accident, self inflicted harm or war. There are no barriers to anyone who wants to come. The vigil is open to all families who have lost children of any age."