Memorial service honours loved ones

SPIRITUAL CARE SERVICE HELD AT CHINOOK REGIONAL HOSPITAL

The holiday season can be a lonely time for anyone who has lost a loved one over the past year. Spiritual Care at the Chinook Regional Hospital held their annual memorial service over the weekend, to help individuals and families grieve their loss with a group of people experiencing the same situations.

The memorial service at the hospital is welcoming to everyone to come together to remember their lost loved one, no matter what religious or cultural background you may come from.

“We invite family members who have lost a loved one over the past year here at the hospital in Lethbridge and at other hospitals in south zone to come and remember their loved one,” says John Moerman, Senior Chaplain for Chinook Regional Hospital and Alberta Health Services.

“We recognize that Christmas and the holiday season can be a difficult time for people, so we offer an opportunity for them to come to the hospital, attend the service, hear some beautiful music, hear some sharing of grief and loss and encouragement.”

Those who attended the event were able to write the name of their loved on who died on a card, and read during the ceremony. The service included an aboriginal prayer, a local harpist, representatives from the Jewish, Buddhist and other communities to create an all inclusive service.

“It is important for people to remember their loved ones, and for many of them this is their first loss,” says Moerman. “We have a large group of people who come, so people can realize that they aren’t alone. It doesn’t normalize the situation, but it helps them realize that they can still be together at a time like this.”

Creating a sense of community, the service provided a strong message about the process of grief, loss, healing and hope for when someone deals with the loss of their loved one. Similar services were held at various hospitals throughout southern Alberta to help individuals through the holiday season without their loved one. The next Spiritual Care memorial service, will take place in Dec. 2019.