KAPAIA — Immaculate Conception Church Deacon Duke Kane said on Monday night that “if you hold a loved one’s memory close to your heart, there won’t be any empty chairs.”
Kane’s quote alluded to the growing number of empty seats during family gatherings, such as Thanksgiving and the holidays, as people pass on.
“Tonight, we offer you the opportunity to honor and acknowledge the memory of someone who touched your life,” said Kaua‘i Hospice in its program during the Candle Lighting Memorial at Immaculate Conception Church. “By lighting a candle and hearing your loved one’s name read, we stand together to support one another through our grief and loss.”
More than a hundred people, including families and participating groups like the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School choir and its director Elias Gonzales, gathered and lit candles within the spacious interior of the church in Kapaia.
Kaua‘i Hospice invited anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one, regardless of when that death occurred, to attend the annual candle lighting memorial and to light a candle in memory of a loved one.
“I can’t forget my mother and father,” said Ron Wiley, who assisted Kaua‘i Hospice executive director Tricia Yamashita with the reciting of names submitted by people attending the candle lighting. Wiley and Yamashita concluded the name reading by lighting their own candles.
Kaua‘i Hospice said an ancient African saying is, “There is no way out of the desert except through it.”
“Understanding the lay of the land, the terrain of grief, allows us to travel our own route, choose our own landmarks and move forward at our own speed,” Kaua‘i Hospice said. “Grief is a journey navigated by our own experiences, culture and faith. Kaua‘i Hospice wants you to know that you are not alone.”
Following the candle lighting memorial, Kaua‘i Hospice, with support from Matson, will present the candle lighting memorial on Dec. 7 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Hanapepe Hawaiian Congregational Church.
The final candle lighting memorial will be held on Dec. 11 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Saint Sylvester Catholic Church in Kilauea.
In addition to candle lighting, loved ones may be remembered by ordering Lanterns of Love through the Kaua‘i Hospice website.
The Fourth annual Lanterns of Love will be illuminated from Dec. 15 through Jan. 15, 2024, at the Harry &Jeanette Weinberg Center for Compassion on Pahe‘e Street in Lihu‘e.
Everyone is invited to enjoy the strings of lanterns that circle the Center for Compassion from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
For information, visit www.kauaihospice.org.
