Angel Statue of Hope ceremony Dec. 6 in downtown Rockford

Staff Report

Area families are invited to attend the Angel Statue of Hope Candlelight Vigil and Remembrance Ceremony at 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Angel Statue of Hope in Waterside Park at the corner of East State and Water streets in downtown Rockford.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the ceremony, held annually to help heal and comfort those who have lost a child.

The program features vocalist Jodi Beach, testimonials and a time for reflection. Families are encouraged to bring a single white flower to place at the base of the statue.

The bronze Angel Statue is dedicated to the memory of children who have died at any age — during pregnancy, as infants or as older children. Since it was erected in Rockford in May 2003, the Angel Statue of Hope has provided a comforting place for families to mourn and heal beneath the angel’s outstretched wings.

Carved at the angel’s base are the words:

Forever in Our Hearts,

With hope in her wing, may anyone who has ever felt

the loss of a child find this place to mourn and heal.

More than 100 communities have installed similar Angel Statues, inspired by the book A Christmas Box Angel, by Richard Paul Evans. Candlelight ceremonies are held at each of the statues annually on Dec. 6.

For more about the Angel Statue of Hope, contact the Rockford Memorial Development Foundation at (815) 971-4141.

From the Dec. 5-11, 2012, issue