On Saturday, Dec. 6, a memorial was held at the Angel of Hope statue in the Santa Maria Cemetery. It is one of several angel monuments across the country. The statue is meant to give grieving parents mourning their children a peaceful place to go, to attempt to heal and remember their lost child.
“It has also given parents and families an opportunity to connect with one another and share their grief,” a press release from Suzanne de St. Jean said. St. Jean is the Angel of Hope contact in Santa Maria.
She said the monuments were inspired by “The Christmas Box Angel,” a book written by Richard Paul Evans telling the story of a woman who mourns the loss of her child at the base of an angel.
At the base of the angel in Santa Maria are memorial bricks placed as a tribute to the memory of a lost child. Miniature keepsake bricks are also available to families. Memorial bricks are available for $100 and the mini bricks are $10 each. Proceeds from the bricks help pay for the annual memorial ceremony, as well as keepsake booklets that include each child’s name. The funds also pay for flowers, which are placed in the angel’s arms and around the site.
Each family received a keepsake booklet during the Dec. 6 memorial, as well as a carnation to leave at the site.
The project is promoted by bereaved parents in conjunction with the Calvary Chapel Santa Maria Bereavement Ministry and the Santa Maria Cemetery. For more information, contact St. Jean at 925-2195, or angelofhopesantamariaca@gmail.com.
Managing Editor Camillia Lanham compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via email at clanham@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2014.