Night of remembrance held at garden

Luminaries For Life campaign and service was held at Saint Francis Medical Center Dec. 18. About 100 community members attended the outdoor service to honor the memory of loved ones. Southeast Missourian

Nearly 100 people attended a Dec. 18 ceremony at the St. Francis Medical Center Healing Garden to honor the memory of loved ones. The ceremony was part of Luminaries for Life, a campaign to benefit specialized services at St. Francis, including the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the center, patient services and charity care for those in need.

The Sisters of Grace, Ruth Masterson, Kathy Haas and Carla Eads, opened the ceremony leading "O Come All Ye Faithful." St. Francis Foundation executive director William H. Keil expressed gratitude for the many Luminaries for Life campaign donations.

The Rev. Paul J. Short of St. Andrew Lutheran Church of Cape Girardeau provided scriptures and prayer; Bonnie McCulley, manager of St. Francis Pastoral Care, led the community in a reflection reading.

Following the service was a time of personal reflection in the Healing Garden.