Since the pandemic began people have had to rearrange the way they live. They have had to bury their loved ones, change the way they shop, and change how they think. People have lost their jobs, students lost having safe schools, people everywhere have lost what little peace of mind they had.
COVID-19 has affected everyone around the world. Now more than ever people have been working hard to stay connected — to feel a little less isolated — especially with all the safety precautions that have been put into place.
Over 20 houses of worship have been planning a way for this to happen. What better way to mourn all of the losses we have endured in the year 2020 than to participate in a candlelight vigil.
The idea is for everyone to unite and mourn peacefully as respect is paid for those who are no longer with us. 
Grieving as one lets people feel less alone. It gives people the strength to see no matter how hard life gets, we are not alone. This idea is called Mourning Into Unity vigils.
A Mourning Into Unity vigil is when synagogues, churches, and mosques across the county host two candlelight vigils outside of their places of worship. This year all of the houses of worship will be holding a candlelight vigil on two successive Mondays, October 12 and the 19th.
Their goal is to unite people of all faiths to mourn all of the devastating losses felt by everyone across the Nation. Sharing in our humanity strengthens the commitment we all feel towards one another and our democracy.
Mourning Into Unity combines the expertise of health professionals who have decades of experience in reducing social violence and leaders in faith who knows collective mourning has extreme healing power.
These experts help the Mourning Project design a vigil that will help bring people some peace. Things may be going as they should be, uniting together helps create a mutual bond for all those who attend. Some believe creating an event to unite one another may help deter the social breakdown everyone is facing.
It is possible that creating an event to mourn the 200,000 plus victims who have lost their lives to this terrible pandemic could reduce some of the crime rates. The vigil also commemorates all of the difficulties humankind has had to face since the start of the pandemic.
Various times and places throughout America have been announced to include everyone in remembering COVID-19 victims. One such place is Saint Agatha Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.
They will be holding their vigils on October 12 and 19, at there facility. The vigil is planned to start at 6 p.m. CST on both nights. Please comply with all safety measures during the peaceful vigil. Come stand together as they mourn all that has been lost due to the virus.
Written by Sheena Robertson
Source:
Let’s Reimagine: About Mourning Into Unity; reimagine
Featured Image Courtesy of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s Flickr Page – Public Domain License
Inline Image Courtesy of KOMUnews’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
