Ringwood offers a light in the darkness for those in mourning
- deansimpson7
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
BY LERISSE SMITH
The Christmas season can often sparkle with merriment and mistletoe for those who embrace and love the festive occasion – yet for those mourning lost loved ones, it can feel quietly cloaked in sorrow.
However, a light of remembrance is offering warmth and peace.
This year’s Christmas Remembrance Service at Victoria’s Ringwood Corps on Sunday (30 November) is providing a light amidst the darkness, inviting the community to remember, reflect, and celebrate the lives of family members or friends they have lost during the year.
The service is centred on people placing stars (with the name of their loved one) on an unlit Christmas tree, which is then lit. The names of those who have been lost are then read in their memory.
“It is the highlight of my Christmas,” said Major Bram Cassidy, Ringwood Corps Officer. “I do a lot of things at Christmas time. This is the thing that gives me the greatest meaning.”
Bram clearly remembers the day back in 2000 as the then Mooroolbark Corps Officer, attending a Remembrance Service for those who had lost loved ones hosted by a local funeral director.
“I remember asking Ian if I could come (to a service) and have a look?” he recalled. “Ian graciously said yes. So, I took my pastoral care worker with me, and we looked at it, and I said to her, “This is something we should be doing.”
Since then, Bram has conducted the service across multiple corps, including Mooroolbark, Waverley, Box Hill, and most recently Ringwood. Along the way, he has shared the model of service with fellow corps officers both locally and nationally.
A motivating force behind the special service is that Bram strongly believes the Christian church can offer something deeper and more meaningful than just a secular service: “We can project hope and the presence of God.”
At the heart of the 45-minute service is the Remembrance tree placed in the centre of the room, a symbol of the lives being remembered.
Upon arrival, attendees select a star and write the name of their loved one or a personal message. Attendees are then invited to place their stars on the tree and pause for reflection or prayer. The unlit tree is then lit.
The atmosphere is intentionally subdued. Low lighting and some quiet carols create a reflective space.
Bram ensures that anyone who has lost a loved one, whether a family member or a friend, during the year receives a personal invitation. He makes a special note from both funerals he conducts himself, and hearing about the passing of others. If people in the community hear about the service and have lost a loved one, they are invited too.
“Even though people may not know each other, there's this amazing bond that happens because we are all there to remember someone,” he explained. “So that itself creates a real, powerful atmosphere.”
An honour roll is also a significant component of the service, during which the names are read aloud.
Music also carries the emotional depth of the service.
One song, in particular, Melinda Schneider’s Wish You Were Here, has become a permanent and special fixture.
Written for her father before he died of lung cancer, the song captures the pain and poignancy of remembering someone absent. Bram plays it just ahead of the dressing of the tree because he wants people to feel and allow themselves to acknowledge their loss.
“I want them to acknowledge I do miss my loved one … because that’s where healing can begin,” he emphasised.
“So, we acknowledge the hurt, we acknowledge the pain. And then gently, we light the tree. It gives me just a moment or two to speak about hope and the fact that God is with us in our grief.
The service then concludes with a Christmas-themed supper offering mince pies, Christmas cake and coffee.
For some, the event is emotionally intense, and they leave immediately; for others, the supper offers a chance to connect and share stories. But support is always the top priority.
Timing is also deliberate.
The service is held on Sunday (30 November) during the first week of Advent. For those unable to attend, the star-laden tree is placed in the church foyer, where people can add a name throughout the Christmas season. On Christmas morning, the Remembrance tree is brought back into the chapel, where people are encouraged to pause and pray for people who will be doing it tough.
The service model is something Bram has intentionally developed so it can be shared freely and without restriction with others. He welcomes corps to embrace it if they choose to.
