Christ Church is bringing back its Remembrance Day Vigil at the cenotaph in downtown Chatham.
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Citizens and groups, such as Scouts and Mason members, have signed up to stand vigil at the cenotaph beginning Sunday, Nov. 10, leading into the Remembrance Day ceremony on Monday, Nov. 11, said Rev. John Maroney.
The pastor said the COVID-19 pandemic “knocked us out” following the last vigil held November 2019 and it has taken some time to regroup.
“We are the spiritual home of the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment and I thought we had an obligation to restart this as a way of saying ‘We will not forget,’” Maroney said.
He recalled the first vigil held by Christ Church took place night and day for 150 hours in 2017 in honor of Canada’s 150th years as a nation.
People will be standing vigil at the cenotaph to show respect for those who served Canada from 9 am to 7 pm on Nov. 10 and from 7 am to 10 am on Nov. 11.
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Those interested in standing vigil can call the church at 519-352-1640 to register. Families, organizations and businesses are encouraged to participate.
Maroney said slots filled up fast, but if more people want to take part, they will be divided into 30-minute time slots.
The pastor said for those taking part in the vigil “it’s just a matter of standing with respect, with silence, in contemplation and deep remembrance of what happened before so we could be here today.
“This is something visceral. It’s not just looking in a history book you actually become a participant in remembrance.”
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