December 2, 2025
Tree of Remembrance scheduled at cemetery
Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport will once again light a Remembrance Tree at St. Mary-Putnam Cemetery during the Advent and Christmas seasons in honor of loved ones who have passed.
The annual tree lighting and blessing on Thursday, December 4 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. regularly brings several hundred people to St. Mary-Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich and has been described as an occasion of sadness and joy.
“The public is invited to join us for the lighting of the Remembrance Tree, which will include a special blessing, music, and complimentary refreshments,” said Carolyn Killian, Director of Bereavement for Catholic Cemeteries of the Diocese of Bridgeport. “This is a family friendly event, and the lighting is open to all families in the community who have experienced a loss and wish to honor a loved one during the holiday season, regardless of whether your loved one is buried with us or not.”
The tree will be located at 399 North Street in Greenwich, Conn., opposite the mausoleum. Individuals and families may bring their own ornament to the cemetery office at 35 Parsonage Road to be placed on the tree, or they may choose a complimentary ornament in honor of their loved one. Ornaments will also be available the evening of the lighting. Families should not bring ornaments that have financial or sentimental value because they will not be returned. The tree will be available to the public beginning Monday, December 1, 2025 and will remain up through the holidays.
“Each year I look forward to this beautiful event,” Killian said. “The energy is so positive. A few hundred people come together on a dark December night in a cemetery, and we are somehow lifted up.’ I realize that Christ wants us to heal, and so do our loved ones, waiting for us on the other side.”
Caffe Bon of Greenwich will provide refreshments, and there will be music. The event is open to the community, and people of all denominations are invited. The person being remembered with an ornament does not have to be buried at St. Mary-Putnam
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