East Central Reporter

HSHS Home Care is inviting community members to attend butterfly release ceremonies at several Hospital Sisters Health System hospitals across central Illinois this May and June. These events will take place at the following locations and dates:

- HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham: Thursday, May 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Healing Garden.

- HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur: Tuesday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the Cancer Center Garden.

- HSHS St. Francis Hospital, Litchfield: Wednesday, May 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the circle drive by St. Francis statue.

- HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital, Shelbyville: Thursday, May 29, at 4 p.m. in the Healing Garden.

- HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield: Thursday, June 5, at 5:30 p.m., Pavilion Garden.

These ceremonies are an opportunity for family and friends to honor and remember loved ones who have passed away. The events will include the reading of names of those being remembered, followed by a butterfly release.

Valerie Engelbart, Bereavement Services Supervisor for HSHS Home Care, said, “These butterfly release ceremonies provide a special time for families in our communities to honor their loved ones. The butterfly represents the transformation of the spirit as our loved ones transition from this life. As we release butterflies together, we celebrate the lives that have touched our hearts and find comfort in our shared experiences of love and loss.”

Participants can opt to release a butterfly to honor a loved one by reserving a butterfly for $15, with payment due before the ceremony. To reserve a butterfly or RSVP for the event, attendees can contact Valerie Engelbart via call or text at 217-685-0702 or email [email protected]. Online reservations can be made at giving.hshs.org/sae/donate by selecting “Hospice/Everlasting Memories/Butterfly Release” under the designation section and including the name of the loved one under the tribute gift section.