HSHS Home Care announced on May 7 that it will hold butterfly release ceremonies at several Hospital Sisters Health System hospitals across central Illinois this month. The events are scheduled for HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham, HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield, HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital in Shelbyville, and HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
The ceremonies offer an opportunity for families and friends to remember loved ones who have passed away. Each event will include the reading of names being honored 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 choose to personally release a butterfly by reserving one for $15 prior to the ceremony. Reservations can be made by contacting Engelbart via phone or email or online through giving.hshs.org/sae/donate with specific instructions provided.
St. Anthony Memorial Hospital is among those hosting a ceremony and provides comprehensive health care services as a full-service community hospital offering treatments such as cardiac care and orthopedic surgery to residents of south-central Illinois; it has maintained health services for more than 150 years as a not-for-profit organization according to the official website. The hospital combines over a century of compassionate care with modern medical technology while upholding Franciscan values of respect and dignity; it operates as an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System with multiple outpatient facilities and specialty centers serving nearly 200,000 residents according to the official website.
