The watchers are returning.
On Nov. 10, Christ Church volunteers will stand in silent vigil at the cenotaph in Chatham.
John Maroney, rector of Christ Church, said organizers are looking for volunteers on Nov. 10 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Remembrance Day from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The Remembrance Day Vigil came to life back in 2017, marking Canada’s 150th birthday. It continued until the pandemic forced a pause.
“Because of Covid, we kind of didn’t do it as much. This year, it will be a scaled down version, just to get back into it,” Maroney said. “Before, people would stand for three hours at a time. Slots are only one hour.”
Volunteers also returned to the cenotaph for the vigil in 2024.
“We just wanted to come back to it as part of our tradition,” Maroney said.
Interest in taking part is growing, and he said spots aren’t restricted to being church members.
“You get a sense of community, a sense of remembrance and a sense of participation,” he said. “You get to stand and contemplate for an hour on why we’re here, and of the sacrifice that was done in the name of freedom. Freedom is not free. It comes at a high price.”
Standing vigil is not about glorifying war, Maroney said.
“It’s too bad we’re remembering war time, but it’s a matter of history. We don’t glorify war; we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
Maroney added the world today is in turmoil.
“(The vigil) is against a backdrop of a world that seems to have gone crazy,” he said. “It’s a sense of doing something that is right.”
Anyone interested in participating in the vigil can call the church between 9 a.m. and noon on weekdays at 519-352-1640.
