Celebration of Life – Memorial Service and Butterfly Release
Date: Thursday, June 23
Time: Afternoon beginning at 2:30pm
Location: Chapel and Courtyard
We will be celebrating the lives of residents who passed away in the previous year along with honouring the life, friendship and legacy of those whom we continue to visit and love.
This special event brings together members of the Menno Place community of care, including residents, family members, staff, volunteers and caregivers.
You are welcome to join in one or both of the events that will take place on this special day.
Celebration of Life – A contemplative Memorial Service to honour those who have passed away in the previous year followed by the Butterfly Release – A joyful time to release Monarch butterflies into the beautiful courtyard. Join with residents to share a special moment of excitement as butterflies are released one by one by those who have pre-purchased a butterfly in anticipation of sharing this precious memory together.
Who is invited to attend the Celebration of Life?
- Family and friends who wish to honour the life of a Menno Place resident who has passed away in the last year
- Staff who wish to honour the life of a Menno Place resident who has passed away in the last year
- Those who wish to honour and value the residents who have lived at Menno Place over the years – this is a good time to remember as well as reconnect with staff members
What is involved in the Celebration of Life?
This is a time to honour the residents who have passed away in the past year. Their names and faces will be shared. You are invited to bring along photos and momentos that will remind you of your loved one and help others understand their personality and experience. There is a time for memories to be shared at an open mic if you wish. You are invited to stay for tea, coffee and desserts as well as to participate in the Butterfly Release.
Who purchases a butterfly for release?
- Residents who would enjoy raising butterflies from larvae and releasing a butterfly
- Family members who want to honour the life of a loved one who has passed away
- Friends and family who want to honour the life of a resident who is living at Menno Place, creating a special moment and memory
- Staff who want to remember a resident or celebrate the life of a resident at Menno Place
How much does a butterfly cost? What is the money for?
In order to release a butterfly on June 23, each participant will purchase a butterfly for $25. This covers the cost of the butterfly and is a fundraiser for the Recreation Programs at Menno Place. With these funds, we anticipate putting in a butterfly garden in both the Courtyard as well as the Living Waters garden.
Why butterflies?
Butterflies provide a very special symbols of transitions in our own lives. We see the butterfly as a symbol of transformation and transition because of its impressive process of metamorphosis. The transition of a butterfly into something so very beautiful provides a symbol of hope for each of us as we see our own transitions take place.
The butterfly moves through the transitions from egg to larvae to pupa and emerges from the cocoon with grace and beauty. This reminder encourages us to move through our own transitions with hope and grace, embracing the next stage of life.
A butterfly’s metamorphosis is also symbolic of faith.The butterfly beckons us to keep our faith as we undergo transitions in our lives. We can see that toiling, fretting and anger are uselsess against the turning tides of transition. The butterfly invites us to recognize this for our own transitions.
What happens in the months prior to the butterfly release?
Initially, butterfly larvae will be purchased for each unit and building on the campus. Residents will have the privilege of watching the butterflies transition through the metamorphosis. There will also be opportunity for residents and families to participate in butterfly walls that will remind us of people we love – those that have passed and those that we continue to enjoy.
Families, friends, residents, staff and volunteers will begin to purchase butterflies that they will release in the ceremony on June 23rd.
How do I purchase a butterfly?
We are setting up the process for purchasing butterflies. You will be able to purchase them at Reception, The Fireside Treasures Gift Shop and online through our website. We will make purchasing available mid-April.
There are a limited number of butterflies available for purchase due to inventory availability. Please purchase early to ensure your opportunity to participate in this wonderful event!
D’arcy started classical piano training at the age of four, and was singing on Chinese national TV at age seven. Moving to Canada, D’arcy has become a vital part of the Vancouver scene, with an ability to move from jazz to pop, to blues, to standards as well as the traditional and pop songs of China. She has performed at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the Commodore Ballroom, and the Orpheum, partnering with instrumentalists in a variety of styles of music. She represented North America in the equivalent of Chinese Idol, introducing soul and blues to billions of viewers on live television.
Hailing from the Toronto area, Michael Aihoshi [guitar & vocals] toured Eastern Canada for years, playing blues, country, folk, world, Celtic, pop, and Rhythm and Blues. He toured for a few years with The George Olliver Band (Mandala) Canada’s King of Soul. Through the years he has had the privilege of sharing the stage with some of Canada’s premier musicians from this wide range of musical styles.
