Catholic Cemeteries is holding a special "Music and Memories" remembrance service at two locations in which names of loved ones are read aloud. Services will take place at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Kenmore on Thursday, April 28, at 6:30 p.m., and at Holy Cross Cemetery in Lackawanna on Saturday, April 30, at 1 p.m.

For those who have lost a loved one, there is a comfort from hearing that special person's name. This service is a time for those who may have lost a loved one to stand together to recognize they are part of a community that has been touched by grief and remember together.

The service is filled with music and song provided by Laura Lawless at Holy Cross Cemetery and Keith Kelly at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Poems will be read that will remind those gathered that hope accompanies heartache and grief is diminished by the sweetness of memories. This is a service where participants leave feeling better and tears are balanced by smiles.

"Holding remembrance services are only a part of our mission to comfort the bereaved and provide support to the families we serve," said Carmen Colao, director of Catholic Cemeteries. "In this year dedicated to the Corporal Acts of Mercy we are reminded that cemeteries are also for the living and we continue to provide support and care long after the funeral has taken place."

Grief Support programs are held throughout the year and include traditional grief support groups, a bereavement lecture series, potluck dinners and other social gatherings where people going through the same experience can come together to share and support one another.

For information on this or any services offered by Catholic Cemeteries contact Nancy Weil, director of Grief Support at 873-6500.