Carrying Our Grief Together: The Fifth Annual Grief Processional

Sep 30

On October 11th, our community will gather once again in Vernon Park for the fifth annual Grief Processional—a ritual of walking side by side in remembrance, solidarity, and care.

Each year, this gathering reminds us of a truth that is often hidden in our culture: grief is not just an individual burden to be managed in private. It is a communal experience, woven into the fabric of our lives and histories. The grief of personal loss. The grief of wars and violence. The grief of climate collapse and extinction. The grief that arrives quietly at night, and the grief that spills across headlines. We were never meant to carry all of this alone.

The grief processional creates space to do what grief asks of us: to honor, to move, to be witnessed, and to remember together. Through the simple act of walking—through music, movement, and the presence of others—we affirm that grief, though heavy, can also be a form of love when shared.

This year’s processional is supported by the Threshold Choir, whose gentle songs will weave through our path, offering a soundscape of compassion and accompaniment. Participants are invited to “wear their grief” in whatever way resonates—whether through clothing, symbols, or simply through their presence.

In a world that often pressures us to minimize or hide sorrow, the grief processional offers another way. It is an embodied reminder that mourning can be public, communal, and even beautiful.

We invite you to join us on October 11th, 1–3 pm, in Vernon Park. Come as you are, bring what you carry, and walk with us in remembrance and solidarity.