BRUNSWICK — In the spirit of honoring the many people who have touched their lives, parishioners and students gathered for the annual Memorial Scholarship Mass at St. John the Baptist Church on May 23 to remember the positive influence of family members and friends who have passed away, and to offer gratitude for donors to the St. John Catholic School Scholarship Fund.

Nearly 60 St. John students participated in the service. In pairs, the children slowly walked down the aisle of the church, carrying candles. Each candle, 264 in total, represented a loved one who has passed away. All 264 names were read aloud while the candles were delivered to the front of the church, where other children both received them and then placed them on the cross.

“As individuals and as a school community, each one of us heard the names read and were touched by the great faith and love these people shared with our community,” said Deborah Goering, principal at St. John Catholic School.

As part of the special liturgy, the school also announced that more than $9,000 has been raised since May 2012 for the school’s Scholarship Fund. A sincere celebration of the faithful generosity of so many, both today and in years passed.

“We thank everybody for their support and offer a heartfelt thank you,” said Goering. “Donations to the Scholarship Fund enable us to provide tuition assistance to deserving students, furthering their Catholic education at St. John Catholic School. Helping our students today through the donations is just one more testimonial to the goodness of those who have gone before us that have been remembered in this fashion.”