Volunteers at St. Mary of the Lake Parish, 4220 N. Sheridan Road, light 231 candles that represent the more than 231,000 lives lost to COVID-19 in front of the church on All Souls’ Day, Nov. 2, 2020. The candles were to be lit each night for a week to honor those who have died. Given COVID-19 restrictions, volunteers placed printed prayers in English and Spanish around the fence so people could stop and pray quietly in lieu of holding a prayer service. The parish wanted the display to offer everyone an opportunity to mourn the losses so many have suffered during the pandemic. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Volunteers hang up different prayers on the fence of the church. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
A volunteer places a lit candle on the altar. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Volunteers unpack the candles for the altar. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
A Buddhist prayer hangs on the side of the fence in front of the altar. Prayers from various faith traditions were available in English and Spanish so people could stop by and pray. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
On the bell tower behind the altar, the parish projects a message in English. They also projected the message in Spanish. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
Volunteers light the candles. Various parishioners signed up to light the candles each evening. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
A large sign on the church lawn describes the outdoor altar and encourages passersby to pray. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
A volunteer puts the final touches on the altar. (Karen Callaway/Chicago Catholic)
