Skies were threatening, but the rain held off and did not to interference with the annual Tree of Lights holiday celebration conducted by the Council of Leagues of Mercy Medical Center. The December 9th ceremony included caroling by the St. Agnes Girls Choir under the direction of Michael Wustro, as well as a blessing of the tree and adjacent créche, which stand at the entrance to the hospital campus on North Village Avenue and are visible from Peninsula Boulevard.

The annual ceremony provides the opportunity to recall the need to grow stronger together in our search for peace, with the Tree of Lights representing a beacon of hope and unity in our fragmented world.

The proceeds from the Tree of Lights will support renovations in the Women's Imaging Center in the Department of Radiology in conjunction with the recent installation of new digital mammography equipment.

Lights can purchased for the tree in memory of a loved one, in celebration of a special event, or in honor of a special person, with remembrances recorded in a Tree of Lights book that will be displayed in the hospital's main lobby during the holiday season.

A special mass will be held at 12:00 noon in the hospital chapel on Tuesday, January 13, 2009 for all those remembered in the Tree of Lights. To purchasing a memorial light or for information about the Mass, please call the League Office at (516) 705-1393.