Upcoming Compassionate Friends Events

The TCF Newton Group hosts two monthly meetings:

2nd Tuesdays on Zoom at 7:30pm
4th Tuesdays in person at 7:30pm

Our meetings are free of charge. All meetings, both Zoom and in person, are held from 7:30 to 9pm unless otherwise noted.

In-person meetings are held at

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
258 Concord Street
Newton Massachusetts

MOST meetings are accessible via Zoom (EXcept WHERE NOTED)

Newton Meetings

Please mark your calendar for the following dates.

September 2026

9/8 on Zoom
9/22 Annual Potluck Supper starts at 6:30pm (See details below)

October 2026

10/13 on Zoom
10/27 in person (Zoom option available)

November 2026

11/10 on Zoom
11/24 in person (Zoom option available)

December 2026

12/8 on Zoom
12/13 Worldwide Candle Lighting Ceremony (Location and details below)
12/22 in person (Zoom option available)

Annual Worldwide Candle Lighting Ceremony

Sunday, December 13, 2026, 6-8pm

Weston Community Center (Please Note the Change in LOCATION!)

20 Alphabet Lane

Weston, Massachusetts

Each year, on the second Sunday evening in December, TCF holds a worldwide candle lighting ceremony. Beginning in New Zealand at 7pm their time, candles are lit for one hour to honor children, siblings and grandchildren who left us too soon.

TCF’s Worldwide Candle Lighting ceremony started in the United States in 1997 as a small internet observance and has since swelled in numbers as word has spread through the world. Now believed to be the largest mass candle lighting on the globe, hundreds of thousands of people participate in this ceremony, creating a virtual 24-hour “wave of light” as it moves from time zone to time zone.

Our Central Middlesex TCF Chapter will be hosting a synchronous, in-person Candle Lighting Event on Sunday, December 13th at the Weston Community Center, 20 Alphabet Lane, Weston, Massachusetts. Please note that this is a new location, and not where our regular meetings are held in Newton. There is ample parking in the lot.

Please bring a framed photo of your beloved child, sibling or grandchild, and a special story or memory about them to share! It is important to celebrate how they lived, not just how they died. For us, they are never forgotten.

Even if you haven't been to a meeting in years, it is always a treat to see old TCF friends! It can feel so grounding to be where everyone truly understands your loss. This is a great time to bring significant others, extended family, or good friends who wish to help you honor the memory of your beloved.

Optional: Please bring a light finger food to share with the group at the end of the ceremony. Hot chocolate, water and paper goods will be provided. We would welcome volunteers to help with set-up and clean-up if you are able!

Note: Because this is not a regular meeting, the start time and format are different, and we will begin at 6:00pm instead of 7:30pm.

Weston Community Center is only ten minutes away from our regular meeting location in Newton! See map below.

Hoping to see you there!

Isabel Phillips and Peter Ramsey, Chapter Leaders
Central Middlesex TCF Chapter

Information about Meetings in Newton

Parking for Newton Meetings

Free on-street parking is available in front of St. Mary’s Church. The circular driveway is available for those who require drop-off and pick-up close to the entrance. Please do not park in the driveway.

Accessibility for Newton Meetings

The entrance is wheelchair accessible via a ramp.

COVID Precautions for Newton Meetings

Please do not attend the in-person meeting if you are feeling ill, have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID or have been exposed to someone who has been experiencing upper respiratory symptoms in the past ten days. The meeting room uses HEPA filtration to maximize ventilation. Masks are optional.

Winter Storm Notification for Newton Meetings

In the event of winter storms, our in-person meetings will be held on Zoom. We use the Newton Public Schools closing announcements as a guide, but will send out a notice by the morning of the scheduled in-person meeting to let you know.