Butterfly release ceremonies
•May 13, 2026•
HSHS Home Care invites community members to join them for butterfly release ceremonies at locations throughout central Illinois, including HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital, Decatur, on Tuesday, May 19th at 5:30 p.m. in the Cancer Center Garden.
Family and friends are invited to celebrate and remember the life of a loved one who has passed. The ceremonies will include the reading of the names of those being honored in addition to the butterfly release. Valerie Engelbart, Bereavement Services Supervisor for HSHS Home Care, said, “These butterfly release ceremonies provide a special time for families in our communities to honor their loved ones. The butterfly represents the transformation of the spirit as our loved ones transition from this life. As we release butterflies together, we celebrate the lives that have touched our hearts and find comfort in our shared experiences of love and loss.”