Tears welled in Jacquelyn Pensabene’s eyes as she and her two young daughters, Sophia and Ava, stood outside St. Mary of the Lakes Church, Medford, on a recent cold late afternoon.

“The holidays are a special time to remember my mom,” said Pensabene, gazing toward the Christmas tree that her family had dedicated in memory of her mother, Marion, who died in May 2018. “This is only our second Christmas without her. It’s hard.”

“I think this would mean a lot to my Mom-Mom that we have a tree dedicated to her,” added 15-year-old Sophia.

The Pensabenes were among those special blessing and lighting of nearly 200 Christmas trees that lined the perimeter of the spacious parish grounds. It was the second year that the St. Mary of the Lakes Council, Knights of Columbus, hosted the Christmas Dedication Trees in which the council invites parishioners and members of the community in mid-December to purchase and decorate trees in honor of loved ones, whether they are living or deceased.

Council member William Scheffold, who is a second degree Knight, was inspired to inaugurate the Christmas Dedication Trees project at the parish after attending a similar ceremony last year in St. Peter Parish, Merchantville, in the Camden Diocese. To see 150 trees that were decorated with lights and ornaments and “honoring those who were not here anymore and the pastor blessing the trees and the people was incredible,” he said. “It was awesome.”

With the hope to begin a similar project in St. Mary of the Lakes Parish, Sheffold presented the idea to fellow council members and Father Daniel Swift, pastor. After working through a number of logistics, he was pleased to receive approval.

“The overwhelming success of the inaugural event was not measured in sales but tears of joy and smiles of happiness,” he said, noting that 135 out of 170 trees were sold last year. “It was about the coming together of our small community tucked away in the pinelands of New Jersey.”

Through family members, there were people from as far away as Virginia, the New England states, western Pennsylvania and even the Ukraine who purchased trees, he added.

Scheffold is happy that the Christmas Dedication Trees has evolved into a meaningful tradition for St. Mary of the Lakes Parish and the Medford community. This year’s effort, he said, resulted in the selling of almost 200 trees. which were each decorated with red and white lights and laminated cards to memorialize or honor a loved one, friend or organization.

“Trees are living things, and dedication trees [represent] the living memories we all have of family members or friends,” he said. “This is a way of celebrating life. This is an event that makes the heart and soul feel good at a time of year when sometimes the heart is sad.”

Janet Lattimer and her mother-in-law, Barbara, purchased trees in memory of three deceased family members.

“There’s a sense of comfort in knowing that this is a way we can remember them,” said Barbara Lattimer, and “it’s good to support a cause in which money will go to help other people.”

As dusk settled and the parish grounds became illuminated by the lights from the newly blessed Christmas trees on this Dec. 15 afternoon, Father Swift smiled as he thought about how the trees would be noticed by the motorists traveling on busy Jackson Road.

Along with being a beneficial project for his parishioners, Father Swift said the tree project “also provides excellent curbside evangelization.

“Hopefully, it will pique curiosity and maybe those who are unchurched will be prompted to come to Mass,” he said.