Angel of Hope Statue: St. Anne Shrine - Sturbridge, MA

Angel of Hope Statue
St. Anne Shrine

Sturbridge, MA

GPS: N42° 07.091; W072° 06.817

Quick Description: 

An Angel of Hope statue is located at the St. Anne Shrine in the Fiskdale section of Sturbridge, MA. The shrine is located at 16 Church Street just north of Route 20.

Long Description:

St. Anne Shrine is a 35 acre sanctuary for spiritual renewal. It is located within the Diocese of Worcester and is operated by the Augustinians of the Assumption religious order. The Angel of Hope statue is located at the end of a short shaded path on the east side of the shrine.

The Angel of Hope statue installed on the grounds of the St. Anne Shrine sits on a 3' high rough cut granite base. The front and the back have an polished recessed panel with the following inscriptions:

Front:
Our
CHILDREN
Angels of Hope
Cherished and
Forever Loved

Back:


Christmas Box Angel
Dedicated
September 15, 2007

Annual
Candlelight Vigil
December 6^th
At 7:30 P.M.
A nearby plaque tells the story behind the Angel of Hope statues.


THE CHRISTMAS BOX STORY

The Angel of Hope was inspired by Richard Paul Evans' national
bestseller, The Christmas Box. It is a story of a woman who
mourns the loss of her child at the base of an angel
monument. the monument that the fictional tale speaks of
once existed but was destroyed by floods in 1984. Evans
commissioned a new angel in response to reports of parents
seeking out the angel as a place to grieve and heal. The
monument lies in a cemetery in Salt Lake City, UT. The angel
was dedicated on December 6, 1994 - corresponding with the
date of the child's death in The Christmas Box.

The sculpture is the creation of a father and son from Salt
Lake City, Ortho and Jared Fairbanks. It was molded according
to the description in Evans' book.

The Angel of Hope monument was brought to central Mass to
support parents who have lost a child of any age for any
reason. The monument was dedicated on September 15, 2007.

The angel's face is that of the child's, its arms raised as a child
to be lifted, in its wings are hope.

A candlelight vigil is held each year on December 6 at 7:00 P.M.
Children's Day. We invite grieving families to unite and find
strength, comfort and solace with each other. A white
flower may be placed at the base of the statue in memory of a
loved one.

May you attain some peace and healing in her presence.