Suicide the focus of ceremony that draws hundreds

A service was held in St. John's on Sunday to remember people who have taken their own lives.

Almost 300 people attended the ceremony called the 10th Annual Memory Candlelight Service to Remember Those Who Have Died by Suicide. It was held at St. Patrick's Church. 

This service was meant to be an informal gathering to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have died. 

Organizer Kim Kelly, whose brother Brendan died 14 years ago, called on everyone affected by suicide to speak out about it.

"It's every one of our responsibilities to talk about suicide in the open and not have people feel bad because you know that's how their loved one died," she said.

Kelly organized her first service in Cape Broyle a decade ago. 

She said suicide can have a long-term impact on relatives and friends of the person who died.

"It can create stigma, it can create regret, blame, guilt — a whole lot of different things," she said.

"They are so caught up in why the person died and how they died and so many questions are left behind that they can't get their focus."