BURRILLVILLE – The roughly 4,000 white flags blanketed the lawn of the State House for a week – meant to serve as a stark visual reminder and acknowledgement of the lives in Rhode Island lost to the pandemic.
And now, 84 of the memorial flags have returned to Burrillville and have been placed by the town gazebo in memory of town residents who died of COVID-19.
Part of a national movement started by artist Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg, the memorial flags aim to create a space of mourning for those who lost a loved one during the pandemic. The first installation was on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and was later replicated on the state level, with an observance brought to Rhode Island by the Council of Churches.
Here, the, “In America: Remember,” project was dubbed “Rhode Island Remembers,” with small flags each representing a life lost on the south lawn of the State House. The COVID-19 Memorial began with a ceremony on Saturday, June 25, and during the week that followed, a member of clergy remained on site to speak with anyone in need of comfort or reflection.
“This display showcased the magnitude of our loss as a state, while honoring each person who has died from COVID-19,” explained a program for the project.
The flags came down with a closing gathering on Saturday, July 2 dubbed, “To Forget is To Betray,” and fire chiefs were asked to bring the small banners, each representing a pandemic-related death, to their respective communities to be used to create local memorials honoring losses suffered by each city and town throughout the state.
Harrisville Fire District Chief Michael Gingell attended the closing ceremony, with a group of around a dozen Burrillville residents who’ve experienced personal loss from COVID-19. The gathering was originally scheduled to take place on the south lawn of the state capitol, but due to predicted thunderstorms, was moved to the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Providence.
There, family of many of the deceased shared music, stories and prayers, all aimed at helping to acknowledge and process what has transpired over the past three years.
“People gave reflections on personal matters and the people they lost during the Covid pandemic,” Gingell said, noting that many shared their feelings on the State House display. “When there was a breeze they could hear the flags fluttering in the wind.”
Gingell brought 84 flags back to Burrillville, where the group created the smaller display in Harrisville.
“We wanted to put them where people can see them,” he said of the flags. “This was done all across the United States.”
Now, those who lost someone during the pandemic are invited to put a note on one of the flags as a way to reflect on the person who passed. The display will remain in place through Tuesday, August 2, when all mourning a loss are also invited to take a flag as a tribute.
Gingell noted that his sister has already marked one of the banners in remembrance of their mother.
Anyone with questions on the project can contact the fire chief at (401) 692-7267.
It is all part of a national effort to recognize individual losses and ultimately, heal.
“We will remember them, these loved ones – so many – whom we have honored with this Covid-19 memorial and these white flags,” noted a write up on the project. “We have shared stories and tears. We have grieved together. We wiII not forget. And with renewed assurance that we are not alone, we will live our lives with love and intention, carrying forth the best of these lost family members and co-workers and friends to build a better world.”
