PITTSFIELD, M.A. (WNYT) – A ceremony took place Saturday honoring Berkshire County residents who lost their lives due to an overdose.

The ceremony was run by Living Recovery with it being the 3^rd annual ceremony of its kind to occur on International Overdose Awareness Day.

Religious leaders from different faiths spoke to pray for the ones who were lost.

“Raise our voices, oh God, as we remember our loved ones and as together as a community. We make progress against this disease,” said one religious leader.

The ceremony began with a memorial service at the Pittsfield Commons with pictures of loved ones who were lost. Then, there was a silent walk to the candlelight vigil in Park Square where there was 48 seconds of silence for the 48 residents of Berkshire County who lost their life due to an overdose.

One person told NewsChannel 13 that she lost her two sons due to an overdose.

Julie MacDonald, the Program Manager for Living in Recovery, said that she wants to change the way that overdose is looked upon.

“We really want to be able to be here first, to comfort the bereaved, to sort of allow everyone to come together because for so long there was so much stigma, stigma and shame attached to when people overdose,” MacDonald said.