Ryan’s Way of Hope, a faith-based addiction recovery program in Jeffersonville, will be hosting a candlelight vigil this Friday at 7 p.m.

Richard Rodgers, the program’s director, said the event is being held for the victims of overdoses.

Last week it was reported that there were 78 overdoses and three overdose deaths in 48 hours in Cincinnati, with the city seeing a total accumulation of 174 overdoses reported over a six-day period.

“We’re going to ring a bell for each one of those souls who have passed,” said Rodgers.

Following the candlelight vigil, the program will continue into an in-depth addiction recovery meeting that Rodgers describes as “in-your-face.”

He said he doesn’t really have an agenda for the meeting.

“Because we are faith-based, we kind of leave things up to God. Every meeting so far, we have had somebody come who is high. Everybody who has been at our meeting has been an addict,” said Rodgers.

He said he’s a firm believer that faith in Jesus will bring wholeness and restoration to an addict’s life.

By contrast, he said having faith in recovery, or spiritualism, will bring a form of restoration—but it won’t bring wholeness without Jesus.

“Everybody I know, from the Satanist to every addict, every prostitute, every drug dealer, that has ever tapped into Jesus, realizes that he is real,” said Rodgers.

Friday’s candlelight vigil and addiction recovery meeting will be held 7 pm. at 1118 McArthur Road in Jeffersonville.