Miscarriage and Infant Loss

If you have come to this page after having experienced a miscarriage, we are so sorry for the loss of your baby. It breaks our hearts as your brothers and sisters in Christ that you have to grieve this loss. We hope that these resources and organizations will help to accompany you in your healing. 

Here are some words of wisdom from those who have experienced a miscarriage and infant loss:

• It is right to grieve. Take the time to grieve and be gentle with yourself as you are grieving. Treat yourself like a best friend and give yourself permission to be good to yourself during this difficult time.
• Surround yourself with people who understand. Give yourself permission to share with some people and not with others.
• Name your baby. This simple yet profound action is a concrete way of affirming that this life was and is a unique person.
• Pray even when words won’t come. God is indescribably near to the broken-hearted, although it may seem like God is very far away. Speak words from your heart, even if they are words of anger, rage, disappointment, frustration, or hopelessness.
• Men and women grieve a miscarriage differently. Some spouses may want to be alone, while others may want to meet with a spiritual director or friend to share the burden. Some spouses discover that exercise can be healing, while other spouses find that just puttering around can be helpful. Find out what works for you and be gentle with yourself.
• Ask your local parish to begin a yearly Mass for Hope and Healing. We began this in our parish seven years ago as a way to give voice to our grief and to pray for comfort and strength. Each year, this liturgy attracts people from the area, some of who experienced pregnancy loss years, even decades, ago.
• Request a blessing: The “Blessing of Parents After a Miscarriage,” as written in the Church’s Book of Blessings, can be conferred by a priest or deacon. It is given by the Church specifically to “assist parents in their grief and console them with the blessing of God.”
• You are not alone: ask for help if you need it. 

• Our Lady of the Rosary is a Catholic Cemetery in Georgetown, that can provide Catholic funeral accommodations for babies lost through miscarriage and stillbirth.
  • There is a section for babies that are less than 20 weeks old. In this area, the baby will be buried with a river rock that is marked with the baby's name and date of death.
  • If the baby is miscarried in a local hospital there are a few more processes to move through. Many of the local hospitals are aware of Our Lady of the Rosary. The family will work with the hospital social worker to arrange for the baby's remains to be sent to Gabriel's Funeral Home, who will then work with Our Lady of the Rosary to arrange the ceremony.
  • The hospitals, funeral home, and cemetery all have access to a couple of programs to help reduce costs when applicable.
• Assumption Cemetery is a Catholic Cemetery in Austin, that can provide Catholic funerals and services for babies lost through miscarriage and stillbirth.
  • There is a section for babies lost through miscarriage.
  • Local hospitals know of Assumption Cemetery and can work with them in arranging for the baby's remains to be prepared for burial.