*Infant & Child Loss Remembrance Service*

& Teddy Bear Tea

St. Nicholas R.C. Church – 20675 87th Ave., Langley, BC

Remembrance Mass Service: 9:00 am

“Teddy Bear” Tea Reception: 10:00 am hosted by St. Nicholas Parish/Elizabeth Ministry

*RSVP: info(at)littlelightofheaven.com

Prayers will be included for parents and family members who wish to honour the lives of all children gone-too-soon, including;

– Children of any age

– Infants & Toddlers

– Babies lost shortly after birth and through Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

– Babies who have died during pregnancy for any reason (e.g. ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, complications and stillbirth)

Couples who are trying to conceive and those struggling with infertility; parents who are expecting and those on a waiting list to adopt; as well as parents who lovingly chose to give up and/or welcome children through adoption and fostering will also be remembered on this day.

TEDDY BEAR TEA

Everyone is welcome to attend the reception immediately after the service.  Families will be offered a teddy bear in honour of their child through Elizabeth Ministry.  These teddy bears have been kindly donated by organizations such as Signal Hill and Gardens of Gethsemani.

Families can enter the name of their child in the “Little Book of Life” and light a candle for their little one.

This event is open to everyone from all faiths and backgrounds, especially bereaved parents and other family members including children, as well as those who support grieving families.

*Please RSVP so that enough programs, candles & refreshments are available.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

*Elizabeth Ministry is a faith-based, peer mentorship volunteer organization that celebrates the sanctity of life and honours the lives of all children.

We’re looking for volunteers to assist!  If you are interested in donating a teddy bear or refreshments, volunteering or starting a chapter at your Parish, please contact:

Donna, Elizabeth Minister St. Nicholas Chapter – info (at) littlelightofheaven.com

Please note:  At this service, we will honour and celebrate the lives of our little Saints in heaven.  This Mass will be held on the Feast of All Souls’ Day.

Today, I attended day 1 of the Still Birth Conference, Coming Together to Share Stories organized by Still Life Canada.   Tears were shed and stories were told in an atmosphere of compassion and understanding.  This clearly was a safe place to speak the names of our precious babies who had gone-too-soon.   

It was amazing to hear Dr. Joanne Cacciatore speak about her work with bereaved families and the research she has conducted done in honour of her stillborn daughter Cheyenne.  Health care professionals who came to participate in the conference displayed a willingness to listen and learn from bereaved families.   The team of doctors, nurses, social workers and policy makers all seemed motivated to facilitate positive changes in the hospitals to help buffer the trauma of infant loss which was encouraging.    

A big part of Elizabeth Ministry is to listen to the stories of others and to also share our own.  Peer support can be a simple, yet powerful way to facilitate healing in many ways.  Knowing that you are not alone, that there are others who are on a similar journey can bring a lot of comfort.  I’m grateful that Still Life Canada organized this event. 

So where do we go from here?  I look forward to day 2 of the Coming Together to Share Stories conference and the action plan that comes of this gathering.  Kudos to the volunteers who made this conference happen.