Mass of Infant Loss

Rev. Douglas Hunter
St.  Roch Catholic Church
Indianapolis, Indiana

We gather today carrying a sorrow that words can barely touch, the loss of a child, whether before birth or in the earliest days of life. It is a grief that pierces the soul, because in that little life were all your love, all your dreams, and all your hopes for tomorrow.

And yet, in this place, we remember that God is not far from our tears. The same Jesus who wept at the tomb of His friend is the One who holds your grief close to His heart. He knows your sorrow, shares in it, and promises never to abandon you.

The Church teaches us to entrust these little ones to God’s mercy. Though their time with you was brief, their lives were not meaningless. They are now embraced by the Lord who once said, “Let the little children come to me, for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” Your child’s life, however short, has left a permanent mark of love in this world. That love will not fade, because it reflects the love of God Himself.

Hope does not take away your pain, but it does transform it. St. Paul reminds us, “We do not grieve as those who have no hope.” We believe in a day when every tear will be wiped away, when you will be reunited with your children in the joy of Heaven. Until that day, their lives continue in God, and their presence lives in your love.

Let us place our grief and our children in the hands of Mary, the Mother who knew both the joy of holding her Son and the anguish of losing Him. She walks with you. She prays for you. And she whispers to you that love is stronger than death.

May Christ comfort your broken hearts, strengthen your hope, and assure you that your children live forever in His embrace.