Trinity NEWS RELEASE
March 31, 2010
Infant memorial gathering at Trinity marks 10th anniversary
The grief and devastation of losing a baby before or soon after childbirth often weighs heavily on the hearts of parents and family members alike. To help alleviate sorrow and honor the memories of babies who have been lost, Trinity will offer “Butterfly Blessings: A Memorial Ceremony,” from 2 to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 10, in the Jardine Auditorium at the Trinity Rock Island campus, 2701 17th St., Rock Island.
The annual memorial gathering provides parents the opportunity to share stories and memories of their lost infant. Additionally, there will be a reading of the names of the lost infants, prayer, music and a craft activity.
According to Lynn Batcher, chaplain with Trinity’s Pastoral Care department, there is a definite need for such a gathering as the grief parents and family members experience is not always recognized by society.
“Many of these parents feel disenfranchised. The logic goes that if a parent or family member hasn’t really known the child, the child won’t be missed as much. This just isn’t true,” Batcher said. “This gathering is Trinity’s attempt to remember the beauty and glory of lives which were much too short and honor the grief of those left behind.”
The original memorial gathering grew from the idea of a local artist who helped spearhead the first event to honor the memory of her son who died shortly after birth.
“After our original remembrance, many participants requested another opportunity to come together to celebrate the lives of those babies and create a tangible remembrance of them,” Batcher explained.
The committee decided to hold an annual memorial gathering that included parents who told their stories, music, prayer, a reading of the names of all the babies and the craft activity. They call the event Butterfly Blessings after a poem (see sidebar). Trinity now uses the butterfly symbol on many of their grief follow-up materials.
While the event was founded at Trinity, it is open to any community member who has experienced the loss of a child at or shortly after birth. The event is appropriate for all ages, and in past years many family groups have attended together. According to Batcher, it is never too late to attend.
“The grief process is something that everyone experiences differently,” Batcher said. “Those who have experienced this type of loss have found that remembering the children, especially in the company of others who have had a similar loss, helps in healing the pain.”
For more information or to register for the memorial gathering, please contact Trinity’s Pastoral Care department at (309) 779-2989. Reservations are strongly encouraged.
SIDEBAR
A Butterfly
A butterfly lights beside us
Like a sunbeam.
And for a brief moment
Its glory and beauty
Belong to our world.
And then it flies on again
And though we wish
It could have stayed
We feel blessed to have seen it.
-- Anonymous