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Email a FriendPosted by Mary B on Monday, May 2, 2011 10:01 PM (EDT):
Thank you! That wasn’t even thought of when I went years ago. Maybe I’ll get a tile for my 2 little saints.
New Shrine Memorializes Lost Babies
a prayerful spot for moms who have suffered loss
Posted by Danielle Bean in Faith on Monday, May 02, 2011 9:07 PM
You guys!
My weekend visit to the National Shrine of Divine Mercy this weekend was amazing and exhausting and amazing and did I mention exhausting?
I brought along five of my kids, and the gang of us had a most memorable trip. I shared some photos on my Facebook page, but that album did not include any photos of the new (still under construction) Shrine of the Holy Innocents that is on site in Stockbridge, so I wanted to be sure to highlight it here.
It is not even finished yet, but the shrine is stunningly beautiful. At the center of this prayerful spot is a gorgeous statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. All around on the walls are brightly colored tiles that are personalized with memorials of unborn and newborn babies that have been lost through miscarriage, abortion, illness, and other tragedies.
Despite the heavy presence of pain and loss I felt as I read the tiles, this shrine was a such a beautiful and peaceful place, I found myself wanting to linger there. I thought of and prayed for my sisters and sisters of the heart I know in person and here at Faith & Family who have suffered such losses. This shrine is such a beautiful tribute to the enduring meaning and value of all human life, I think many hurting moms and dads will find hope and healing there. Purchasing a memorial tile is a lovely way to memorialize a lost child, but I noticed that some pilgrims also left notes, prayers, and other meaningful tokens at Our Lady’s feet there.
It seems especially fitting that a beautiful shrine dedicated to the Divine Mercy would also have a special spot for those who have suffered this kind of painful loss. For those of you close enough to make a visit, I highly recommend making a pilgrimage to the shrine for all of its beautiful sites, but especially for this new shrine, dedicated to those Holy Innocents whom we have entrusted to God’s infinite mercy.
Comments
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Posted by Patricia on Monday, May 2, 2011 10:05 PM (EDT):
Thanks for sharing this beautiful shrine with us! As you mentioned, it is certainly fitting that this Shrine of the Holy Innocents be part of a shrine dedicated to the Divine Mercy. The Church has not spoken definitively on the state of unbaptized little souls (heaven? limbo?), only assuring us that we should trust in God’s tender mercy & great His love for the littlest ones. May this be a place of healing for all of those who have lost & who love such children.
Posted by kg on Monday, May 2, 2011 10:40 PM (EDT):
This is truly wonderful to hear. I spent a life changing retreat over ten years ago at the Shrine of the Divine Mercy; little did I know that years, later, not only would I suffer from the pain of losing a little one, but be graced with another baby, whose name includes the influence of St. Faustina. So glad you enjoyed your trip, Danielle!
Posted by Susie on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 9:15 PM (EDT):
There is also a beautiful shrine for unborn babies at the new Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, with a gorgeous Mary’s Garden in front of it. We stopped last summer on our way back from Wisconsin, and the church, the shrine, and a chapel that has stained glass windows of all the Marian apparitions are well worth a visit!
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