She was so small,
so beautiful,
so full of hope and promise.
What a blessing she has been
to all of us who knew her
those few short months.
She taught us to love,
to hope beyond expectation,
to trust in that which is unseen.
She drew us together
in our anxiety,
our moments of despairing and hopelessness,
as well as in our joys and delight,
and in her every breath.
Her life ended prematurely;
just so had she been born.
Too soon she died.
We wept.
The tears continue.
We hugged
and held one another.
The pain will always linger.
Our hearts emptier
for her absence
and the unfulfilled dreams
she promised.
But the love she brought
into our lives will live forever.
Thank you for giving her to us.
Thank you for the blessing
that she will always be.
Thank you for the love we
would never have known,
but for her
and her brief days with us.
Thank you for _____,
our blessed child of grace.
Amen.
www.beliefnet.com
This page is intended to be a simple compilation of different prayers that could be said after a miscarriage, as well as prayers for prevention of a miscarriage while you are pregnant. There is a blessing, a novena, links to various Saints connected to miscarriage, and more. And as we’ve stated many times on this site, please also know that we are praying for our visitors.
Blessing of Parents After a Miscarriage
This is a beautiful blessing that can be done by a priest, deacon, or layperson. A priest or deacon will already have it in their book of blessings. You may view it here.
Christian Miscarriage Prayer
Father, in the name of Jesus I come to you with a broken heart because of the loss of my baby. I know that your ears are open to my prayers. I am hurting and restless and feel overwhelmed. Please rescue me out of this pit of hopelessness and fear. You know the tears that I cry and my sleepless nights. Father, I give you all my hurts, worries, and cares. I thank you that you are not finished with me yet. I will chose not to be held down by a spirit of discouragement and grief. By your grace I will stand firm and trust you. Help me to remember that others are going through the same pain as me, help me to get strong, so that with the same comfort that you comfort me with, I will be able to comfort others.
by Patty Larsen; used with permission.
Order for the Naming and Commendation of an Infant Who Died Before Birth
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has created a rite for parents who have miscarried a child, allowing them to name their child and commend him in faith to the loving mercy of God. You can find a pdf of the rite here.
Chaplet of Hannah’s Tears
Novena to Saints Anne and Joachim for Faith and Perseverance in Marriage and Pregnancy
Prayer for Those Experiencing Miscarriage
God, We remember all babies who have died as a result of miscarriage. We remember all mothers and fathers whose hearts are aching and arms empty, who never had a chance to love or hold their babies. We ask God’s healing to fill the void and emptiness that has been left. Amen.
by Jane Parkinson; used with permission.
Prayer for Questions and Understanding
Dear God,
People ask me how I am coping.
I’ve learned to smile in company.
I’ve learned to appear calm and even relaxed.
But this is not the real me.
It is a person that I watch going through the motions of living.
Inside, I’m still screaming, or else I’m just numb.
Sometimes the ache is so strong that my whole body is racked with pain.
The pain and the questions are often bound up together.
Why did I have to miscarry (again)?
The questions chase around inside my mind.
I feel there ought to be answers.
I feel I am owed some explanations.
Yet no explanations come, and there seems to be nowhere to go to find any.
You alone know the reasons for our loss.
Help me to accept your mysterious ways and your divine plan for me, which may differ from my human hopes and dreams.
Help us to understand that at the very heart of the universe there is not despair but hope, not evil but a God of love.
Amen.
by Jane Parkinson; used with permission.
Miscarriage Prayer
My Lord, the baby is dead!
Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord?
“Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’? Well, I will tell you why.
You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.”
I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity.
by Mother M. Angelica
©2012 EWTN. Used with permission.
For more Catholic prayers and additional resources, visit the EWTN website.
Prayer After the Death of a Child
Saints for Miscarriage Prevention and Healing
- Catherine of Siena (Patron Saint of Miscarriage)
- Catherine of Sweden (Patron Saint of Miscarriage)
- Eulalia (Patron Saint of Miscarriage)
- Gianna Beretta Molla (Doctor and mother who suffered two miscarriages, as well as chose the life of her last child over her own)
- Gerard (Intercessions are asked of him for mothers, particularly those who are expecting)
Prayer to St. Catherine of Siena to Avoid Miscarriage
www.catholicmiscarriagesupport.com
Losing a baby is one of the most painful experiences we can have in this life.
We’re coming up to Good Friday and Easter, the Christian celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
I know that many of my readers are walking through deep pain right now–readers who would love to have a baby to hold, but don’t either because of infertility or because of miscarriage and baby death.
As I’ve shared before, and as I’ve written about in my book How Big Is Your Umbrella, my baby boy passed away when he was 29 days old. The idea of losing a son has always had special significance to me and my husband.
For twelve years I wrote a column in our local paper and several others, and one of the most popular columns I ever wrote was a prayer for those who had lost babies (even secular papers published it!). And I thought I would run it for all of you today, since tomorrow is Good Friday and we’ll all be remembering that God also went through this pain–the pain of watching a child die.
When a child dies it feels as if the physical laws of the universe have been violated.
You needed that child far more than you need the very oxygen you breathe, and yet that child is gone, and your lungs keep working. Your very breath is a betrayal, and squeezes your chest worse than any violence ever could. So I pray that you will be able to take each breath, and that eventually simply living won’t hurt like this anymore.
And I pray that in your grief you and your spouse will be able to turn to each other. The death of a child strains a marriage in a way little else does. It’s not fair, but you face a crossroads. I pray you will walk this valley together, and that the journey will strengthen you, rather than separate you.
I pray that people will surround you with practical help, that they will hug and that they will listen. I pray that your friends won’t scatter because they feel awkward, but that they will be patient, even when the grief seems to be lasting longer than others think it should. I pray that if your grief is from a miscarriage or a stillbirth, people will still understand the depth of your pain.
I also pray that you will be able to take each day as it comes.
When a child dies, and especially a baby who did not have the chance to become part of your daily routine, on the outside it is almost as if he or she never existed. And yet, for you that child was your very heart. If you let go of the grief, it is as if you are letting go of the last thing that ties you to your baby. Remember, though, that grief is not something that disappears. Sometimes grief is overt, but other times you feel fine. I pray that you will embrace those moments when you feel peace, because there will be moments—even if it’s days, weeks, or years later—when the grief will return, unbidden, in full force. Be grateful for good days and do not feel guilty for them. Smiling is not betraying your child.
At the same time, I pray that when those good days become the norm, even if it’s years down the road, that you will not feel like you are going crazy if the grief suddenly hits you hard again.
You’re not regressing, or starting at square one. This is the way of grief, and know that it never completely disappears. If we are honest, we probably wouldn’t want it any other way. So I pray that in those moments when you can’t breathe again that you will still experience peace, and know that this intensity will again subside.
I pray that you will remember that everyday that passes is not one more day further away from your child, but instead one more day that you are closer to meeting him or her again.
And finally, I pray that one day you will be able to remember with laughter, and not just with tears.
Amen.
My son Christopher the day before his surgery.
Have a blessed Easter weekend, everyone. And remember–Easter is only a celebration because Good Friday came. Pain is a part of life, but the good news is that God has redeemed that pain through Jesus!
tolovehonorandvacuum.com
Dear Lord, relying on your promises to us, I turn to you in trust that my mother is with you and that she is enjoying your loving embrace. You alone know how she loved the best she could and how she faithfully endured the struggles that she faced. You know the graces you gave her and you know the grace she was for me and for so many. For all the ways she truly loved the way you loved her, please reward her, Lord. May she enjoy the communion of all her family and friends who are with you.
Lord, I know my mother still loves us who are still here on earth. I ask you that you might listen to her fervent prayers for us. Help me to grow into a new and deeper relationship with my mother now, as I long for the day when we will both meet in your embrace – freed from all that might have hindered our relationship on earth, knowing and understanding everything we did not know or understand on this earth.
Amen.
faithofthefathersprayers.blogspot.com
