Families grieving loss of a child receive special blessing with St. Gerard's relic (PHOTOS)- Detroit Catholic

Families grieving loss of a child receive special blessing with St. Gerard's relic (PHOTOS)

An altar server carries a relic of St. Gerard Majella, the patron saint of expectant mothers, during a special Mass with Prayers for Pregnancy and Infant Loss on Oct. 22 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Families grieving the loss of a pregnancy or a young child were invited to receive a special blessing and inscribe their children's names in the cathedral's Book of Life. (Photos by Steven Stechschulte | Special to Detroit Catholic)

DETROIT — Parents, grandparents, siblings and loved ones gathered Oct. 22 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament to pray and receive healing after the loss of a child.

Fr. J.J. Mech, rector of the cathedral, celebrated the annual Mass with Prayers for Pregnancy and Infant Loss with Deacon Mike Van Dyke assisting. The Mass included special prayers and blessings for families who have experienced the loss of a child, either during pregnancy or after, including a blessing with a relic of St. Gerard Majella, the patron saint of expectant mothers.

Families were also invited to bring rosaries and holy cards to be blessed, and to inscribe their children's names in the Book of Life, which is permanently displayed at the cathedral.

(Photos by Steven Stechschulte | Special to Detroit Catholic)