Memorial to Serve Profound Purpose

On May 24, Bishop David Malloy dedicated and blessed a simple, elegant memorial at St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery in Somonauk. The stone at Mary’s Garden of Holy Innocence and a rock bench before it now provide a place for families to mourn the death of their children under 21 weeks’ gestation who died due to miscarriage or ectopic pregnancies. Tiny caskets (padded ‘burial cradles’) are available for those children’s remains. Families have the option to have their baby’s name and birth year engraved on the granite tablet pictured here, whether or not those children were buried at the site. This service is available to parishioners and any family in the community regardless of faith. Except for engraving, the costs will be covered by St. John the Baptist Parish.

See more in the June 2 issue of The Observer.