June 26, 2026
They came in the pouring rain — mothers, fathers, families, from little children to women in their 90s — to celebrate a Mother’s Day Mass for grieving parents who have lost a child, including through miscarriage and still birth.
They sat under a tent at Little Angels Shrine at Resurrection Cemetery and found support in their common grief and assurance their children were watching over them and waiting for them in heaven, as Father Peter Cipriani, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish, celebrated Mass assisted by Deacon Don Ross.
Kenn Devane, acting executive director of Fairfield County Catholic Cemeteries, told the gathering: “I think you are the bravest people in the world. We are very, very happy you are here to share this with us. All week we hoped that it would be a beautiful day, but maybe this rain is symbolic because all of us have cried, so, Lord, we accept the symbolism.”
One person who came was Amy Barbato, who with her husband Nick, has a plaque on the remembrance wall in honor of their babies who were miscarried.
“The grief surrounding pregnancy loss can be extremely isolating, and for the past five years, I have been searching for peace and closure — trying to find how I fit in,” she said. “We don’t have children on earth and only have ultrasound pictures and a positive pregnancy test to prove their existence. Society might not view me as a mother, but I carried eight unique souls in my womb, though their time was brief. God knows I am a mother, I know I am a mother. Having the outward acknowledgement through the Mother’s Day Mass at Little Angels that we are all mothers has brought me profound peace.”
For more information about Little Angels Shrine or bereavement programs, call 203 404-0023 or visit the Little Angels Shrine web page.
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