In the month of October, the Church observes Respect Life month, a time when we are asked as followers of Jesus to recommit to fight for the rights of unborn children, the most vulnerable members of the human family. While the drive to end abortion moves most pro-life activities in the Church, observances to remember preborn children and infants lost due to miscarriage or terminal prenatal diagnosis are also a part of activities that honor the dignity of human life. October is also Miscarriage and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Stella Maris Center presents Remembrance Days for the Little Ones, starting with a healing webinar on October 15. The webinar will feature two family’s stories and the resources they discovered that have helped with their healing. Registration is required for the webinar. The webinar will be followed the next day, October 16, by a Remembrance Day Mass for the Little Ones at 10 am at St. Mary Catholic Church in League City, TX, 1612 E. Walker St. The mass begins at 10 am and no registration is required. Miscarriage and infant loss touches countless individuals and couples, in and out of the Church. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 160 pregnancies or roughly 24,000 babies die before they are born each year after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Because miscarriages can occur even before a woman knows she is pregnant, statistics on miscarriages are hard to find. The March of Dimes notes that up to 15% of reported pregnancies end in a miscarriage. In addition, there were nearly 21,000 infant deaths after birth, in one reporting year (2019) according to the CDC. The physical and emotional toll of losing a baby before or after the due date, is very difficult for women and requires specialized care, emotional, and spiritual support. Catholic organizations have begun to respond, offering peer support to women and couples from folks who have been there. Two such couples will be presenting Stella Maris Center’s Remembering the Little Ones: A Healing Webinar on September 15 at Stella Maris Center on-line. Joe and Cinda DeVet and Paul and Racheal Emig will share their stories and offer resources for healing. To register for the webinar, visit the event page HERE.