Catholic Prayer After a Miscarriage or Stillbirth

The loss of a baby through miscarriage or stillbirth is a real death and a deep grief, even when few others knew the child existed. Your baby was known and loved by God from the first moment, and your sorrow is a sign of real love. The Church grieves with you, prays with you, and entrusts your little one to the mercy of God. Below are Catholic prayers after a miscarriage or stillbirth, for the baby, for the mother and the father, for naming and remembering your child, what the Church teaches, and practical comfort.

A prayer for our baby

Written for this page:

Loving Father, you knew our child before we did,
and you formed him (her) with love.
We had so little time together, but our love is real.
We entrust (name), our little one, to your tender mercy.
Hold him (her) close in your arms
until the day we may meet again in your kingdom.
Mary, Mother of all children, take our baby into your care. Amen.

Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations.

A prayer for a grieving mother

Lord, my arms are empty and my heart is broken.
You know the hopes I carried and the love I already gave.
Stay with me in this sorrow; do not let me feel alone.
Heal my body and my heart,
free me from any guilt that is not mine to carry,
and give me hope again in your time. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page.

Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee.
Behold, I have graven thee in my hands: thy walls are always before my eyes.

A prayer for a grieving father

Lord, I grieve for the child I hoped to hold and protect.
Give me strength to comfort my wife (the mother of our child)
and permission to grieve myself.
Keep our marriage close in this pain,
and let our love for our baby bring us closer to you. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page.

A prayer for naming and remembering your child

Many parents find comfort in giving their baby a name and remembering him or her in prayer.

Lord, we give our child the name (name).
We will remember him (her) in our family and in our prayers.
Thank you for the gift of his (her) life, however short.
May we one day know him (her) fully in your presence. Amen.

This prayer was written for this page.

What the Church teaches

Your baby is a person. Human life begins at conception, and every child, however small, is a unique and loved creation of God.
We entrust unbaptized babies to God’s mercy. “As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in her funeral rites for them… Jesus’ tenderness toward children which caused him to say: ‘Let the children come to me, do not hinder them,’ allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without Baptism” (CCC 1261).
You may have a funeral or blessing. The Church’s funeral rites include prayers for a child who died before baptism. Speak with your priest about a blessing, a funeral Mass or a memorial, and about burial; many Catholic cemeteries have special places for babies.
You may have a Mass offered for your baby and for your family’s healing. See Mass intentions for the dead.

Patron saints for parents who have lost a baby

St. Gerard Majella (October 16), patron of mothers and of pregnancy. See the St. Gerard prayer.
St. Catherine of Sweden (March 24), traditionally invoked against miscarriage.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4), who buried two of her children. See the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton prayer.
The Holy Innocents (December 28), the infants of Bethlehem who died for Christ.
Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15), who knows the grief of a mother.

Practical comfort

Give yourself time to grieve. Miscarriage and stillbirth often bring physical recovery, hormonal changes and deep sadness at the same time.
Talk to your priest, a counselor, or other parents who have lost a baby. Many dioceses and parishes offer ministries and support groups for pregnancy and infant loss.
Remember your baby: keep a candle, a memory box, a name in your family Bible, or a date to pray each year. October 15 is observed in many countries as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
Care for your health: follow up with your doctor and seek help if grief turns into depression.

Frequently asked questions

Do babies who die in miscarriage go to heaven?

The Church entrusts these children to the mercy of God and teaches that we may hope for their salvation (CCC 1261). Parents can confidently commend their baby to God’s love.

Can a miscarried baby be baptized?

Baptism is for the living. A baby who has died is not baptized, but the Church prays for the child and entrusts him or her to God’s mercy. In an emergency, if there is doubt whether a baby is alive, anyone may baptize conditionally.

Can we have a funeral for a miscarried baby?

Yes. Speak with your parish priest about a funeral or blessing and about burial, even after an early miscarriage.

Is it a sin if I feel angry at God?

No. Grief often includes anger and questions. Bring them honestly to God in prayer, as the psalms do; he can bear them.

More prayers

Texts and sources

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1261.
Scripture: Jeremias (Jeremiah) 1:5; Isaias (Isaiah) 49:15–16, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayers were written for this page.