Burials for little ones: How a New Orleans ministry helps families grieve

Michie · 2025-11-19T09:04:06-0600

Sandy Schaetz still mourns the baby she never met.

“It was terrifying and traumatic,” she said of her miscarriage. “I was consoled after by the prayers of a deacon, but never named the baby or knew if it was a boy or girl.”

“It was not something I understood at the time and I only wish I had known more of what was happening,” she told CNA.

Now, Schaetz volunteers with Compassionate Burials for Indigent Babies (CBIB), an organization that buries babies who died, whether stillborn, miscarried, or aborted.

The group organizes everything for the funerals, which are held at a crypt at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in New Orleans.

A shoebox-sized casket lined with donated white fabric, usually from wedding dresses, is processed through the cemetery, with Knights of Columbus present as the honor guard. A volunteer musician plays at every funeral; a Catholic deacon presides at almost every burial.

Continued below.

Burials for little ones: How a New Orleans ministry helps families grieve

Compassionate Burials for Indigent Babies buries babies who have died and organizes the funerals, which are held at a crypt at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in New Orleans.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

Bob Crowley · 2025-11-19T16:44:11-0600

Slightly off topic but this reminds me of a sermon my Presbyterian pastor said years ago. He used the experience of another pastor who was confronted by a child dying of cancer.

The child wanted to know what it was going to be like when he died. As the pastor put it, "What do you say to a child in this position".

Anyway he thought for a bit and then said "There were probably times when you were out with mum and dad somewhere, and it was late. Somehow you stayed awake until you were in the car."

"But on the way home you fell asleep. So when your parents got home, your dad picked you up out of the car and took you to your bedroom and put you to bed. The next morning you woke up in your bed and it was a new day, the sun was shining through the window, but you couldn't remember how you got there.

I think it will be like that. You'll fall asleep, and God will come and take you where He wants you to be.

Then you'll wake up. But you won't know how you got there."

Michie · 2025-11-19T17:16:30-0600

Bob Crowley said:
Slightly off topic but this reminds me of a sermon my Presbyterian pastor said years ago. He used the experience of another pastor who was confronted by a child dying of cancer.

The child wanted to know what it was going to be like when he died. As the pastor put it, "What do you say to a child in this position".

Anyway he thought for a bit and then said "There were probably times when you were out with mum and dad somewhere, and it was late. Somehow you stayed awake until you were in the car."

"But on the way home you fell asleep. So when your parents got home, your dad picked you up out of the car and took you to your bedroom and put you to bed. The next morning you woke up in your bed and it was a new day, the sun was shining through the window, but you couldn't remember how you got there.

I think it will be like that. You'll fall asleep, and God will come and take you where He wants you to be.

Then you'll wake up. But you won't know how you got there."

What a nice explanation for a child.

FaithT · 2025-11-19T18:04:04-0600

Michie said:
Sandy Schaetz still mourns the baby she never met.

“It was terrifying and traumatic,” she said of her miscarriage. “I was consoled after by the prayers of a deacon, but never named the baby or knew if it was a boy or girl.”

“It was not something I understood at the time and I only wish I had known more of what was happening,” she told CNA.

Now, Schaetz volunteers with Compassionate Burials for Indigent Babies (CBIB), an organization that buries babies who died, whether stillborn, miscarried, or aborted.

The group organizes everything for the funerals, which are held at a crypt at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in New Orleans.

A shoebox-sized casket lined with donated white fabric, usually from wedding dresses, is processed through the cemetery, with Knights of Columbus present as the honor guard. A volunteer musician plays at every funeral; a Catholic deacon presides at almost every burial.

Continued below.

Burials for little ones: How a New Orleans ministry helps families grieve

Compassionate Burials for Indigent Babies buries babies who have died and organizes the funerals, which are held at a crypt at St. Patrick’s Cemetery in New Orleans.

www.catholicnewsagency.com

That’s such a touching story.

RileyG · 2025-11-20T01:26:53-0600

May God comfort those who mourn!

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Burials for little ones: How a New Orleans ministry helps families grieve

Michie

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