As you can see, Danny and Kristin Verdun have three beautiful children but the married couple from Holy Family parish in Grand Blanc have a couple of other family members missing from this photograph: two little miscarried babies.
Those sad losses have led Kristin to co-found a diocese-wide ministry for other parents mourning an unborn child and it’s all being made possible by your generosity to the Diocesan Services Appeal. Thank you. God bless you.
“People get uncomfortable with (others) who are grieving,” said Kristin to the Diocese of Lansing’s FAITH Magazine, “They don’t know what to do with their deep sorrow.”
Hence nurturing a community through her recently established Our Little Ones Ministry means “people are given the space and tools to grieve, and they have support in their journey.”
Our Little Ones Ministry takes its name from a letter written by Saint Zélie Martin, mother of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, to a grieving relative. Reflecting on her hope of being reunited with her own miscarried babies, Saint Zélie wrote: “We shall find our little ones again up above.”
Kristin and her ministry co-founders – Christina Heidemann from Saint Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing and Jenny Ingles, Director of the Diocese of Lansing’s Fertility & Life Ministries – want to offer that hope and other tangible support to grieving families.
The group has recently started connecting with parents who’ve miscarried. Its budget from the diocese is made possible by donations to the Diocesan Service Appeal.
That means each grieving family receives a card, a remembrance bracelet handmade by Kristin, and a print with Saint Zélie’s quotation. Kristin hopes they’ll soon have miscarriage kits readily available, including a container to respectfully hold the miscarried baby’s mortal remains.
The Diocesan Services Appeal or DSA is an annual appeal which is used to sustain the ongoing, day-to-day work of the Church across the Diocese of Lansing. Contributions are put to work, right away, in a multitude of ministries and activities that offer direct assistance to individuals and families and to our parishes, schools, and affiliated Catholic organizations.
The theme of this year’s DSA is “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving”. The text, taken from the Book of Psalms, is aimed at reminding each of us of how we are to respond to the many gifts we have been given by God, including that great gift of His Son, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.
• Additional Material from “How Our Little Ones Ministry is Making a Difference for Families” by Elizabeth Hansen, FAITH Magazine. To read more of Kristin’s personal story and how it has led her back to the Catholic Church – with the rest of the Verdun family in tow – click here: https://faithmag.com/supporting-grieving-parents
• To find out more or to donate go to: https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/DSA
