Underneath the warmth of a sunny afternoon, a group of Moose Jaw Right to Life members and other special guests gathered in Sunset Cemetery for the official dedication of a bench memorial.
The new bench is dedicated to the memory of any child that has been lost — whether by miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or in infancy — and is meant to be a space of comfort for mothers and families to feel whatever emotions they need.
Sitting in the cemetery's Garden of Angels, which is the specific corner set aside for the interment of children who were lost in infancy, the bench was announced a few weeks ago in conjunction with the new Little Angels program at Sunset Cemetery.
This particular project has been on the minds of local Right to Life members for over two years, and has now finally come to fruition with the partnership of Marc L’Hoir, manager of Sunset Cemetery.
“What I wanted to do was make a special place, with this bench and this garden, so that families can do that interment at a reasonable cost,” said L’Hoir.
The dedication ceremony invited Cindy Latrace, of the Informed Choices Pregnancy Centre, to say a few words about her experiences — both personal and at the centre.
“It’s beautiful to see the community begin to validate that the loss is real, and to support each other through the grieving process that comes with this kind of loss,” said Latrace. “What a beautiful thing, to have a place to go to remember the life that was yours for such a short time.”
The bench is a visual reminder to those who have experienced a loss that they are not alone, and Right to Life president Jean Landry hopes that it serves the community well.
“I feel it was very special [here today], and I really hope that it is shared through the community that there is this place,” said Landry. “Because different people I’ve spoken to have really found it emotional, and are really glad that it's here, and so we’re very grateful that it has come to be.”
