interdenominational infant memorial service · june smelcer • curtis and allison russell honor...

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Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service For all those who have experienced any form of infant loss at any time in their life. Saturday, May 11th, 2019 7 p.m. St. Leo the Great Catholic Church 3700 Old Lee Hwy Fairfax VA 22030

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Page 1: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

Interdenominational

Infant Memorial

ServiceFor all those who have

experienced any form of infant loss at any time in their life.

Saturday, May 11th, 20197 p.m.

St. Leo the Great Catholic Church 3700 Old Lee Hwy Fairfax VA 22030

Page 2: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

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Prelude . . . . . . . . . . . Holy Spirit You Are Welcome HereWords and music by Bryan Torwalt and Katie Torwalt

There’s nothing worth more, that will ever come close nothing can compareYou’re our living hopeYour Presence Lord

I’ve tasted and seen, of the sweetest of LovesWhere my heart becomes free, and my shame is undoneIn Your Presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome hereCome flood this place and fill the atmosphereYour Glory God is what our hearts long forTo be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Let us become more aware of Your PresenceLet us experience the Glory of Your Goodness

Divine Mercy Care Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . Will Waldron

Opening Song Good Shepherd, You Know Us(please stand) Words by Robert Lowry

Good Shepherd, you know us,you call us by name,you lead us; we gladlyacknowledge your claim.Your voice has compelled us;we come at your call,and none you have chosen willfinally fall.

Good Shepherd, you warn usof robbers and thieves;the hireling, the wolf, whodestroys and deceives;all praise for your promise onwhich we can stand,that no-one can snatch us from out of your hand.

Good Shepherd, you lay downyour life for the sheep;your love is not fickle, your gift is not cheap.You spend your life freely, youtake it again;you died, so we live - we arehealed by your pain.

At one with the Father, youmade yourself known:‘I am the Good Shepherd’, atone with your own.You loved us before we hadheeded or heard;by grace we respond to yourlife-giving word.

Page 3: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

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Opening Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Father David Whitestone (remain standing) Pastor Brandon Hembree Pastor Bob Smith

Doctor’s Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Dr . Marie Anderson (please be seated)

Old Testament Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . Pastor Bob Smith (remain seated)

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The for-mer things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take de-light in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his year.” - Isaiah 65:17-20a

New Testament Reading . . . . . Father David Whitestone (remain seated)

“None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for one-self. For if we live, we live for the Lord and if we die, we die for the Lord: so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and living.” – Romans 14:7-9

Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pastor Brandon Hembree (remain seated)

Reflective Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I Am Not Alone(remain seated) Words and music by Kari Jobe,

Marty Sampson, Mia Fields, Ben Davis, Grant Pittman, Dustin Sauder, and Austin Davis

Page 4: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

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Ceremony (remain seated until called up):

At this time, each child’s family will be called individually to come forward to light a candle in memory of each child being honored tonight. You will be handed a rose on your way to the Altar. You can place your rose(s) in the vase and then light your candle(s).

The candles symbolize the light of the world which Jesus Christ brought to the earth. Let this light signify the ever-present love and memory of our children that will always live on in our hearts. At the same time, let it symbolize the renewal we must seek as we continue life without our beloved children and strive to walk on with others.

We also invite you at this time to share some words of remem-brance. Please feel free to share as little or as much as you would like, or nothing at all if you prefer.

At the end of the service you may come back to the altar and take home a candle and rose in memory of each child lost.

Memory boxes are also available for you to store any mementos you may have. If you did not choose a memory box at registra-tion, you can choose one after the service.

Today, we gather in solidarity with these families:

• Betsy Stalcup honors her babies.• Alison Baker honors her daughter, Holland Jane.• Patricia Baker honors her daughter Dianna Marie Baker• Paul & Andrea Bayer honor their son, Andrew Bayer• Charles Brancato honors Baby Joseph Brancato and

Grandparents Charles and Susan Brancato honor Baby Cornwell

• The Morris-Bowen family honors their child, Baby Bowen; Amanda Morris honors her sibling Baby Morris.

• Anne Chaloux, friend of Richard, honors his grandson Richard Peter West

Page 5: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

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• Elizabeth DeCelle honors her child Frankie DeCelle• Devin and Stephanie DeFeo honor their son Jonathan

Blaise• Adrian and Leonor Garcia honor their child.• Vanessa and Gustavo Rodriguez honor their twins

Elizabeth Azaria and Rafaela Faith• Xavi Laine honors his sister, Sparrow• The Lynch and Phillber families in memory of Baby

Matthias Alexander• Aaron and Aiden Mata honor their three beloved sisters:

Patricia Angelique, Veronica Patrice and Angeli Hope Marie

• Baby Matta, daughter of Tony and Loreen Matta • Gene and Melodie Miller, along with their living

children, honor their son, Caleb Enoch Miller, born sleeping on January 8, 2010, as well as 8 children lost early in the first trimester.

• Teresa & Mike Morgan honor their Great-Niece, Isabella June Smelcer

• Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell

• Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex• The San Luis Family honors baby angel San Luis• Ryan and Stephanie Vitkus honor the life of their baby,

Christian Vitkus

And we would also like to honor these families and children:

• Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brasche honor Thomas Martin Brasche

• Joseph Michael Grabosky, son of David and Angela Grabosky

Page 6: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

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Parents’ Prayer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pastor Bob Smith (please remain seated)

You are the author and sustainer of our lives, O God; You are our final home. Trusting in Your mercy and in your all-embracing love, we pray that You give our children happiness forever. Turn also to us who have suffered this loss. Strengthen the bonds of this family and our community. Confirm us in faith, in hope and in love, so that we may bear Your peace to one another.

Blessing/Closing Prayer . . . . . Father David Whitestone (please stand)

Closing Song . . . . . . . . . . .How Can I Keep From Singing(please remain standing) Words by Robert Lowry

v.1 My life flows on in endless song.Above earth’s lamentation, I hear the clear though far-off hymnThat hails a new creation.

v.2 Through all the tumult and the strifeI hear that music ringing.It finds an echo in my soulHow can I keep from singing?

v.3 What though my joys and comfort die?The Lord my Savior liveth.What though the darkness gather round?Songs in the night He giveth.

refrain:No storm can shake my inmost calmWhile to that rock I’m clinging,Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,How can I keep from singing?

Page 7: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

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Prayer Ministry Time: Please feel free to join clergy and prayer ministers in the back of the sanctuary for personalized prayer time.

Reception: Please join us outside the sanctuary for some light refreshments.

Page 8: Interdenominational Infant Memorial Service · June Smelcer • Curtis and Allison Russell honor their son Matthew Russell • Dan and Mary Salenger honor their baby Alex • The

Special Thanks to Father Whitestone and St . Leo the Great Catholic Church for hosting this service .

Special Thanks to Pastor Brandon Hembree, Pastor Bob Smith, and Impact Church for participating .

Special Thanks to the following Memorial Service and Infant Loss Support Program Volunteers:

Monique Baroudi, Service HelpPat Fauquet, Crosses

Mary Sue Himpler, Program HelpTabitha Kaza, Bereavement Doula

Kathleen Leffas, Service HelpAmanda Morris, Service and Program Help

Michele Moss, Program HelpAnna O’Neill, Service Help

Laura Ricketts, Bereavement DoulaAbigail Riguera, Service Help

Giovanni Riguera, Service HelpBetsy Stalcup, Prayer Ministry

Carter Stevens, MusicDebbie Wallace, Music

Catherine Zimmerman, Memory Boxes

The Kristen Anderson Perinatal Hospice Program is an initiative of Tepeyac OB/GYN to support and care for families who've received a poor perinatal diagnosis for their unborn child. Learn more at

tepeyacobgyn.com.

Divine Mercy Care is a non-profit umbrella organization whose mission is to advance pro-life healthcare through programs such as Infant Loss

Support, which hosts the annual Infant Memorial Service. Learn more at divinemercycare.org/serve/#infantloss.

Infant Loss Support