Dedication and blessing of tree to remember children who have died at any age will be held May 31 at Holy Spirit Parish

By Shannon Granger

January 2010 was a devastating time for our family, as we experienced the heartbreaking loss of a baby early in pregnancy through miscarriage. Yet, as with all things, the Lord brought something beautiful out of our sorrow.

While preparing to gather with family and friends to mourn our loss, it became clear to me that there was a significant gap in support within the diocese for families experiencing miscarriage.

Our pastor at the time, though a priest for over 40 years, admitted he didn’t know how best to support us. That moment stirred in me a desire to raise awareness within Church leadership about the pain and challenges of miscarriage. With support from staff at the Catholic Centre, we formed a dedicated group—the Miscarriage Awareness Committee.

The committee was active for many years, organizing workshops, giving presentations, producing supportive materials, and sharing resources through the diocesan website. One of our most meaningful projects was the creation of the Tree of Hope.

In 2014, the generous owners of Dutch Growers donated a tree to our committee. We named it the Tree of Hope and planted it on the grounds of Queen’s House of Retreats in memory of babies lost to miscarriage. During a special blessing celebration, a family donated a bench nearby, creating a prayerful, peaceful place where people could come to grieve, mourn, and remember.

Now that Queen’s House has changed ownership and the grounds are no longer as publicly accessible, we are planning for a new tree—one that can be visited freely for years to come.

Although the Miscarriage Awareness Committee has been inactive for some time, I felt called to gather a new group to plan this next chapter. In recognition of Pope Francis designating 2025 as the Year of the Jubilee, we are naming this new tree the Jubilee Tree of Hope.

This tree will expand our mission—to remember and pray for all children lost at any stage: from pregnancy, infancy, childhood, teenage years, or adulthood—regardless of the cause, whether illness, accident, abortion, or suicide. All grieving parents are in need of God’s boundless healing, comfort and mercy.

The Jubilee Tree of Hope will be planted in the parking lot of Holy Spirit Parish, near the existing pro-life monument. This monument, a stone flame, bears the quote: “All human life from conception to natural death is a marvelous gift from God.” It is a most fitting location for the new tree.

We invite you to join us for the dedication and blessing of the Jubilee Tree of Hope, taking place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 31 at Holy Spirit Parish, 114 Kingsmere Place, Saskatoon.

Following the blessing, we’ll host a simple social gathering with coffee and treats in the parish welcome area—a chance to visit, connect, and support one another in remembrance and prayer.

This event is made possible through the efforts of our wonderful committee, Holy Spirit Parish, the Knights of Columbus In Support of Life Committee, the Catholic Foundation, and friends of the committee helping with hospitality.

We hope you can join us. If you plan to attend or would like to help with planning, please email us at: jubileetreeofhope@gmail.com.

Let us come together to share, remember, and trust in God’s healing love.

-30-

Communications and Catholic Saskatoon News are supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca/baa