A Catholic nun was so distressed by the abortion of an unnamed fetus that she made arrangements to give it a funeral and a name. That sounds nice, except that it is also extremely creepy.
With permission to proceed granted, she began making arrangements for his memorial service by first giving this child a name. A beautiful small wooden urn would be engraved– but what name should she choose, she wanted to know? I gently suggested “Victor”, in honor of her mother, Victoria who had passed away two days earlier and she happily agreed. The middle name would come to her in an equally tender way as she told me of a conversation with a young woman she had met the previous day.
This woman had confessed to Sister that she had aborted her baby, an action she deeply regretted. But she could never give her little girl a proper burial since the remains were lost, and this deep sorrow haunted the mother’s memory. But when Sister told her about her plans for Victor and that she could include her baby’s name, Marie, with his, it greatly consoled her.
And so the service was held on Thursday May 2, 2013 – the same day Sister’s mother was buried miles and miles away. A fellow nun, a lay associate, two deacons, a priest and a bereaved family mourning the recent loss of their own stillborn child gathered around the altar for Holy Mass with little Victor Marie in their center.
