Melbourne News

Inaugural Mass for Expectant Mothers

Tuesday 19 June 2012

By Fiona Basile,
Kairos Catholic Journal

MORE THAN 80 expectant mothers along with their families attended the inaugural Mass for Expectant Mothers at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday 17 June, where they received a special blessing from Archbishop Denis Hart for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

View the photo gallery

The historic Mass was a first for the Archdiocese, with Archbishop Hart using the recently released ‘Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb’ to bless the unborn child, praying for constant protection and a healthy birth, as well as for women, for comfort in all anxiety.

Executive officer of the Life, Marriage and Family Office Marcia Riordan said, “This new Mass aims to increase community reverence and love for every human life, and to honour every expectant mother.”

“Society today can make it difficult for women to become mothers and can sometimes fail to recognise the important and unique contribution that mothers make. We wanted to recognise and thank expectant mothers for their generosity and courage.

“The Mass for Expectant Mothers provides us with a new opportunity to thank mothers, and to pray for their health and well-being and for their unborn child. We hope it will contribute to building up the culture of life and love.”

In addition to praying for all mothers awaiting the birth of a child, the congregation also prayed for married couples who are struggling with infertility, as well as mothers who grieve and mourn for children lost before birth.

Volunteers and staff from the Life, Marriage, and Family Office, distributed small tokens of recognition to the women, including a fresh rose and a medal of St. Gerard Majella, patron of expectant mothers.

“Expectant Mothers travelled from over all over Melbourne to attend the Mass with their families and many were making it a family occasion, and going out for lunch following the ceremony,” said Marcia.

“I am delighted that so many pregnant women attended this historic Mass and that the Church is considering making it an annual event.”
Kara Considine attended the Mass with her husband Chris and their young daughters Annabel and Jemima. While they made the journey from Prahran, Kara’s father Brian travelled all the way from Bendigo to attend the special Mass.

“With the two little ones, and so much going on, it was touch and go as to whether we’d even make it to the Mass,” said Kara. “But dad was going to attend whether we did or not!”

“I’m so pleased we made it, it was really lovely. As a mum, you’re often busy getting everything ready for the new baby, as well as trying to organise the children, and finishing up at work, so it was really lovely to take this time as a family to stop and reflect on the beauty and gift of our pending arrival—I’m really excited about our third child.

“It was also really wonderful to see the Cathedral full of life with young children everywhere and I was really touched by the words of the Archbishop.”

Read Archbishop Hart's homily

Photos by John Casamento/Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Copyright 2012