Mothers and daughters pray for newborn infants at retreat

Intermountain Catholic

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Giselle Chavez (left) and her daughter, Gabey Chavez, tie a blanket and pray that the baby who receives it will grow up healthy.

OGDEN — Mothers and daughters from parishes throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered during a retreat at Mount Benedict Monastery March 11 to offer prayers for premature infants in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Ogden Regional Medical Center.

The NICU provides a high level of intensive care to premature infants. Thinking of infants in incubators, mothers and daughters prayed for them as they tied the blankets during the evening retreat.

"These babies are so special and so little and there is so much hope in the NICU," said Frankie Jo Freston, a member of Saint Mary Parish. "Our theme tonight is ‘Hope: The future belongs to the people of hope.’ We have so much hope when these babies come into the world, but sometimes there is tragedy and it is absolutely heartbreaking. My little granddaughter died just a month ago in the NICU. That is why this project means so much to me."

With each tie the grandmothers, mothers and daughters tied, they said a prayer or gave a blessing for the baby who would receive the blanket as well as for the parents and grandparents of each baby. They wrote blessings, hopes and dreams on a card and attached them to the blanket with a diaper pin for the families.

Freston and her daughter Mary, a fifth-grader, prayed the baby would grow up strong and have a chance to change the world.

"I pray this baby is healthy as it grows up," said Gaby Chavez, a fifth-grader and member of Saint Joseph Parish.

Rebecca Candia, another St. Joseph parishioner, plans to continue to pray these babies grow up in a peaceful world.

"I pray this baby will be strong and be proud of who God made him or her to be," said Ailey Irvine, a junior at Weber High School and member of Saint James the Just Parish.

"We pray this baby and its loved ones have good health and strength and the family has peace and happiness," prayed the Bailey family. "May God and his angels watch over you, hold you and comfort you all the days of your life."

The Bailey family includes Kelsey Bailey, a fifth-grader, Kimi Bailey, in eighth grade, Katie Bailey, in ninth grade, and mothers Kristen Bailey and Pam Bailey. They are members of Holy Family Parish.

"These blankets will cover the isolettes (infant incubators) the babies are placed in," said Freston. "They give the babies comfort and they also give the parents comfort because the isolettes are bare. The blankets will mean a lot to the families because they are made with love and special blessings."

Benedictine Sister Stephanie will deliver the blankets to the NICU, as she has in the past. "The joy the parents feel is amazing," said Sr. Stephanie. "They are so apprehensive when their babies are in the NICU and when they find out someone has prayed for their little ones, they are filled with happiness and love."