Join us in a Statement of Hope and an Appeal for Clarity
The Church has long encouraged us to entrust unbaptized infants to God’s mercy, yet grieving families often face uncertainty about whether their babies who die before Baptism are welcomed into the fullness of heaven. By signing, we give one voice to the sensus fidelium—the sense of the faithful. Together we can express our hope in Baptism of Desire and humbly ask the Church’s theologians and pastors to give renewed attention to the salvation of infants whose faithful families desired the sacrament.
Why We Think Baby Brian’s Story offers Benefit to the People of God
A voice is heard in Ramah, lamenting and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.
-Jeremiah 31:15The Lord heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
-Psalm 147:3
The loss of a child between conception and early childhood personally impacts approximately 25-30% of the population—that’s more than 350 million Catholics worldwide who have personally experienced this painful life event.
The time surrounding the loss of a child is a very vulnerable season for parents, physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
The spiritual support, consolation, and pastoral care that these families receive can have life-long impact on their journey with God and the Church.
The grace revealed in Baby Brian’s seemingly incorrupt body may also serve to affirm the humanity, dignity, and sanctity of children from the moment of conception.
In a cultural climate where the humanity of pre-born children is often questioned, Baby Brian’s story offers a powerful witness to the Church’s pro-life message: that life begins at conception and every soul has eternal worth and destiny.
His story can also renew our collective appreciation for the gift of children—at a time when they are too often viewed as burdens rather than blessings from God.
Broad Impact
One of the deepest sources of pain for parents who have lost a child is the question: Where is my child now?
The Church teaches with certainty that a baptized infant enters heaven. But for grieving parents, even with this assurance many still wonder: Are they really there? How can we know? For those who have lost babies or young children after baptism, Baby Brian’s story may evoke an awe similar to that of a Eucharistic miracle—a visible sign of invisible grace, offering a tangible witness to a truth the Church has always held.
For families who have lost babies before they could be baptized, the Church entrusts these little ones to God's boundless mercy but refrains from declaring their eternal destiny with certainty. While the concept of Limbo was never an official Church doctrine and has been set aside in more recent theology, its shadow still lingers in the hearts of many, leaving parents to quietly wonder whether their unbaptized children share in the fullness of the beatific vision.
In Baby Brian’s case, his parents firmly desired baptism for him, though hospital nursing notes indicate that he was not baptized while he was still living. (The chaplain offered a pastoral conditional baptism 35 minutes after death).
His seemingly incorrupt body, however, offers a powerful and consoling sign of hope—not only for parents of baptized children but also for those who have lost children before they could be baptized. His story suggests that God's grace is not bound by sacramental limits when there is deep desire and faith. It becomes a symbol of hope that these beloved children, too, are enjoying the fullness of heaven.
Finally, if these children are indeed in heaven, then they are not only at peace—they are saints. And if they are saints, then they are intercessors. Baby Brian’s story invites grieving parents to dare to hope, rest confidently in knowing their child’s place in heaven, and to ask for their intercession, trusting that they now have personal, powerful advocates in heaven.
Profound Hope
Baptism of desire refers to the principal effect of the sacrament—the grace that remits original and personal sin. Many theologians historically have understood Baptism of Desire to apply only to adult catechumens, who are capable of expressing that desire for themselves. The final state of infants—who cannot express such desire—remains a theologically undefined area, one that weighs heavily on grieving families. For unbaptized infants, the Church encourages us to entrust them to God’s mercy (CCC 1261) but has not yet defined how their salvation might be grounded in revelation and the Church’s faith and practice. The application of baptism of desire for infants is more complex and remains undefined by the Church. As it stands, baptism of desire requires a personal, free, and reasoned act—something infants, lacking the use of reason, cannot yet make.
However, from the earliest days of the Church, infant baptism has been administered based on the parent’s faith and desire on behalf of the child. The Church baptizes infants believing that denying their baptism would deprive them of the invaluable grace of becoming children of God and free of original sin.
When we consider these long-standing precedents together—the accepted theology of baptism of desire and the Church’s practice of baptizing infants based on parental faith and desire—we propose that Baby Brian’s story may serve as a providential sign. It could be an invitation for the Church to discern and consider more deeply the possibility of baptism of desire for infants whose parents ardently wish for their baptism, but who die before the sacrament can be administered.
In a very providential sign of both timing and proximity, we’ve been introduced to Fr. Anthony Lusvardi, S.J., a professor of sacramental theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University who spends his summers working in a parish just 30 minutes from Brian’s grave. In 2024 he published the most comprehensive work to date on the topic of Baptism of Desire. In his book Baptism of Desire and Christian Salvation, he defends the position that the desire of parents may be a legitimate vehicle for salvific grace when Baptism is impossible. While he acknowledges the theological opinions to the contrary, he shows that belief in this hope has been present among the Christian people across the ages. It is precisely this belief which we think Brian’s story is affirming. (https://tonylusvardisj.com)
Baptism of Desire
The pastoral care a family receives after the loss of a child can shape their relationship with God and the Church for the rest of their lives.
Elevating Baby Brian’s story could serve as a powerful catalyst for improving pastoral awareness and care for families facing this deeply painful and spiritually vulnerable experience.
In the wake of infant or child loss, the Church has a sacred opportunity to draw grieving families closer to Christ—by responding with clarity, compassion, and truth. Guiding them toward prayer and reflection on the suffering of Jesus and the pierced heart of Mary can help them invite God into their grief and find meaning and divine consolation in their sorrow.
Some dioceses offer exceptional, tender care to families in these moments. Others, sadly, do not.
When the Church’s response feels cold, absent, or unclear—as it too often does—it can unintentionally drive families away from both the Church and God. The response of a priest, parish, or diocese in these vulnerable moments can leave a lasting imprint on a family’s spiritual journey. Getting it right matters.
We hope Baby Brian’s story will inspire Church leaders to grow in awareness and compassion, to seek out or create resources for spiritual support, and to feel more confident in accompanying these families with sensitivity and love—recognizing that this is often a decisive moment in their walk toward (or away from) the Lord.
Pastoral Care
A Call to the Church.
Excerpt from the article:
”Baptizing” Deceased Infants
By: Martin Leever, PhD; Bridget Deegan-Krause, MDiv;
Fr. Richard M. Leliaert, PhD; Kenneth Richter, DO; and Peggy Nelson, RN, MSN.
Grieving families have a distinct need for some kind of healing ritual, some kind of prayerful response at the time of the death of their precious infant. Truly, the obligation of chaplains and those who care for these families to reduce suffering and create a peaceful healing is the ultimate good and necessary work of all those in this type of ministry. Pastoral ministers respond to such crises every day with creative rituals that name the child and entrust this child to God's mercy; that pray for the parents and call on God's compassion and mercy; that use Scripture and touch and song — that even use water as a healing, refreshing sign of God's love and ever-flowing healing presence. These rituals are not Baptisms per se, but they provide the touch and comfort of the church that is called for; they remind us and signify that, indeed, in the eyes of our merciful God, this child "belongs." Thereby we provide good, effective, and responsive pastoral care without risking violating the integrity of the sacrament and the teaching of the church.
Nonetheless, we also provide responsive pastoral care by continuing to act as advocates for the real pastoral needs of our patients and families. Given our experience, the authors would argue that "all the more urgent is the church's call" to respond to the pastoral need for some kind of "official" church rite for deceased infants. Such a rite could be created from the collected "best practices" of countless pastoral ministers and other health professionals who have created such healing rituals as that of "blessing and naming." Indeed, the NACC has advocated that the creation and inclusion of such a rite in the Roman Catholic Church's official Rites for the Dead. Perhaps such a rite might follow the current "Christian Initiation for the Dying" in the official Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of the Anointing and Viaticum, especially since this ritual book is currently being revised.