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Reproductive Loss

Reproductive loss often carries tremendous pain, whether it occurs by miscarriage, abortion, early infant death, premature birth, infertility, stillbirth, or special needs diagnosis. This page offers resources so you don’t have to bear this type of grief alone.

Help & Healing

Black background with stylized white text reading "Springs in the Desert" in a mix of cursive and block lettering.

Springs in the Desert

Springs in the Desert was founded to offer spiritual and emotional accompaniment and solidarity to those carrying the cross of infertility.

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Book cover titled "The Infertility Companion for Catholics," featuring illustrations of flowers and a light beige background.

The Infertility Companion for Catholics: Spiritual and Practical Support for Couples

This resource, by Angelique Ruhi-Lopez and Carmen Santamaria, describes the Church’s teaching on reproductive technologies and provides a rich spiritual perspective on the emotions and faith involved in embracing the cross of infertility.

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Text reads "miscarriage hurts" in a gradient of blue to green, with "Hope after Loss" written in smaller blue script below. The background is black.

Miscarriage Hurts

A website for those who have experienced miscarriage, or are close to someone who has. It offers a safe place to share your story, help you better understands your own personal experience, and connect you to resources that can provide support for your specific needs.

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A golden silhouette of a bird perched on an old-fashioned key above the words "Red Bird Ministries" in a stylized script on a black background.

Red Bird Ministries

Red Bird Ministries is a Catholic grief support ministry serving individuals and couples who have experienced the loss of a child from miscarriage through adulthood.

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Text reading "Rachel's Hope" in blue alongside a black, simplistic illustration of a cherub holding flowers.

Rachel’s Hope Ministry

Rachel’s Hope offers after-abortion healing and reconciliation retreats for Catholic women (or Catholic-friendly women). The ministry offers assistance to anyone who has lost hope that they can do anything to halt the downward spiral of depression and grief.

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Text in dark gray reads "abortion changes you" on a light background.

Abortion Changes You

A confidential space for those who are touched by abortion, whether the experience happened recently or years ago. This website is a refuge for those who wish to tell their story and begin the process of healing.

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Book cover with the title "God's Mercy Awaits You" in large purple text. The background is a gradient of soft pink and purple tones with silhouettes of birds in flight. Author's name is listed at the bottom.

God’s Mercy Awaits You: Find Healing After Abortion

by Sr. Patricia Marie Barnett, RGS, helps women and men find healing and reconciliation after an abortion.

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Ministry Resources

A person with long hair stands facing away, leaning on a metal grid fence. The view looks out over the windows and structures of adjacent buildings, with a warm, muted lighting.

Life Perspectives, based right here in San Diego, provides training and other resources to faith leaders in caring for and accompanying those who have suffered from various reproductive losses.

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Two people holding hands across a table; one person wears a dark sweater and a ring, while the other wears a light sweater.

Grief & Abortion: Creating a Safe Space to Heal was developed in consultation with a group of professors, therapists, and peer counselors to answer questions like, How can I help those who suffered from reproductive loss? How can I be a safe place? How can I better understand someone’s response after an abortion and what the healing process might look like?

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People sitting in a row, some holding books or notebooks on their laps. One person is writing with a pen in their notebook. The scene suggests a lecture or seminar setting.

Elizabeth Ministry International offers an incredible array of resources to support parishes and pastoral leaders in offering hope, help and healing in areas related to relationships, sexuality, and childbearing.

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A dirt path forks into two directions in a forest area, with a wooden signpost on the left. The scene is surrounded by green shrubs and tall evergreen trees under a cloudy sky.

Pastoral Guide: Miscarriage, Stillbirth or Newborn Loss, from Elizabeth Ministry International, provides pastoral ministers with the background, evidence, and tools they need to provide pastoral care for families who experience miscarriage or stillbirth.

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Three small yellow flowers with delicate petals are in focus against a blurred green background.

What Parish Leaders Should Know about Ministering to Couples Experiencing Infertility (Webinar)  by Angelique Ruhi-López, Carmen Santamaría, authors of The Infertility Companion for Catholics

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Staff

  • Director: John Prust
  • Associate Director: Janelle Peregoy
  • Associate Director: Wendy Baez
  • Administrative Assistant: Vivian Toscano

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Catholic Diocese of San Diego

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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