Evolving Spiritual Care to better support families 

In a hospital, innovation does not always take the form of new technology or medical discoveries. Innovation in spiritual care involves ongoing adaptation to address the human, spiritual, and existential dimensions of illness. It promotes care that is gentle, respectful of each person’s dignity, meaningful, and compassionate. 

During Spiritual Care Awareness Week, we recognize the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s (MCH) memorial ceremony as an example of how spiritual care continues to evolve and innovate. The ceremony creates a space for remembrance, meaning, and hope, helping meet the deep needs of families grieving the loss of a child. 

Since the early 1990s, this ceremony has offered families and members of the hospital community a time to reflect and honour the memory of a child who has passed away. It was one of the first ceremonies of its kind to be held at a Canadian paediatric hospital. 

Originally intended mainly for staff who were unable to attend a child’s funeral, the ceremony has evolved over the years into a gathering that brings together families and health care professionals. 

A tradition that evolves with changing needs

The ceremony has expanded to include perinatal loss, with contributions from the Women’s Health Mission. Collaboration with the music therapy team has added a new dimension to this time of remembrance and reflection. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was held entirely online. Since then, it has evolved into a hybrid format, allowing families and staff to take part either in person or virtually. 

These changes show that innovation can also mean preserving what matters most while finding new ways to do things. 

Innovating through collaboration 

This ongoing evolution is made possible through the collective efforts of many people. Administrative staff, spiritual care providers, health care professionals, and the bereavement program coordinator all play a role in preparing the ceremony. 

A multidisciplinary committee was recently established to continue this work. The committee brings people together to share ideas, review current practices, and explore new ways to adapt the ceremony to better meet the needs of families and staff. 

This collaborative approach is reflected in even the smallest details. Each family receives a small bottle of bubbles and a wooden heart. As each child’s name is read aloud, a heart is placed on an illuminated memorial tree, and families can light an electric candle. The ceremony also includes bilingual readings, reflections shared by health care professionals, and a collective release of bubbles at the end. Each reading is carefully chosen to acknowledge the realities of grief, honour the memory of a loved one, and offer a message of hope, comfort, and unity. 

“Knowing that your child is not forgotten” 

Seventy-four children were remembered at the most recent ceremony. Sixty or so family members and loved ones along with 40 staff members took part, either in person or online. 

Behind these numbers are families for whom the ceremony holds deep personal resonance. Cecilia’s family is one example. 

Cecilia passed away in 2024. Since then, her mother Ida Gueche has taken part in the annual memorial ceremony. For her, the gathering has become much more than a time of remembrance. 

“Taking part in the memorial ceremony each year reminds me just how meaningful it is for parents like me. Since my daughter Cecilia became an angel in 2024, this ceremony has become an important date for me. It gives me a chance to pause, honour her life and keep her memory alive,” she says. 

One of the most meaningful parts of the ceremony for her is reconnecting with members of the care team who knew Cecilia and supported her family. 

“When they tell me they remember Cecilia, it touches me deeply. As a mother, it means so much to know that my daughter hasn’t been forgotten, that she left a lasting impression on the hearts of those who cared for her.” 

The ceremony also gives her a chance to celebrate Cecilia for who she was beyond her illness. A creative, faith-filled and expressive young girl, Cecilia even wrote a song while in the hospital and sang it for a doctor, who recorded it on their phone. 

“Knowing that her voice and her song are still there is a priceless treasure to me,” her mother says. “Cecilia lived, loved, believed, created and left her mark on the world. This ceremony gives me a chance to celebrate all of that: her life, her love, her faith and everything she continues to mean to me.” 

For Ida, those who organize the ceremony cannot take away the pain of grief. However, they offer “a space of gentleness, respect and compassion where we can remember, reflect and, above all, honour the lives of our children.” 

She hopes to continue attending the ceremony every year. “I can no longer hold my daughter in my arms, but I carry her in my heart every day. Cecilia Mylene will always live within me.” 

A lasting connection

Care doesn’t necessarily end when treatment does. For some families, their connection with the hospital continues in a different way: through memories, gratitude and the knowledge that their child’s life continues to hold a place in the hearts and memories of those who knew them. 

Beyond the memorial ceremony, the Spiritual Care team supports patients, families and staff every day through moments of joy, uncertainty, suffering and grief. Spiritual care providers offer a compassionate, comforting and attentive presence to everyone, regardless of their beliefs or life experiences. Their role is to help people draw on their own inner resources, find meaning in what they are going through, and reconnect with the hope, peace and strength within themselves. 

As the MCH department prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary next year, it continues its work with respect, openness and compassion, honouring the beliefs, values and identity of every person it encounters. 

During this week of awareness, we thank all our Spiritual Care teams for being attentive to the needs of patients and their families.