Day of the star children: commemorate and mourn in the district of Kirchdorf

Day of the star children: commemorate and mourn in the district of Kirchdorf

Kirchdorf district.On October 15th, the "day of star children" is celebrated, a day dedicated to the little souls who had to leave life before, during or shortly after birth. In the Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen region, especially in the Kirchdorf Clinic, two women are accompanied every week who fight with the loss of a star child. In this difficult time, memorial places in Molln, Wartberg on the Krems and Kirchdorf an der Krems offer a room for memories and grief.

There is a special place at the Mollner cemetery that Agnes Brandl visited. He does not bear a family name and no death dates, but golden and red stars are emblazoned on a wall. A bank in front of the grave invites you to linger. "It is a kind of rest area that invites you to pause," explains the psychosocial consultant. Together with five other women, she created this memorial place to create a room in which the mourners can express their feelings.

Rituals of coping with mourning

In Kirchdorf and Wartberg there are already several such places for star children. These sites are important because they help the mourners process their feelings. "Places, symbols and rituals are crucial for coping with mourning," emphasizes Brandl over a coffee in the Café Illecker. There is also a notebook at the memorial place where those affected can hold their thoughts. "Sometimes it takes a place where I can give my grief life and space," she adds. The bank and glass art are part of this moving culture of remembrance.

A memorial location in the hospital chapel was also set up in the Kirchdorf Clinic. Here, mourners find a souvenir and the opportunity to hang up a butterfly. "The symbol of the butterfly stands for the child and can be visited at any time," explains the hospital minister Gabriele Hohensinn. An estimated 75 to 100 star children and their families are accompanied every year. The recording of these numbers is difficult because the recording can vary depending on the week of pregnancy.

The way of grief

The time in the hospital is often short, which makes it difficult for pastoral care and the psychological teams to support those affected during their grief. "A large part of the emotional processing only happens after discharge," notes Hohensinn. It is therefore important that the mourners learn to deal with them carefully and ask for help. Support offers, whether on an outpatient or in other facilities, are of great importance.

"It requires courage to face grief," reflects Agnes Brandl and encourages to take time for the process of saying goodbye. Since the thoughts return to the place of grief, the memorial place with its burning candles, the mourning book and the small stars remains an important point of reference for everyone.

In this region, the day of the star children is not only a memory of the little souls, but also a sign of mourning and share. The memorial places in Molln, Wartberg and Kirchdorf are not only places of loss, but also of hope and coexistence in difficult times, As reported www.tips.at.