Saying Goodbye baby loss service returns to Belfast

Wednesday October 21st 2026

Saying Goodbye is returning to St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast, in November with a very special baby loss remembrance and support service.

Saying Goodbye is part of Mariposa International, a charity whose core objective is to support people who have lost babies at any stage of pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy. It was founded in 2012 by Zoe and Andy Clark-Coates who saw a critical lack of support for people like them, who had gone through baby loss.

With more than 258,000 babies being lost yearly in the UK alone, the charity offers not only a comprehensive package of befriending and support but also these national baby loss remembrance services – Saying Goodbye – for people to join together and remember the children they have lost.

Fourteen years on, more than 250 services have taken place at Cathedrals and Minsters across the UK, USA, and France, and 2026 will see 20+ services across England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and the US.

The service in Belfast Cathedral takes place o November 15 at 2pm. This service is for anyone who has either personally lost a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth, or in early years, or who has been affected by family members’ or friends’ loss. Whether the loss was recent or 80 years ago, everyone is welcome to attend.

Mariposa International has also extended the services to welcome anyone who is grieving the fact that they haven’t had children – due to circumstance, infertility, or for other reasons – all are welcome. Babies and children are also invited to come with their families, as the Saying Goodbye service is a family event.