To: All Priests and Deacons – Diocese of Lafayette

Dear Monsignor/Father/Deacon:

As Bishop, I am writing to inform you of a new ministry in our Diocese that strives to support couples who have experienced the loss of a child of any age or any circumstance. 

Red Bird Ministries is a Catholic, pro-life and pro-family grief support ministry that focuses on bereaved families who have experienced child loss of any age and any circumstance including:  miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, child loss, adolescent loss, and even the loss of an adult child.

Red Bird Ministries helps parents to understand grief, how to navigate through it, and how to take practical tips and tools to begin the healing process.  No matter the stage of grief our families are in, Red Bird Ministries will work with families to heal them through the beautiful gifts of Our Mother Church.

Red Bird stands out by servicing and supporting families by helping the couple to understand what grief does to the family.  By supporting both the father and the mother together, we help couples learn how to grieve together and to support each other.  When couples learn how to communicate and love each other through their grief, there is beautiful transformation that happens within the entire family. 

Red Bird Ministries is run by couples, for couples.  All founders and families have experienced child loss and understand the magnitude of a bereaved parent’s suffering.  On their core team they have a Deacon and a licensed family counselor who are bereaved parents that also provide professional services and spiritual direction for our families.

Red Bird Ministries desires to help our Church minister and walk alongside our grieving families helping them out of isolation and desolation (where grief naturally takes them) back into community and back into Communion with God.

I encourage you to inform anyone who has experienced the loss of child to reach out to Red Bird Ministries. They have experience helping couples who have endured this painful loss to not just survive their loss, but journeying with our bereaved parents and loving them through their loss. Red Bird Ministries Inc. can be contacted at (337) 223-2019 or their website at www.redbird.love. 

With every good wish, I am

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Most Reverend J. Douglas Deshotel, D.D.

Bishop of Lafayette