Mother and baby home survivors to hold vigil during Pope’s visit

In response to the papal visit this weekend, those impacted by the discovery made at the Tuam Mother and Babies Home will gather in peaceful vigil. 

Survivors of the home and relatives of infants found on the grounds will host their vigil at the same time as the papal Mass in Phoenix Park.

The vigil will be held in Galway on August 26th. 

'Bury Our Babies With Dignity'

This photo from the #TuamBabies site should be held up in the front row at the Phoenix Park on August 26.

To this day, the families are being denied justice and the truth.#popeinireland https://t.co/wsamhkJdTw pic.twitter.com/ebtV9kb5uC

— Ciaran Tierney (@ciarantierney) August 15, 2018

'Pope Francis needs to make a public statement saying he is sorry for what was done in the name of the church in the past, rather than meeting victims in private,' Historian Catherine Corless told The Irish Times.

Ms Corless worked tirelessly to trace the death certificates of 796 who resided at the Tuam site.

'I cannot see what the problem is with a public statement of apology.'

Can I ask that if you are coming to the vigil in Tuam on 26th of August, will you bring a pair of baby shoes, nothing fancy, to represent the children who never got the chance to wear shoes. These are for my sister Mary Margaret, dead at 6 months. pic.twitter.com/9Bt1tZ7V3t

— Annette Mckay (@AnnetteMckay15) August 10, 2018

Last year, significant numbers of human remains were found in what appeared to be a septic waste unit at the site. 

'These remains involved a number of individuals with age-at-death ranges from approximately 35 foetal weeks to 2-3 years,” said The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation.

'Radiocarbon dating of the samples recovered suggest that the remains date from the timeframe relevant to the operation of the Mother and Baby Home. The homes ran from 1925 to 1961.'

The site had been undergoing excavations to investigate sub surface anomalies that were considered worthy of investigation.

Feature image: Niall Carson.