Blessing at First Bath

At her first bath we blessed Junia with my Father's ashes. His ashes have been an important part of events for me since his death. They have traveled with me as I've gone from place to place, they have been spread in places that I love, they blessed Sean's body when he first served as a hospital chaplain, and they blessed our bodies again moments before the start of our wedding ceremony. It only made sense to me to include his ashes in one of the first events of our daughter's life. So at her first bath, I sat her on my lap in the bathtub and Sean and I shared this blessing with her.


Blessing of Ancestors


Newest member of this family, beloved Junia,
We welcome you to our home. We welcome you to our family.

(Sean and I dip our fingers in my Dad’s ashes)

We touch your face with the ashes of your ancestors. Knowing that you will see, smell, hear and taste the world they’ve made, and that you’ll encounter it in your own way.

(Sean and I dip our fingers in my Dad’s ashes)

We touch your arms and hands hoping you’ll embrace who you are as a Doll, O’Mahoney, Clover, Conlon, Knebel, Nelson, Wasmuth, Haverty, Kester.

(Sean and I dip our fingers in my Dad’s ashes)

We touch your belly and abdomen that where you come from will be the center of who you are and that in making your own family you will know the larger family around you.

(Sean and I dip our fingers in my Dad’s ashes)

We touch your legs and feet on which you’ll carry yourself forward. Whether you have the small feet of your grandfather and mother or the large feet of your father, may you know that this family hopes to see you launch on your own.

Spirit of Dad. . . be with her.
Spirit of Elizabeth and Mary Pat be with her.
Spirit of Don and Justin be with her
Spirit of Bill be with her.
Spirit of our ancestors be with our daughter.

As we bathe you Junia
We are going to wash away the smell, sight and taste of your birth.
In this washing you are born into this life, this family, and these ashes.