We welcome you to join us for the candle lighting on Oct. 15, 2025 at 7pm at the IRIS Office. 218 3rd Ave. NW Faribault MN 55021 USA. Bring a heart with your child’s name on it, a candle, and any other keepsake for this event. We will start with a welcome and poems and finish with refreshments!
October 15th is International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Every year at 7 PM your time zone, candles are lit in honor of the sweet souls gone too soon. This creates a wave of light ensuring there’s candles lit all day. This can be done in your home or in a gathering.
This IRIS heart tradition began in 2019 with Memorial Hearts being placed in the cradle of the weeping Angel that is in front of the IRIS Office. Over the last 6 years IRIS has collected 3,832 hearts.
Check our Facebook page to see the lists of the names from A-Z that are on these precious hearts. Because there are so many children being remembered, we have chosen to list their names alphabetical by first name.
Everyone is welcome to make a heart to be placed in the cradle. Hearts can be any size and made or anything you would like, they can have pictures on them, ultrasounds, etc. Remember that Hearts are subject to Minnesota weather in October (rain, sleet, ice, snow, fog, heat, and cold) We suggest making them water resistant/proof. consider making 2 hearts, one as a keepsake for you and one to share with IRIS. If that is not possible be sure to take photos.
Hearts will be kept, catalogued, stored by IRIS, and on display in future years. Because of the volume of Hearts we are unable to return them to you. Mail hearts to:
IRIS - Hearts
218 3rd Ave. NW
Faribault, MN 55021
USA
Unable to send a Heart? IRIS is able to add your child’s name and date(s) to a heart. Private message us with your child’s info. The deadline for this is October 14th.
Because of the volume of names received we are unable to send you individual pictures of your child’s heart and suggest that you watch our social media for pictures from the 7 pm service on October 15th.
Please share with other grieving parents around the world. Let us know if you have any questions.
The life size, bronze statue, I Knew you in the Womb by Timothy P. Schmalz, depicts an Angel weeping over an empty cradle. Hearts are placed in that cradle and around the Angel for 24 hours depending on the weather.
IRIS has arranged for many locations around MN and surrounding states to be lit in pink and blue. Please share pictures if you see pink and blue lights.
