The Archdiocese of Atlanta has announced that a new ministry will begin for families who have experienced the loss of a child from miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. The ministry will be called Embrace. In a statement announcing this ministry, the archdiocese said the mission is to surround families who have experienced this loss with comfort, support and education.

Starting on the evening of Sept. 15, Embrace will offer a support group for families that will meet at the Chancery of the archdiocese on the third Thursday of every month. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Chancery, 2401 Lake Park Drive, SE, Smyrna, in Grand Hall B.

This support group will offer an opportunity for families to share with each other and support one another. The Embrace support group will also provide opportunities for families to join together in prayer and hear from experts on dealing with their experiences.

It is estimated that 500,000 pregnancies end in miscarriage annually in the United States, while an estimated 26,000 end in stillbirth and about 60,000 in infant death, according to a ministry leader, Nicole Hartman of Canton. The need for the ministry was first expressed at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council.

The first goal of the ministry is to provide support, guidance, education and comfort to families on dealing with the loss of a child. The second goal is to offer support and education for families dealing with infertility.

For more information about the ministry and upcoming events, visit www.facebook.com/embracefamilies.