
Image of Indi via Gofundme
CV NEWS FEED // The emotional funeral of baby Indi Gregory took place on Friday, December 1 at St. Barnabas Cathedral in Nottingham, England.
Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham celebrated the Mass for the repose of the infant’s soul after the UK government tragically denied her parents the right to seek further treatment for her in Italy.
McKinney’s homily reflected on a Gospel passage chosen by Indi’s parents, Dean and Claire, in which Jesus expresses his love for children.
“As Jesus was traveling around with his disciples, teaching people about the love God has for each person, parents naturally wanted to bring their children to Jesus so that he would bless them,” the bishop began:
When Jesus became aware that his disciples, his closest followers and friends, were preventing this, he was angry with them: “Let the children come to me, do not stop them; for it is to such as these little children that the Kingdom of God belongs.” This is a strong and powerful message from Jesus.
McKinney emphasized Christ’s message to the faithful that children possess all the “necessary qualities so as to share in His Kingdom of Heaven.” For this reason, he noted the significance of Indi’s parents deciding to have her baptized.
“They wanted her to know God’s love and to be able to be close to Jesus forever, and I know this truth gives them great comfort,” he said, adding that the sacrament also enabled them to comfort their second youngest child Vienna (six) “by explaining to her that baby Indi was now in a very special place called Heaven where she continues to be loved and cared for by Jesus and all his angels and saints.”
McKinney continued:
Indi’s short life serves to remind us of how precious life is, how precious every person is; she reminds us of how precious is the dignity of every human being; that whether a baby in the womb, someone very young like Indi, or elderly, healthy or sick, big or small, each person is of infinite value and is to be respected as such. That’s a wonderful legacy of Indi’s short life on earth.
The funeral service also included a tribute from Indi’s father, who described Indi’s “weakest point, her health problems,” as the point that “distinguished Indi as a true warrior.”
“I just knew, from the start, she was very special,” Gregory said. “Nonetheless, I could never have imagined the sort of journey we and Indi would have had to go through to fight for her life.”
Gregory described “Indi’s determination to fight for a chance at life” during her short eight months as “truly incredible.” Indi battled recurring seizures, two operations, sepsis, E. coli, and numerous infections before her final struggle with a rare metabolic disorder called mitochondrial disease.
Indi was on life support in early November at Nottingham’s Queen Medical Center (QMC). After the High Court of London ruled that it would be in the child’s “best interests” to be removed from life support, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni granted Indi Italian citizenship and the Vatican offered to treat her at its pediatric hospital, Bambino Gesu.
British Justice Robert Peel denied Indi’s parents’ appeal to have the right to seek treatment in Italy.
“I would have done anything for lndi to have had that chance to live which was denied her,” Gregory said in his tribute. “She had to fight to live from day one of her life. I was even willing to go down into the pits of hell to fight and to protect lndi. In a way I did, because the court system itself felt like being in hell to me.”
Indi’s father described the Italian government as the child’s “guardian angels” and thanked them for their “amazing support and love.”
He concluded:
But, my greatest comfort, at this difficult time, is knowing where lndi is and with whom she is now. I had lndi baptized to protect her and so she would go to Heaven. It gives me peace to know she is in Heaven and God is taking care of her. I thank the Catholic Church of Nottingham and Bishop McKinney for celebrating lndi’s funeral and all those who helped me prepare this beautiful farewell. I will love you always Indi.
Pope Francis also offered his “condolences and the assurance of his spiritual closeness” to Indi’s family in an official message issued Friday.
