The Knights of Columbus, together with some other benefactors, have graciously commissioned for us a monument to the unborn. Monuments like this one have become more and more a part of American parish life since Roe vs. Wade. The purpose of our monument is two-fold. There is a great sense that somehow we need to honor those millions who have been lost to the scourge of abortion. This monument helps to humanize our epic loss, but also reminds us of how abortion dehumanizes us all. In addition, not every child who dies before birth has been aborted, and many mothers feel deeply the loss of stillborn children, or those children who never came to full term. Only mothers can fully understand the loss of an unborn child, but our monument to the Holy Innocents gives us all a focus and reminds us that we should pray for the unborn, for our society, and for all mothers. Those mothers who, for whatever reason, feel quiet loss over an unborn child, and all of us, will now have a place to honor that loss.
The new monument is in Mary’s Garden and is placed so that it will face the sunrise on the Feast of the Holy Innocents. It might become a teaching opportunity for our children. We hope that it is a touching reminder of the fragility of all our lives and also a reminder that we are all united in this great adventure called life. It definitely stands as a reminder to all of us of what the Church has taught from the beginning, that all life is sacred and begins at conception.
We will bless the monument on Holy Family Sunday, December 28th. We thank the Knights and others for their efforts to erect this sweet, touching memorial to all our millions of unborn brothers and sisters.