On Saturday, September 9th, thousands of pro-lifers gathered at over 180 gravesites of aborted babies and other locations throughout the United States for the fifth annual National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children.
Many post-abortive women spoke at memorial services across the nation, including Lori Eckstine (Eugene, Oregon), Frances Mack (Seattle, Washington), Kathy Gonzales (Port Angeles, Washington), Nancy Kreuzer (Naperville, Illinois), and Jennifer — who asked that only her last name be used — who spoke at two services in Illinois.
Another speaker, Catherine Walker, gave a moving testimony at a service held at the gravesite of 2,033 aborted babies at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside, Illinois. Catherine gave a heartbreaking account of four abortions she had over the course of a ten year period beginning in 1979 — a time during which, she said, “I did not know the love of Jesus.” She closed her talk with a letter she had written to her aborted children.
Several memorial services also featured reflections given by clergymen, including five Catholic bishops, among whom were Bishop Edward Scharfenberger (Menands, NY), Bishop John Quinn (Winona, MN), and Bishop Joseph Binzer (Cincinnati, OH). Numerous other prominent figures also spoke at services around the country, including Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor (Akron, OH), Father Frank Pavone (Philadelphia, PA), and Thomas More Society Special Counsel Martin Cannon (Omaha, NE).
Memorial Sites across the Country See Higher Attendance
Not only did the overall number of memorial services across the country once again increase, but several veteran leaders also witnessed a significant boost in the number of mourners who attended their services. Most notably, the memorial services held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (Carmel, IN), St. Vincent Ferrer Parish (Vallejo, CA), and Gate of Heaven Cemetery (Erie, PA) all saw a fourfold increase in attendance relative to last year!
Particularly encouraging is that despite the damage wrought recently by Hurricane Harvey, two memorial services at burial sites of aborted babies in the Houston area still went forward as planned. What’s more, two memorial services in Florida — one in Tallahassee, one in Orlando — were also held on Saturday morning, even with Hurricane Irma bearing down. As the local leader in Tallahassee noted, “I rolled right from the service to Irma prep.”
Several news stories about the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children have appeared thus far in media across the country. Perhaps the best story that has appeared thus far is this one that aired on WLBT-TV in Jackson, MS.
You can also see pictures from several services here.
Those of us who attended a memorial service this past weekend did so because we recognize that we have an obligation to mourn the lives of our aborted brothers and sisters, who were made in the image and likeness of God. For if we do not mourn them, who will?
About the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children
The National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children is a joint project of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Priests for Life, and the Pro-Life Action League. The first National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children was held in September 2013, and the event will be continue to be observed annually on the second Saturday of September.
