On Saturday, September 8th, 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 ones held in Frankfort, Kentucky; Omaha, Nebraska; Romeoville, Illinois; and North Attleboro, Massachusetts, where two mothers read love letters to the babies they had lost to abortion. Afterward, a man in his 60s approached the organizers with tears in his eyes and told them about his son, whom he had lost to abortion 45 years ago. A similar scene played out at memorial services across the country as countless mothers and fathers of aborted children came out to join others in mourning and in prayer.
Several memorial services also featured reflections given by clergymen, including Bishop Paul Gassios of The Orthodox Church in America (Hillside, Illinois), and several Catholic bishops, among whom were Bishop Edward Scharfenberger (Menands, New York), Bishop John Quinn (Winona, Minnesota), Bishop Joseph Binzer (Cincinnati, Ohio), and Bishop Peter Byrne (Hopewell Junction, New York). Numerous other prominent figures also spoke at services around the country, including Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor (Akron, Ohio), Father Frank Pavone (Orlando, Florida), and former abortionist Dr. John Bruchalski (Fairfax, Virginia).
Increased Attendance at Memorial Sites Nationwide
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. Perhaps the most dramatic example was the memorial service held at the burial site of an aborted baby at St. Michael’s Church in Dane, Wisconsin, which saw a 60% increase in attendance relative to last year!
From an organizer’s standpoint, it was particularly edifying to have the opportunity to work with several individuals who, having heard about the National Day of Remembrance only a few days beforehand, we eager to take part. In one case, learning about the National Day of Remembrance allowed a man who had lived for 45 years near the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts to discover for the first time the its beautiful Shrine of the Holy Innocents.
Mourners Brave the Elements, Travel Great Distances to Mourn Abortion Victims
In other cases, mourners traveled great distances to take part in a memorial service. Most notably, perhaps, were the eight mourners–half of whom traveled 75 miles–who offered prayers on a rainy Saturday morning at the Philadelphia gravesite of 47 babies killed by notorious abortionist Kermit Gosnell.
Regardless of the distance we traveled to attend a memorial service on Saturday, the thousands of pro-lifers who did so rightly recognized that we have a duty to mourn the lives of our aborted brothers and sisters, who were made in the image and likeness of God, just like each of us. For if we do not mourn for them, who will?
You can view photos more from memorial services across the nation here.
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 continue to be observed annually on the second Saturday of September.
