Adapted from: Monuments to the Unborn Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life

via Saving Souls for God.

   In his pro-life travels throughout the U.S., Fr. Pavone has had the privilege to bless memorials to the pre-born children who are in danger of abortion or who have already been aborted. Over 1200 of these beautiful sites erected were donations from various councils of The Knights of Columbus represented by Supreme Knight Virgil Dechant.

   Memorial stones, monuments and shrines were begun after a suggestion from the Late Cardinal O'Connor of New York City, NY.

Memorial sites basically have threefold purpose. First of all, it is a common practice to set up a memorial stone in memory of a deceased  loved one. Memorial stones for the unborn give witness to the forgotten person, "the stranger in the womb." (Pope John Paul II)  Roe v. Wade decided that the  "word person, as used in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, does not include the unborn." These memorial stones cry out that the unborn are indeed  persons. Unnecessary things can get thrown away and forgotten; but the dignity of persons requires that they be remembered, especially if others have thrown them away.

   The second significance of the stones is that they provide a place to grieve and pray for all the aborted children, even funerals are held for the children of abortion on the site itself.

   Finally, the stones symbolize us, who bear witness to the sanctity of life. Scripture tells us that we are "living stones." We are to do with our words and actions what the stones do silently. We need to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to do it with a determination which, like stone, is unshakeable.

   Jesus, when some complained about the testimony which the disciples bore to Him, said that if they were silent, the very stones would cry out. Some in our society remain silent when they all should be speaking out against abortion. Thus Our Lord's words are being fulfilled; "The stones are crying out."

You are cordially invited to view some of these unforgettable international monuments for the unborn under the section, "SHRINES FOR THE UNBORN".

                                                                                  Carolyn K. Johnson