Remembering the Unborn Victims of the Culture of Death

This week brings two heavy memorials to mind. The first is September 11th. It is a day that is heavy on my heart. Like so many, I have vivid memories of that day, a college senior sitting in Econ class and watching the news. For many years, I have made it a practice to visit the Memorial at the Ohio Statehouse and walk to my church for some time in prayer.

​I’ve mostly stayed off of social media, as others have much more poignant things to say. 
 
That changed a few years ago when a friend visiting the NYC memorial sent me a photograph of the memorial where etched into the stone depicting the names of the victims were the words “and her unborn child.” Those words actually occur 11 times. Ten times for the victims of the Twin Towers and once for a victim of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.  

When I was sent that photograph, I had been working in the faith based and pro-life community for some time. But it resonated on a few levels. What has stuck with me is that arguably the most identifiable memorial in the United States specifically recognizes the humanity of the unborn child. It is a moment of clarity in a world clouded by confusion. It is a small step to make the invisible victim visible.  

The second memorial is September 12th, the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children. It is a day set aside since 2013 to pray at gravesites where aborted children have been buried and memorials dedicated to the children lost to abortion. It is intended not only to mourn children lost to abortion, but to offer hope and healing to mothers, fathers, grandparents and others affected by abortion.  

There is something powerful about visiting a physical memorial or a gravesite.  

Here in Central Ohio we do not have any gravesites set aside for the victims of Abortion listed on the national page for public remembrance, but we do have a number of places where those children are permanently remembered.  

• St. Andrew Catholic Church (1899 McCoy Rd, Cols) 

• Holy Family Church (584 W Broad Street, Cols) 

• Pontifical College Josephinum (7625 N High Street, Cols) 

• St. Matthew the Apostle Church (807 Havens Corners Rd, Gahanna) 

• St. Patrick Catholic Church (280 N Grant Ave, Cols) 

• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church (1033 W 5th St, Marysville) 

• Northside Church of Christ (4427 Marion Rd NE, Newark) 

• Sunbury Christian Church (870 Admiral Drive, Sunbury)* 

• Service at 9am on Saturday September 12th  

There may be other memorial sites or services planned that we are not aware of. If so, please share with us so that we can update our lists as we can.  

Abortion seeks to destroy the humanity of the unborn child, and it leaves behind survivors who are in need of help, hope, and healing.

This week, remember the unborn victims that our culture has tried to make invisible. Their lives were brief, but their humanity never diminished or defeated.