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March 27, 2002
Pro-life memorial bears witness to dignity of human person
Archbishop dedicates tomb of 100 babies at St. Louis Parish in Englewood
By Alwen Bledsoe
The ashes of 100 aborted fetuses were laid to rest March 19 beneath a gleaming granite slab bearing the words of America's most famous tribute to human dignity: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." The remains of the fetuses were buried inside a Pro-Life Memorial at St. Louis Catholic Church in Englewood after a dedication Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. The memorial and the Mass were meant to honor the human dignity of the unborn, the archbishop said.
According to Father Robert Reycraft, pastor of St. Louis Parish, the fetuses were obtained under Colorado State Law by the non-profit organization Pro-Life Alliance from a local hospital and were given to the church for a Christian burial.
"It's important to give a public witness to this issue so we don't become silent," he explained. "We need to speak the truth, speak the truth of the individuality of these children killed in abortion clinics."
Legal research for the memorial began in January 2001. The actual building began last October and concluded this month, he added. Parishioners and Knights of Columbus Council 3340 donated the money for the memorial.
During his homily, the archbishop commended the parish for its efforts to build the pro-life memorial.
"This memorial is a reminder to the whole community of Denver and northern Colorado of your commitment to (human) dignity," he said.
Earlier he spoke strongly against abortion.
"The Church's teaching on human life is very simple. It's very hard to defend in a culture that doesn't value human life, but it is not complicated," Archbishop Chaput said. "We believe that every human being, every human being, I use the word once more, every human being without exception has dignity in the eyes of God and therefore should have dignity in the eyes of all of us."
He also said that judgment should not be passed on those who aborted the fetuses and who may have acted out of ignorance or fear.
He pointed to the small wooden box of ashes set on the altar.
"But we are in a position to make a judgment about them," he said. "They are our sisters and they are our brothers and that's why we respect them in this act of love, which is the entombment of their remains in this shrine to life."
After the Mass the estimated 600 in attendance poured out into the street, which the church had obtained a permit to close. Prayers of repentance as well as intercession for those affected by abortion preceded the burial.
Eyes closed in concentration, the archbishop leaned on his staff and prayed silently over the grave. After he blessed the memorial with holy water, the box of ashes was laid in the grave. A prayer of intercession written by the church's religious education program to intercede for the unborn souls was buried with the fetuses.
After the burial the memorial overflowed with roses, carnations and daisies placed there by the children, mostly students at St. Louis School.
"Babies should be born," 8-year-old Mikey Fisher said. "It's pretty cruel to not let them be born. I wanted to come and see this."
The flagstone and granite memorial features a two-tiered flowerbed and a golden statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The grave is flanked by gold-flecked granite bearing Scripture verses, the words of Pope John Paul II and testimonies from women who have regretted having abortions.
Mikey's mother, Cyndi Fisher, said: "It's beautiful, fantastic. People need to understand that life begins at conception, and I firmly believe that. I'm really committed to this."
Others in attendance expressed a similar impassioned commitment to the pro-life movement.
Joseph Gabriel Cuellar is a father of six with another child on the way.
"I'm pro-life. I have a very strong commitment," he said.
Beaming as he spoke about his large family, he added, "It's a really strong emphasis in my family."
He said he hopes the memorial will "be a witness to the community to open people's eyes to the reality that they're taking a child's life. It's a very strong statement to have 100 children buried there."
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