Cemetery of the Innocents

The “Cemetery of the Innocents” has once again been erected on our parish property to stand as a stark witness to the devastation caused by legalized abortion in our country.  Throughout the month of October (Respect Life Month), you will see the 200 crosses in the front lawn of the school.  As the sign indicates, the crosses represent the number of abortions which are performed every single hour in our country.  This is an astounding reality – and our “Cemetery of the Innocents” stands as a powerful witness to what abortion really does – think of the number of children who might have been born, but were not.  Perhaps some of them would have invented a cure for diseases or other medical or scientific advances.  While there are many Respect Life issues (human trafficking, the death penalty, euthanasia, assisted suicide, reproductive technologies that destroy human life), the most pervasive and objectively and intrinsically evil is abortion.  

 
Perhaps this is a wonderful time for parents to talk to their children about abortion by addressing the issue of “protection.”  We all want (and need) to be protected from so many things: colds, the weather, bullies, etc. Parents want very much to protect their children. Many of these protect ions are safeguarded for us by the laws of our country.  However, some people do not believe that the youngest and smallest children need protection – but we do.  The crosses in the yard remind us that everyone needs to be protected – and the crosses represent those children whose lives were not protected by the law.  I hope that this idea of speaking to the children about “protection” will help you talk to your children about the “Cemetery of the Innocents.”