Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese REPORT
19 Oct 2012
In a revolutionary move, the unborn children from terminated pregnancies now have their own special memorial in the Catholic section of Rookwood Cemetery. A specially commissioned statue of the Madonna and Child, depicted in bronze by Italian craftsmen, now stands a short walk from the Sacred Heart Chapel and adjacent to the Catholic Mausoleum.
At the base of the statue a plaque reads: "In Loving Memory of Unborn Children" and is accompanied by the words from Isaiah 49:1: "From my mother's womb, the Lord gave me my name."
"Each day in NSW 82 children have their lives taken by abortion. We know many mothers and fathers grieve for the loss of these children and as a Catholic community we wanted to provide a beautiful place to mourn and remember the many unborn infants who did not make it to birth," says Chris Meney, Director of the Archdiocese of Sydney's Life, Marriage and Family Centre.
The chief instigator of this poignant and moving memorial, Chris says the statue of the Madonna and Child was chosen to express the maternal love, tenderness and compassion the Holy Virgin feels for every grieving mother and every child whose life has ended prematurely.
"In recent years Memorials to the Unborn have been established in many churches, cemeteries and communities around the world, especially across the United States," he says, adding that these memorials reflect a growing recognition of the preciousness of life and the need for a physical place to mourn and remember the many unborn children who do not make it to birth.
In addition to providing a tranquil setting for those who terminated a pregnancy through abortion to grieve their loss, and try to overcome the guilt and terrible pain of that decision, the Memorial to Unborn Children also provides solace and comfort to parents who suffered the tragedy of losing a much-wanted and loved child to miscarriage.
In NSW alone an estimated 128 unborn children are lost to miscarriages particularly in the early stages of pregnancy, every day. The loss is keenly felt but the depth of the grief felt by the unborn baby's mother and father frequently goes unacknowledged by extended family and friends.
Three years ago in July 2009, the loss of children who are still born or who are lost in the later stages of pregnancy was recognised by the Archdiocese of Sydney's Catholic Cemeteries Board. They put aside a special consecrated area for their interment just inside the glass doors of the Catholic Mausoleum of Resurrection at Rookwood.
Called Holy Innocence, the sacred area provides crypt niches for the cremated remains of stillborn infants, and in an Australian first these are available free to grieving parents at a saving of many thousands of dollars.
"Most young parents who suffer the tragedy of a still-born infant don't have their own burial plot nor do they have the financial resources to buy one," says Peter O'Meara, Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Cemeteries Board. "This was why our previous CEO, Michael McMahon and the rest of the Board decided to offer a crypt niche to stillborn babies at no charge."
In the three years since Holy Innocence was established for stillborn babies and infants who die in the womb in the later stages of pregnancy, several couples have found solace and peace by having their unborn but much loved infant given at permanent resting place at the Mausoleum.
Now the deep sadness and grief of those who lost their children to miscarriage and the sorrow and perhaps ongoing regret of those who decided to terminate their pregnancies have been recognised with a statue of Our Lady holding the Christ Child as a beautiful and permanent memorial to these unborn infants.
"From the start we gave our full support and financial backing to this initiative, and found an area in a quiet and beautiful section of the cemetery for the memorial where parents and their families can pray, reflect and find comfort," says Peter O'Meara.
Although the Cemeteries Board gave its financial support to the project, the initiative was driven by Archdiocese of Sydney's Life, Family and Marriage Centre with the full support and backing of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.
Installed earlier this month, the statue was blessed by Bishop Peter Comensoli, Episcopal Vicar for the Life, Family and Marriage Centre after a Mass celebrated at the Sacred Heart Chapel in the Catholic section of the Rookwood Necropolis.
"We pray that all who look upon this statue of Mary and her Child will be comforted in their grief and strengthened in faith, hope and love as they entrust their little one to her love and look forward with hope to the joy of the resurrection," Chris Meney says.
The Madonna and Child Memorial stands at the junction of Lawns 5, 6 and 7 a short distance from the Chapel of the Sacred Heart.
shared FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
19 Oct 2012
The Madonna and Child Memorial to Unborn Children Story on unborn and also tied in with still born wall Holy Innocents installed three years ago
At the base of the statue a plaque reads: "In Loving Memory of Unborn Children" and is accompanied by the words from Isaiah 49:1: "From my mother's womb, the Lord gave me my name."
"Each day in NSW 82 children have their lives taken by abortion. We know many mothers and fathers grieve for the loss of these children and as a Catholic community we wanted to provide a beautiful place to mourn and remember the many unborn infants who did not make it to birth," says Chris Meney, Director of the Archdiocese of Sydney's Life, Marriage and Family Centre.
The chief instigator of this poignant and moving memorial, Chris says the statue of the Madonna and Child was chosen to express the maternal love, tenderness and compassion the Holy Virgin feels for every grieving mother and every child whose life has ended prematurely.
"In recent years Memorials to the Unborn have been established in many churches, cemeteries and communities around the world, especially across the United States," he says, adding that these memorials reflect a growing recognition of the preciousness of life and the need for a physical place to mourn and remember the many unborn children who do not make it to birth.
In addition to providing a tranquil setting for those who terminated a pregnancy through abortion to grieve their loss, and try to overcome the guilt and terrible pain of that decision, the Memorial to Unborn Children also provides solace and comfort to parents who suffered the tragedy of losing a much-wanted and loved child to miscarriage.
In NSW alone an estimated 128 unborn children are lost to miscarriages particularly in the early stages of pregnancy, every day. The loss is keenly felt but the depth of the grief felt by the unborn baby's mother and father frequently goes unacknowledged by extended family and friends.
Holy Innocents crypt for still born babies inside the doors of the Catholic Mausoleum of Resurrection at Rookwood Cemetery
Called Holy Innocence, the sacred area provides crypt niches for the cremated remains of stillborn infants, and in an Australian first these are available free to grieving parents at a saving of many thousands of dollars.
"Most young parents who suffer the tragedy of a still-born infant don't have their own burial plot nor do they have the financial resources to buy one," says Peter O'Meara, Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Cemeteries Board. "This was why our previous CEO, Michael McMahon and the rest of the Board decided to offer a crypt niche to stillborn babies at no charge."
In the three years since Holy Innocence was established for stillborn babies and infants who die in the womb in the later stages of pregnancy, several couples have found solace and peace by having their unborn but much loved infant given at permanent resting place at the Mausoleum.
Sacred Heart Chapel at Rookwood Cemetery
"From the start we gave our full support and financial backing to this initiative, and found an area in a quiet and beautiful section of the cemetery for the memorial where parents and their families can pray, reflect and find comfort," says Peter O'Meara.
Although the Cemeteries Board gave its financial support to the project, the initiative was driven by Archdiocese of Sydney's Life, Family and Marriage Centre with the full support and backing of the Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell.
Installed earlier this month, the statue was blessed by Bishop Peter Comensoli, Episcopal Vicar for the Life, Family and Marriage Centre after a Mass celebrated at the Sacred Heart Chapel in the Catholic section of the Rookwood Necropolis.
"We pray that all who look upon this statue of Mary and her Child will be comforted in their grief and strengthened in faith, hope and love as they entrust their little one to her love and look forward with hope to the joy of the resurrection," Chris Meney says.
The Madonna and Child Memorial stands at the junction of Lawns 5, 6 and 7 a short distance from the Chapel of the Sacred Heart.
shared FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY
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