More than 200 people prayed, wept and held roses Sunday during a memorial service at Catholic Cemetery.
The somber gathering resembled a funeral service, although in this case there were no bodies to bury.
Religious leaders addressed the crowd in front of an empty, infant-sized casket meant to symbolize the 367 fetuses activists said were aborted this year in Fort Wayne.
Allen County Right to Life had its 18th annual memorial service Sunday. During the ceremony, religious leaders from the Evangelical, Lutheran and Catholic faiths prayed for those aborted and urged that their parents be forgiven. Abortion-rights opponents spoke passionately about “creating a culture of life” and urged the crowd to continue its work to change the country’s abortion laws.
The ceremony was part of 40 Days for Life, a global anti-abortion campaign involving prayer, fasting, vigils at abortion clinics and community outreach. Local organizers said Fort Wayne is one of 238 cities throughout the world participating in the campaign, which runs through Oct. 31.
“We mourn the death of these children who were denied the right to life,” said Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, the first religious leader to speak during the ceremony. “Look upon their mothers and fathers with mercy; lead them to forgiveness.”
Rhoades also prayed for those at risk of being aborted, for the reversal of “unjust laws” and for mothers to get the support they need to “choose life” over abortion. His remarks were followed by similar words from Lutheran Rev. Ron Francis, Baptist Rev. Ron Hollandsworth and the Rev. Jason Freiburger, who prayed that people would no longer think of the unborn as “inconvenient possessions” that could be thrown away like a pair of jeans.
Between prayers, activists read names they had given to Fort Wayne’s aborted fetuses and announced the number of abortions that day. White balloons, representing five lost lives, were released into the air as they spoke.
“April 15, four babies,” said Rochelle Bloomfield, a member of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. “April 22, five precious babies, including Margaret Mary.”
Toward the end of the ceremony, one woman discussed her 1978 abortion and the regret that followed. After she finished, some in the crowd dropped red roses on the small casket and read a child’s name from a piece of paper they had been given.
On both sides of the casket, 367 miniature American flags representing the fetuses aborted whipped in the wind.
Although those who attended the service had strong feelings about the cause, some who did not had mixed feelings about the ceremony.
Sara Palalita, an abortion-rights supporter who grew up in a staunchly anti-abortion home, said she respected those who attended the ceremony but wished that the anti-abortion movement would focus its energy on helping women in need.
Although Palalita said it would be great if the country could reduce the number of abortions, she said she supports a woman’s right to choose.
“I’m really glad we have the choice, the legal choice now, because it’s a very personal decision,” she said.
A spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, which provides abortion services at three clinics in the state, expressed no opposition to the ceremony and said she hoped local anti-abortion activists could collaborate with the group to prevent the need for abortion.
“Planned Parenthood of Indiana believes everyone should have choices and the ability to express their opinion,” spokeswoman Kate Shepherd said. “We encourage those protesting abortion to join forces with Planned Parenthood of Indiana to support medically accurate sex education and access to birth control to decrease the number of unintended pregnancies and thus the need for abortion.”
