CHARLOTTE — Hundreds of drivers along Park Road are reminded just how valuable life is as they zoom past the "Cemetery of Innocents" in front of St. Vincent de Paul Church.
Several white crosses that line the grass near signs that say "In memory of the unborn killed by abortion" and "Take my hand, not my life," were broken between Jan. 25 and 26, according to an incident reported to Charlotte Mecklenburg Police.
"Cemetery of Innocents" is a pro-life exhibit in observance of the more than 4,000 unborn babies killed daily through abortion in the U.S. The parish's display is set up annually to coincide with the January 1973 anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision that legalized the killing of unborn children.
St. Vincent de Paul's Respect Life Coordinator Diane Hoefling said this is the fifth time the "Cemetery of Innocents" has been vandalized in the 20 years the parish has been setting up the pro-life display.
In 2012, two banners which carried pro-life messages were torn. Other times, crosses have been removed, and signs and banners have been slashed or stolen.
Damage to the broken wooden crosses was estimated at $200, the report states. It is not known who committed the vandalism, but police are investigating.
The goal of the display is to remind passers-by of the tragic toll that abortion has taken on our nation and the city of Charlotte, as well as to educate and inspire others to defend human life and to help pregnant women in crisis. The display has generated calls from abortion-minded woman seeking help, some regretting a past abortion and other churches interested in doing their own pro-life displays, Hoefling said.
— Catholic News Herald
