Print Issue: October 24, 2002

As Our Lady Of Mercy Dedicates Statue To Unborn, Students Reflect On Jeremiah's Life

The Knights of Columbus, Tara Council 6352, donated the new memorial to the unborn. (Photos by Michael Alexander)

By Priscilla Greear, Staff Writer

FAIRBURN - A Marian statue was placed in October, Respect Life Month, in a grassy area by the front entrance of Our Lady of Mercy High School in Fairburn as a memorial to the unborn.

The inscription on the granite base quotes from Mother Teresa, "Where a mother has a legal right to kill her child, that civilization has nothing to defend." It then reads "Pray for an end to abortion."

It was donated by the Knights of Columbus Tara Council 6352 at St. Philip Benizi Church, Jonesboro, who are also starting a junior council at the school. It is just the right gift; as school chaplain Father Paul Burke explained, "part of our mission as a school is that we do all we can to uphold the sacred dignity of the human person."

Council Grand Knight Randy Schroeder and state deputy Don Martin placed a heart-shaped wreath with daisies by the statue during a dedication ceremony held Oct. 18. It was led by Archbishop John F. Donoghue who gave a prayer of dedication. Kirsten Cartoski on flute and Anna Schultz on violin played "Londonderry Air" at the quiet ceremony before a sprinkling of parents, student council members, principal John Cobis, chaplain Father Burke and others.

"It was great. It was an honor to be able to play before the archbishop," said Schultz, a senior at the school. The statue "is great. It's going to be a good memorial for the school and remind us to pray for those who died and for an end to abortion."

The archbishop then celebrated a memorial Mass for the unborn at the school, which opened in 2000 and now has 220 students in grades 9-12. In his homily, the archbishop told the teens that "we are showing to God, and to His Son Jesus Christ, by having this memorial, that we believe in the holiness, the goodness of life, and that we believe in protecting life."

Seniors Kirsten Cartoski, left, and Anna Schultz perform "Londonderry Air" outdoors during the dedication service. Looking on in the background are Brett Bartels, left, and John Cobis, principal of Our Lady of Mercy High School.

He urged youth to resist the popular teenage mentality to live recklessly while they are young, which can lead to sin, low self-esteem and self-destruction and even death. Instead, he encouraged them to embrace the Christian mentality by striving to glorify God and spread his word. He offered the example of Jeremiah, who - living when Assyria and Egypt were both trying to take control of Jerusalem - was 22 when he was called by God. He initially resisted it, thinking he was too young and wouldn't be heard. But he did give his life to God and tried his whole life to turn people back to God's ways. "God said, 'Jeremiah, don't say you are too young. Before you were even born, when you were even in your mother's womb, I had already decided that you would be my prophet, my spokesman. And don't worry about what you will say. When the time comes, I will tell you what to say,'" the archbishop said. And Jesus "is also saying, just like God His Father said to Jeremiah, that it doesn't matter how young you are - God has you in mind, and He has a plan for you to follow, if you will just let Him show you."

He said that call includes standing up for the unborn. "Some people think that having the babies they have made will simply interfere with their lives, and so they have abortions - they kill their own children. This is the worst thing that happens in our world, and God is calling every one of us - just like He called Jeremiah to be His prophet, and just like Jesus called the little child to show the disciples that life is precious - God is calling every one of us, young, old, man, woman, and yes, even carefree and youthful teenagers - God is calling us to do everything we can to see that the murder of children is stopped, especially children still in their mother's wombs, the unborn."

Several students then offered a litany of prayers for the rights of the unborn, for the passage of legislation to protect them and for the creation of a culture of love and life. Student chorus members led fellow students and parents in contemporary Christian songs like "One Bread, One Body" and "River of Glory." After the Mass nine students received recognition as the school's first members of the National Honor Society, recognizing scholarship, leadership, service and character.

Sophomore Anthony McMillan said that his brother in seminary helped shape his strong pro-life stance and that the school Mass made him reflect more on the pope's "very powerful" pro-life message he heard at World Youth Day in Toronto last summer. Through school he has volunteered with the Pregnancy Problem Center in Hapeville and recently took part in a Life Chain with other youth from his school and church, Holy Trinity in Peachtree City. "It works on (helping you) not be afraid of (showing) what you believe in," he said, referring to taking a public stance.

Archbishop John F. Donoghue leads a prayer during the dedication for a memorial to the unborn on the grounds of Our Lady of Mercy High School, Fairburn. Standing by the Archbishop (l-r) are Father Paul Burke, school chaplan, servers Jason Sneed, Anthony McMillan and Rene Lara, Deacon Joseph Anzalone and Deacon Peter Swan of st. Phillip Benizi Church, Jonesboro.

Schroeder said that when the Knights, a strongly pro-life charitable organization, considered where to create a garden, "we figured (OLM) would be the best location for a memorial to the unborn, hoping we could touch some young lives and steer them in the right direction."

Father Burke said that other pro-life activities in October include collecting baby clothes, which students will do again before the Roe v. Wade anniversary in January, and raising money for Jeremiah's Call, a pro-life media campaign.