Memorial to the Unborn
The Memorial to the Unborn at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a sacred place of prayer, healing, and hope. Families have entrusted to Our Lady and her Divine Son the names of their beloved children who died before birth, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion.
Memorial Services for Unborn Children
- Entombment of the remains of the unborn child in the columbarium, accompanied by the rite of blessing by an ordained bishop, priest or deacon in good standing with the Catholic Church and an inscription on the granite covering.
- Inscription: We are no longer able to accept new limestone engraving requests at this time.
For additional information on memorializing a loved one at the Memorial to the Unborn, please:
- Call (877) 799-4059 Ext 227
- Email Entombment Coordinator
- Download the brochure
Engraved Names on the Memorial
For many years, families have had the opportunity to inscribe the names of their children on the limestone panels of the Memorial. These names are a lasting sign of love and remembrance, uniting the grief of parents and families to the Cross of Christ and the compassionate care of Our Lady of Sorrows.
At this time, the available space for engraved names has been completely filled. We are deeply moved by the many families who have entrusted their children to Our Lady here at the Shrine.
Future Limestone Requests
We are no longer able to accept new limestone engraving requests at this time. However, families who wish to have their children remembered may provide their names and contact information to the Shrine. These names will be kept reverently on a waiting list should opportunities for additional remembrance or commemoration become available in the future.
If you have already submitted a request and payment for a limestone engraving, please know we will be contacting you directly to confirm how you would like us to proceed.
We invite all families, whether their children’s names are engraved here or held in the quiet of their hearts, to find comfort and peace at the Memorial to the Unborn, entrusting every child to the mercy of God and the love of Our Lady.
Digital Wall
If you, a loved one or a friend, have had a baby die before birth, you are invited to enter the name of the baby below. The baby’s name will be added to the prayer intentions entrusted to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The Dignity of Human Life
Also located in the Memorial to the Unborn arcade are four bronze educational plaques which state the teaching of the Catholic Church on the topics of contraception, abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and the dignity of human life, all excerpted from the writings of Pope St. John Paul II.
“The Memorial to the Unborn eloquently expresses the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe: God’s all-merciful love toward all of His children from the moment of their conception. Even as God Himself chose to be conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary, as the first moment of His greatest act of love of us, so He has taught us the inviolable dignity of all human life. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America and Star of the New Evangelization, is, in a particular way, the Mother of the Unborn.”
– Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 12 December 2008