BACK TO NEWS & EVENTS HOME

Feature article
Robert W. Chenoweth
913-371-4040

June, 2006

Memorial a fitting tribute to children who have died

May 22, 2006 - Approximately 150 persons attended the dedication of the new Infant of Prague Memorial at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, Kan., on Saturday, May 20. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, blessed the memorial and offered words of consolation and hope to family members and friends in attendance.

The bronze statue with adjoining granite walls is dedicated in memory of children who have died. In his remarks to the group, Archbishop Naumann encouraged parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles to think of the lives of these children-though brief in years-as abundant in blessings for everyone they encountered. The granite walls list names of the 400 children who are buried in the Infant of Prague section at Resurrection Cemetery.

Robert W. Chenoweth, executive director of Catholic Cemeteries, added that memorial opportunities are open to anyone who has experienced the loss of a child, a grandchild, a niece or nephew. These memorial opportunities include the bronze statue, the granite walls, benches and engraved paver bricks lining the plaza in front of the statue.

Chenoweth said that the memorial is situated in garden-like surroundings with a trellis entryway to the path leading to the Infant of Prague statue. The four-foot tall statue is mounted on a granite pedestal/base. Andrew Krawczyk, president of BLP Bronze International, whose firm designed the statue, was among guests at the dedication. The St. Ann Parish Choir, Prairie Village, Kan., provided musical accompaniment for the ceremony.

Catholic Cemeteries manages seven cemeteries in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties, Kansas in the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. For more information about the memorial, contact Catholic Cemeteries, 913-371-4040.

# # #