A Historic Year of Mourning and Hope
In a post-Roe America, where debates around abortion remain as heated as ever, thousands gathered on September 13, 2025, to mourn, to pray, and to remember. This year marked a historic moment for the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children, with 230 memorial services held nationwide—the largest number since the observance began in 2013.

For many, these gatherings are not just symbolic. They are deeply personal, sacred moments of healing and reconciliation, a way to grieve the loss of over 65 million unborn children since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.

The Details
Organized by Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Priests for Life, and the Pro-Life Action League, the National Day of Remembrance serves as both a call to honor the unborn and an invitation to communities to reflect on the sanctity of life. Services were held in 47 states, many at actual gravesites where aborted babies have been laid to rest, while others took place at permanent memorials.

Although Hawaii, Idaho, and Wyoming did not host events this year, they have participated in past observances. Each service was a reminder that no state, no community, has been untouched by abortion.

Zoom In: Healing in Community
One of the most moving services took place in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where Not Forgotten Ministries hosted its sixth annual memorial at Wallburg Town Park. Families gathered for prayer, music, testimonies, and fellowship. Attendees laid flowers at a temporary memorial, many in honor of children they themselves had lost.

For women like Sarah Stanfield, it was a moment of healing:

“The memorial was an opportunity for our community to not only grieve the babies we never got to hold, but also to celebrate their life in Heaven with our Lord… While we will always have that place in our heart that will only be filled when we get to hold our baby in Heaven, it’s a blessing to know that they are safe in His arms until the day we arrive.”
Such stories reveal the dual nature of the day: it is both grief and grace, sorrow and hope.

Why It Matters
The National Day of Remembrance began in 2013, tied to the 25th anniversary of the burial of hundreds of abortion victims in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That year, 104 services were held. Today, the observance has more than doubled in size, reflecting a growing national conviction that abortion is not merely a political issue—it is a deeply personal and spiritual wound.

Tens of thousands of aborted children have been recovered from landfills, trash bins, and medical waste facilities, then laid to rest at more than 50 gravesites across the country. Each grave is a silent but powerful witness, testifying that these lives mattered.

Looking Ahead
The 14th annual National Day of Remembrance will take place on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Organizers are encouraging more individuals, churches, and ministries to host services—even if their communities do not have a burial site—because every state has been touched by abortion, and every child deserves to be honored.

Information on how to host or attend a service can be found through the official National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children website and the Pro-Life Action League.

The Bottom Line
In the wake of Roe’s reversal, America finds itself at a crossroads. This year’s unprecedented turnout proves that the call to mourn, to heal, and to seek God’s mercy is stronger than ever.

The work of remembrance is not only about looking back—it’s about changing hearts today and shaping a future where every life, no matter how small or brief, is cherished.