1. Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016 – 2017 Project to build a mercy memorial
CWL Tasmania
Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016 – 2017
Project to build a mercy memorial

2. Works of Mercy Eight works of mercy Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Shelter the homeless
Clothe the naked
Visit the sick and imprisoned
Bury the dead
Give alms to the poor
Care of the earth
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3. In the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis called on Catholics to set up a Monument of Mercy
The Catholic Women’s League of Tasmania felt it was important to respond to Pope Francis’ request. Their contribution would be - a memorial built in remembrance of unborn babies lost through abortion.
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4. How did CWL Tasmania go about responding to Pope Francis’ request?
A small group of us met over coffee and many conversations later we approached the CWL Executive for approval.
We wrote a proposal and submitted it to Archbishop Porteous, armed with his approval we approached Father Terry at St John’s Church Richmond for permission to build the memorial in a garden at St John’s.
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5. Local sculptor Ben Tolhurst
…was commissioned to build the memorial – he suggested granite and marble. We set the parameters; Ben guided us and we worked together to refine the details. The sculpture was to be a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket cascading down the front of a plinth, with its tiny head resting comfortably on a small pillow – representing a baby resting in peace and in God’s care.
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6. $$$Fundraising$$$
Thank you to all donors – your generosity allowed us to fulfil a call from Pope Francis to build a Mercy Memorial in Richmond.
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7. The seats form part of the memorial garden.
An unexpected but pleasant outcome of the project has been the donation of money to purchase two locally made seats – one in memory of Margaret Sykes who, many years ago, proposed a memorial for children lost through abortion. The other seat in memory of Tasmanian Senator Brian Harradine, a tireless advocate for unborn children.
The seats form part of the memorial garden.
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8. From Hastings to Richmond
The memorial was loaded onto the back of a truck using a small crane. The precarious 2 hour drive from Ben’s workshop in Hastings to St John’s Church in Richmond was undertaken with great care by Ben Tolhurst and Paul Harvey.
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10. Your Holy Spirit to renew our love. Watch over the stirrings of
Heavenly Father send
Your Holy Spirit to renew
our love.
 Watch over the stirrings of
life in the womb and
bring it to fruition
May it suffer no untimely
birth at nature’s whim nor
violence at our hands.
Let every human life show
forth the Creator’s love and
strengthen the human family.
Made in Your image, let each
child thrive and come to
fullness in due time.
We make this prayer through
Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Noel Roberts
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11. Blessing of the Mercy Memorial 3rd June 2017 St
Blessing of the Mercy Memorial 3rd June 2017 St. John’s Catholic Church Richmond
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12. Memorial Mercy 7th August 2018 Catholic Standard Vol. 3 Issue 7 2017
Read more about the memorial in the Archdiocese of Hobart’s Newsletter – The Catholic Standard
Memorial Mercy 7th August 2018 Catholic Standard Vol. 3 Issue
Richmond home to Memorial of Mercy for unborn babies.
Photo courtesy of The Catholic
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