Cardinal Cupich dedicates memorial and blesses burial of 24 unborn and 80 poor people

A monument for the indigent, unknown and unborn buried in Cook County was unveiled Thursday afternoon at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Mount Greenwood.

A blessing of the monument placed in the southeast corner of the Catholic Cemetery at 2755 W. 111th St. was paired with the burial of five unidentified people, 24 unborn children and the cremated remains of 80 poor people.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, sprinkled holy water on the marker and pointed to the words of Pope Francis, saying that providing a final resting place for those often overlooked by society is an act of mercy.

"Even though at times we don't include people at the table of life and we try to overcome that, surely in death we shouldn't be alone," said Cupich, who agreed to provide the burial space at the request of Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle.

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