St. Joseph the Worker Parish dedicates memorial to all life

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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Father Javier Virgen, Deacon Sunday Espinoza and Deacon Guillermo Solorzano during the dedication and blessing of the new Respect All Life Memorial.

WEST JORDAN — Saint Joseph the Worker Parish in West Jordan now has a visible reminder of its dedication to protecting human life, from conception to natural death. Its “Respect All Life” memorial includes a monument to the unborn and a garden.

The monument was blessed and dedicated on July 30 by Father Javier Virgen, in one of his last acts as pastor; he retired Aug. 2.

“It’s a blessing to see you all here for the blessing of this memorial that reminds us that all life is important, and we all need to respect it,” said Fr. Virgen, who was joined by Deacon Sunday Espinoza and Deacon Guillermo Solorzano for the ceremony.

The parish’s Respect for Life Ministry made the memorial a reality in just four months.

Fr. Virgen approached Paula E. Terry, the ministry’s chairperson, with the idea in March.  “He wanted something on the ground that he could bless before he retired and so he said make it happen, so I did,” Terry said.

The process was filled with challenges.

“Finding the stone, getting it engraved, figuring out how to set it on the ground. … We had to raise the money, but I’ve got to tell you, God provided through this whole thing,” Terry said. “So many times through this process I had doubts, I could not figure out the next step, and God always provided.”

With the participation of the St. Joseph the Worker community and God’s providence, the 230-pound stone monument and the memorial, set under trees on the church’s west side, is now a reality.

Terry said that the process had a big impact on her life.

“I always knew that God is there when I needed him,” she said. “I have seen it in my life so many times, but for me this particular one with such a short term was so clear. Every step of the way he was there.”

Terry also acknowledges the support of the parishioners who helped with the fundraising sales and who donated to the project.

“As the chair for the Respect for Life Ministry, I was really excited for Father [Virgen] to put this [project] in my hands,” she said. “It is not just about anti-abortion, it’s about all life – respecting all life from womb to tomb, and this is very important.”

The memorial, which has benches where people can sit to pray or meditate, has already proven popular, she said.

 “We have so many parishioners that have been sitting there and praying and talking to God; and to think that this can be used for so many years to come. It is part of the parish. I wish that Fr. Javier was here in the parish for longer, but at least we got to make this possible,” Terry said, adding that Saint Joseph the Worker is a great  community. “We are all called to respect all life  and this is a beautiful way of showing this.