Memorial Monument For Babies With Unmarked Graves

Courtesy of Carlos Rascon, Director of Catholic Cemeteries 

On November 13, 1920, Bill and Lena Jurkovich had twin daughters. They died that next day, unbaptized, too poor for a doctor or priest. They are buried at the Calvary Cemetery in Fresno in an unmarked grave, in an open area with other unbaptized babies in unmarked graves, separate from the baptized, as was then the custom.

On September 17, 2022, a memorial monument by the Jurkovich family for Bill and Lena’s twins, and all the unknown babies there in their unmarked graves, was dedicated. They prayed, all together, as a family, in remembrance and love, for them, and for all babies.

Note: Since the thirteenth century, Limbo was for unbaptized babies, not Heaven, although there was no firm scriptural basis. 

In 1992, Pope John Paul said he could not believe that “our kind and merciful God, who seeks to save everyone,” would refuse heaven to unbaptized babies, calling them “the littlest little angels.”

In 2007, Pope Benedict ended the teaching of Limbo.