A place of remembrance and healing
In loving memory of the countless unborn children whose lives were taken.
A place of remembrance and healing
In loving memory of the countless unborn children whose lives were taken.
A place of remembrance and healing
In loving memory of the countless unborn children whose lives were taken.
-About Us
Welcome to Rachel’s Grotto
Rachel’s Grotto is a memorial for children denied life in this world because of abortion. However, their lives were and continue to be willed and loved by God, regardless of the complex circumstances in which their parents ended their lives in the womb.
Therefore, Rachel's Grotto seeks to be a visible sign of God's love for all unborn children, created in His image and likeness. Not one of them escapes His memory; He knows each one by name.
With this in mind,Rachel's Grotto honours the memory of aborted children by placing their names on commemorative plaques. These are entrusted to us by repentant mothers, fathers, or others involved in an abortion, however directly or indirectly.
Last but not least, Rachel's Grotto is a place of healing, that allows parents to express their love for their children by giving them a name, thereby helping them to reconcile with both their children and God.
-History
A Journey of Prayer, Reparation and Remembrance
The Agnus Dei community has lived in the Frauenberg monastery in southern Germany since 1982. As all of its members are Catholic and lead a primarily contemplative life, the community began perpetual adoration in the monastery crypt in 1985. This was in part to offer reparation for the crime of abortion, the gravity of which they had become increasingly aware of.
The creation of memorial plaques for aborted children was inspired by two key influences. The first was the 'Children's Hall' in Jerusalem, where a voice continuously reads out the names of children murdered by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust.
The second inspiration came from the Marian shrine Banneux in Belgium, where many plaques of gratitude for various favours received have been placed.
We had no doubt that the best place to create a dignified memorial for 'God's favourites', as we like to call them, was the small grotto carved into the natural rock next to the crypt, where God is adored day and night. Thus, in the year 1999, the "Rachel's Grotto" was created.
Having published an initial video about this initiative in 2020, we were contacted by hundreds of mothers, fathers and other relatives, requesting that we place a plaque bearing their child's name. The first grotto was quickly filled, so we opened a second one right next to it. The two grottos currently house more than 4,000 plaques bearing the names of children from almost 50 countries.
-Create a Plaque
Place Your Child’s Name in the Grotto
If you have been involved in an abortion or know of a child who has been denied the right to life, please give that child a name and let us know. They will have a place of honour in Rachel’s Grotto forever, right next to the Lord.
-Gallery
Moments from the Grotto Chapel
-Testimonies
Voices of Healing from Rachel’s Grotto
I have suffered all my life because of the decision I made at the age of 21. I am now 50. I hope your initiative will soon spread around the world and raise awareness in society. Giving the child a name and a plaque makes their existence feel so real and is so liberating. At the same time, it should make us reflect on the lives we did not allow to be born out of our own or society’s convenience. I take my responsibility, and this will always be my pain.Â
(Martha)
I can’t tell you how happy I am to see the picture of the plaque! It’s been over 20 years, and this child has never had a name or an identity. I am not his mother, but his aunt. But it is as if it were my son or daughter because, since I understood what had happened in my family, my soul has not been at peace, thinking of him or her. I wanted him or her to have a name so that I could pray for this little angel. You can’t imagine how much this means to me! May the Lord pour out seas of blessings upon each of you, and may you continue to bring comfort to as many souls as possible.
(Aracely, Nicaragua)
This year marks forty years since we made the decision to have an abortion. Our daughter would be 40 years old. Forty years is how long the Jews wandered in the desert before entering the Promised Land. Forty days the prophet Elijah walked in the desert until he reached Mount Horeb. Forty days Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public life. After forty years of desert in our lives, God, through you, has come to bring redemption and healing to our hearts.
(Eduardo, Chile)
One day, in the midst of my sadness, I came across a video called ‘Rachel’s Grotto’. I cried a lot while watching it. In August 2024, I wrote to you and was delighted to receive a response. However, the real gift came one month later when I received photos of the plaques. Seeing the plaques with my children’s names on them was a gift from the Lord; it brought me rest and peace. All my feelings of pain and guilt disappeared when I saw that my children were in a holy place. I felt so relieved and the hope that I had lost came back into my life.
(Paula, Colombia)
I am the mother of another innocent abortion victim. Nearly 30 years have passed, yet I still haven’t got over it. In fact, I don’t think I ever will be. However, it is a comfort to know that there are people like you who care for these little souls. Please place his name in the grotto so that my little boy will have a tombstone worthy of a child of God. I have already asked Mary to be his mother in Heaven forever.
(Lenna)
I thank you so much for this beautiful initiative of love for the children, providing them with a worthy place where their little souls will be remembered with love. Transforming something terrible and painful into something good and healing is an act that only God can perform through people like you!
(Georgina, Brasil)
-Contact Us
We’re Here for You
If you have questions, or wish to connect with someone from our team, please reach out. We welcome your message with warmth and respect.
