CANDLELIGHT CEREMONY TO DEDICATE PAINTING

People traveling north or south on Interstate 55 Friday night might see a field full of candles around a 16-foot-high, 12-foot-wide painting of Jesus.

The candles will be part of a ceremony to dedicate the painting, called the Divine Mercy, at what is called the Cemetery of the Innocents.

The cemetery off Siemers Drive is sponsored by the Voice for Life of the Springfield Cape Girardeau Diocese. The Catholic organization opposes elective abortion, euthanasia and infanticide.

Monsignor Richard Rowling will bless the painting for the diocese on Friday.

The cemetery, a field of 4,000 white crosses, can be viewed easily from the interstate.

One of the organizers of the event, Connie Drury, said the field of crosses represents the 4,400 abortions performed daily in the United States.

"The crosses draw attention to the number of abortions a day but the painting of Jesus makes the statement that we can't fight this battle alone," Drury said.

The image of Jesus is duplicated from a famous painting of the Image of the Divine Mercy and was printed and donated by Drury Southwest.

The original painting was based on a vision by a Polish nun, Faustina Kowalska, in 1935.

She claimed the image revealed a powerful prayer God wanted people to say, the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, and promised extraordinary graces to those who would recite it.

The prayer will be said during the ceremony.

Event organizer, Martin Jansen, said the painting was to help the public realize the seriousness of abortions in the United States.

"Although the number of abortions is down in Missouri, we want to educate the public and keep people aware," he said.

Drury said the cemetery and the painting get attention from travelers on the highway.

"When trucks and cars come by they honk," she said. "I think the painting will leave a big impression on people."

The ceremony is open to the public, and people should bring lawn chairs and candles.