CT PHOTO BY JEFF UNROE

The steps of St. Augustine Church were lined with pumpkins in support of life during an event Oct. 26.

Parish offers pro-life message at Halloween

ST. MARYS DEANERY — The steps of picturesque St. Augustine Church in Minster were adorned with 400 lighted pumpkins Oct. 26, each with a cross carved into it.

The display was a pro-life message as each pumpkin represented the nine babies that are aborted in the United States each day. It was the second annual Halloween pro-life display at the church.

Several hundred people gathered at St. Augustine that evening to pray and show their support for life. The pumpkins were then given away and are displayed at homes throughout the rural town.

The event was the brainchild of David Slonkosky, 15, a sophomore at Minster High School. He enjoys carving pumpkins and last year decided to create lighted pumpkins to honor the unborn. He and some friends were able to collect 400.

Living across from St. Augustine, he decided to line the steps of the church with the lighted pumpkins, creating a pro-life event around a holiday typically devoted to the dead.

He’s been pleased by the support from the community.

"It was overwhelming how well it went. I’m glad we could do something like that," he said. "We’re glad to bring the community together for life."

Slonkosky would like to see other churches and pro-life groups pick up the practice of carving crosses into pumpkins to represent life.