Origin
The originator of the idea of the arch, attorney Laurence D. Behr, a Buffalonian, reports the inspiration for the project came to him in a dream after reading an article entitled The Pastoral Importance of Shrines. The height of 700 feet was chosen because in Catholic tradition 7 is a mystical number representing perfection.
An association was founded in January 2001 in order to raise funds for the project and to organize its construction. The estimated cost of the project is $100,000,000. The initial fund raising goal was for 1 million donors to each give $100. Such donors would have their names inscribed on the arch.
The proposed shrine is intended as an affirmation of the sacredness of human life and an expression of Catholic opposition to abortion.
Read more about this topic: Arch Of Triumph Of The Immaculate Heart Of Mary And International Shrine Of The Holy Innocents
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