Ireland: Annual Day of Prayer for Survivors of Abuse

Candles of Atonement will be lit in churches across Ireland today. Image:CCO

Today, the first Friday of Lent, the faithful across the country are invited to pray for survivors of abuse as the Church in Ireland observes the annual 'Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Abuse'. This significant day of prayer was initiated by the late Pope Francis, and has been marked in Irish dioceses since 2017.

As part of today's dedicated prayers for survivors that will be offered at Mass, blessed candles will be lit as a reminder to the faithful of the need for the Church to atone and repent, so as to bring the light of hope amidst darkness. These 'Candles of Atonement' will continue to burn during liturgies over the days of Lent.

To help support survivors of abuse, the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, and the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI), have established 'Towards Healing', an independent organisation dedicated to supporting survivors of physical, emotional and sexual abuse in institutional, clerical, or religious settings in Ireland. For information about the Towards Healing, please see here.

In addition, the Bishops and AMRI established 'Towards Peace' which offers a safe, supportive environment for individuals and families whose spiritual lives have been impacted by abuse. Through spiritual accompaniment with qualified directors, Towards Peace assists survivors in their journey toward spiritual healing, offering free, professional services designed to promote peace and recovery. For information about the Towards Peace Spiritual Support Service, please see here.

For anyone with a safeguarding concern in a Church context, or who wishes to report an allegation of abuse, contact can be made with the statutory authorities, the local parish safeguarding representative/Designated Liaison Person (DLP), and with the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland.

Prayer resources for liturgies today, and during Lent, have been prepared by Towards Peace, and the National Board for Safeguarding Children, and are now available on: www.catholicbishops.ie and on www.safeguarding.ie