Melbourne Archdiocese held its inaugural Prayer Service of Lament, with abuse survivors, their families, and the wider Catholic community joining archdiocesan clergy and lay leaders in recognising the deep suffering of survivors within the Church. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
The service was held on National Survivors Day on Wednesday, November 12.
As participants in the liturgy gathered in the gardens of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Teresa Rhynehart, director of Proclaim: The Office for Mission Renewal, acknowledged that “for some of you, being present at this service, either physically or online, will have taken enormous courage and strength.”
Noting that the service had been “long-planned”, Ms Rhynehart said the details had been considered in consultation with survivor networks and directly with a small group of survivors.
Since it was the first time the Melbourne Archdiocese had initiated such a gathering, Ms Rhynehart said, “we are starting small and gently”.
Counsellors from CatholicCare Victoria were present to provide support to those who might want it, and while audio was livestreamed for those who could not be there in person.
The service, she explained, had been established “not as a single event, but as the beginning of an evolving initiative” that would continue to grow and be shaped by the feedback of survivors.
Introducing the liturgy, archdiocesan chancellor Annie Carrett noted “the Year of Jubilee is a time of mercy, renewal and reconciliation – a call to set right what has been broken in our relationships with God and one another”.
“Through lament and repentance, we open ourselves to the transforming grace of God, trusting that even from the deepest wounds, new life and hope can emerge.”
Before leading the litany of lament – for the “crimes and sins of sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse” by clergy, religious and laypeople – Melbourne Archbishop Peter A Comensoli acknowledged “with great pain and deep shame … [the] utter betrayal of trust inflicted upon children, young people and vulnerable adults.”
“We seek a way to give voice today to those whose lives have been wounded so deeply, and to proclaim that we believe their stories,” Archbishop Comensoli said.
After the liturgy’s concluding prayer, participants were invited to tie a ribbon on tree branches “as a visible act of both repentance and solidarity”.
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Cry in lament, trust in hope: Archdiocese hosts inaugural Service of Lament (Melbourne Catholic)
