HEALING PRAYER SERVICE for victims of sexual abuse,

held at Stella Maris Church, Beaumaris, 2012

Preparation: Paschal candle lit with 7 smaller unlit candles.

Music being played. – Mozart

Celebrants, wearing alb and purple stole, enter and take their seats.

 1. Member of pastoral council

Opening remarks on behalf of the pastoral council

• Welcome to all.
• Why we are here: An issue that effects our whole community which is struggling to understand the role of the Church in this issue.
• Not an Information night but a prayer service for our Catholic community
• Not a night to debate nor to excuse the evil that has been done.
• not an apology to the victims or the community as only the official Church hierarchy and the perpetrators can do this.
• We the parish of Nazareth pledge our role in alleviating the hurt done when we can and to pray that it does not happen again.
• To express our sorrow for what has happened.
• To state clearly that these are sins against humanity and God.
• That these are also criminal acts and should be dealt with by our justice system.
• To acknowledge that our Church hierarchy have failed in their duty of care especially in the 70s and 80s but still show lack of compassion even today.

2. Member of pastoral council: Matthew 18 1-10: Become like little children

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ ²He called a child, whom he put among them, ³and said, ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

6 ‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes!

8 ‘If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire. ⁹And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell^* of fire.

10 ‘Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.

¹²What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹³And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. ¹⁴So it is not the will of your^* Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.

3. Homily: Parish Priest

topics:            

• We have been warned many times by Jesus.
• Scandals have occurred and will occur throughout our history.
• There has been sacrilege, hypocrisy, blasphemy, deceit, betrayal, yet in the end Christ is present. He alone is holy, together with Mary without sin.
• The Church is holy despite the weaknesses and terrible sins of some of its members.
• All must stand before the judgment seat of God. God is just and will see justice done.
• We come to pray for the victims, for ourselves, for the perpetrators.

4. Prayers of the faithful

1. For the victims of sexual abuse

Member of pastoral council reads:

The victims of sexual abuse are great in number, both in Australia, and around the world. They have been profoundly wounded, emotionally and physically. Their trust has been destroyed; their psyche has been set in such turmoil that a life-time may not resolve it. These people are boys and girls, adults and the aged, some with mental and physical disabilities: a whole range of victims. They have felt powerless and have known deep terror. Some have turned to drugs and suicide as a result of being abused. Some may not even be aware of the damage done to them. The victims are many, and are found in families, in parishes, in schools. In places where they should have found security they have found atrocity.

Let us pause for a moment and join them, as best we can, in their darkest moments.

Celebrant:

Lord Jesus, you were rejected and despised by those closest to you. Your disciples and your friends, your people and your leaders, even your God seemed to abandon you to unspeakable horror. You knew fear and the terror of the night. Be with the victims of sexual abuse. Let the light of your truth give them joy and ease their grief. Heal them by your compassion.

In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

2. For the families and friends of the victims

Member of pastoral council reads:

The families and friends of the victims have stood aghast that those whom they trusted could have treated their loved ones so horribly. They have had to watch the gradual and even sudden decline of those who are dear to them and have been unable to help. The members of parish and religious communities have likewise been traumatised and scandalised. The faith of the Catholic people has been shaken. Can anyone be trusted? Can anyone in the family or the community be trusted? The shadow of doubt is cast over everyone. Everyone is affected.

Let us pause for a moment and join them, as best we can, in this sorrow.

Celebrant:

Holy Mary, Stella Maris, Mother of the Lord, you had to stand and witness the abominable treatment of your son. You saw the wounds of his body, the piercing nails and the distress of his soul as he felt abandoned even by the God who sent him. ‘A sword pierced your own soul too.’ You held your dead son in your arms and felt his life-blood flow over your hands. Be with the families, the parents, and the communities, who have been deeply shocked at the treatment of those who are dearest to them. Be with the Church, whose Mother you are and comfort us. Mother of sorrows, be with us all in our sorrows.

In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

3. For the priests and religious who are innocent

Member of pastoral council reads:

There are many good priests and religious, many brothers and sisters of high moral stature who are patterns of true holiness. There are many true pastors to their flock. All these too have become victims. Suspicion surrounds them. They have been shamed and humiliated and have lost trust and respect. They are doing penance for the crimes of their confreres.

Let us pause for a moment and join them, as best we can, in their dismay.

Celebrant:

Pope Gregory the Great, Pope Leo the Great, Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Therese of Lisieux, Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Pope John the Twenty Third, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul the Second, and all the saints of the Church: be with us in our distress. You stand with us even as we are oppressed by the unworthy members of the Church. Make us aware of you. Be with us and strengthen us by your example. Be a light for us in our darkness. Be a rock of faith when we are shaken by the scandal.

In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

4. For the community

Member of pastoral council reads:

The parish has been affected by what has happened. We feel ashamed and deeply disgraced. The scandal has affected our standing as Catholics in the community at large. We are blamed for what we have not done. We have not committed these crimes, yet we are atoning for them. We are bearing this sin. We are shaken in our faith. The sacraments we celebrate together seem tainted by the hypocrisy of some clergy and religious. Who can we trust? Who can we respect? Why bother with the Christian faith if some of its leaders have disregarded it so completely? These thoughts and many others trouble us. How can we regain the sense of hope and security we had in the past?

Let us pause for a moment and feel our anguish.

Celebrant:

Mary, Star of the Sea; Joseph, carpenter of Nazareth, though innocent you both knew shame and fear. Your pregnancy, Mary, was a shock to many in the village. Joseph, you fled in terror, taking Mary and the child Jesus with you, as you escaped by night into Egypt. You feared to return to Bethlehem and sought refuge in the unimportant town of Nazareth in Galilee. We feel ashamed even though we have done no wrong. We feel the pressure of people’s judgment. We wonder how we shall survive in our faith. Holy Family of Nazareth, protect our parish community from the attacks of those who are evil.

In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

5. For child victims around the world

Member of pastoral council reads:

There are many victims of abuse around the world: children forced into slavery, maimed for use as beggars, girls and boys sold into prostitution, child-soldiers made to kill and maim. Children are tortured and are forced to witness the torture of their families. They are deceived by lies and robbed of their future. The whole catalogue of sins has been visited upon the innocence of childhood. Clouds of despair have blotted out the sunlight of their happiness. They are the innocent lambs taken to the slaughter.

Let us pause for a moment and join them, as best we can, in their plight.

Celebrant:

Saint Joseph, you protected Mary your wife and Jesus the child entrusted to you. You guarded them against the sword of Herod and the sands of the desert as you fled with them. You looked after them in the foreign land of Egypt and brought them safely to a new home in Nazareth. You fostered Jesus the boy and brought him to manhood. Look after all these children who have been so abused in every aspect of their lives. Protect them in their vulnerability; protect them from the Herods of our world.

In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

6. For the Catholic hierarchy

Member of pastoral council reads:

The bishops have acknowledged their lack of due care. In the year 2000, during the Great Jubilee of the Saviours’ birth, they publicly admitted that “when confronted with sexual abuse, and abuse of authority generally, we did not always respond appropriately, and many people suffered serious harm.” Their inaction has only exacerbated the crimes of the perpetrators. Their attempts to hide the problem, to protect the culprits, to prevent the victims from reporting the crimes; their reluctance to help the victims; even the attempt to blame the victims: all this and much more has added to the horror of the sins and the distress of the victims. That same scandal has decimated the Church in many parts of the world.

Let us pause for a moment and join them, as best we can, in their shame.

Celebrant:

Father of us all, those you have put in charge of your Church have not always been worthy of their vocation. Give them courage to be open and transparent, to accept blame and shame, to take on their responsibilities and show true pastoral leadership, to shun every form of hypocrisy, to resist any tendency to vain-glory and self-aggrandizement. Show them the path of humility and service, give them the strength to do penance and make reparation, to give due recompense, to repair the damage, should that ever be possible, and come to the aid of those who have been abused. Help them to be true leaders of your Church, for the good of the victims, their families, the Christian community, and the work of the Gospel.

In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

7. For the perpetrators

Member of pastoral council reads:

The perpetrators have done shocking things, criminal acts. Better for them if a mill stone had been hung around their necks and they were thrown into the sea. Those who should have been examples of virtue have been vicious and immoral, heartless and hypocritical. Yet for them too we wish to pray. They have done terrible things. What terrible things were done to them when they were weak and vulnerable? Their acts cannot be excused. They must do penance for their sins. Sometimes their minds were obscured, their consciences weak. At other times they were perfectly aware of their acts and delighted in destroying and injuring. The cold shadow of their sin extends far and wide. The Lord will judge them.

Let us pause for a moment and help them, as best we can, in their repentance.

Celebrant:

Holy Spirit of God, you are a burning fire. Bring the perpetrators to a full realisation of the dreadfulness of their deeds, the sins they have committed. Give them a contrite heart that they may be revolted at what they have done; may they repent with all their hearts. Inspire them to acts of penance and reparation. Bring them to tears; make them feel in themselves the wrong they have done to others. May they be healed at last, if they are truly sorry before their God. In your mercy,

All: Hear our prayer

A member of the parish pastoral council lights a candle

All sing: Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy,

All sing:         Our Father

Sign of peace.

Celebrant:

Sexual abuse has deeply disturbed the Church and this our community. We are all scandalised. All of us are victims, all of us will have to do penance for the crimes that have been done. We are to be a support for each other, an encouraging voice, and a helping hand. We are deeply troubled by what has happened. Will any good come out of it? Let us turn to each other in encouragement and support. Let us offer each other that peace which Christ came to give us, that peace which the world cannot give. Let us offer each other a sign of peace.

A sign of peace is exchanged

Dismissal rite

Celebrant:

We have come together this evening to face a major issue that has affected all our lives. We have come to express our solidarity with the victims of sexual abuse in the first instance but also with their families, and the wider community. We stand together in unity and mutual support. Despite the scandals, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, the solid rock of our faith.

Let us leave this place of prayer determined to sort out these problems together, to stand up against any form of abuse, to expose it, to seek transparency in all activities of the Church, to be proactive. The future is ours to make. Let us go forth in a positive frame of mind. We can face the future together if we stand together in unity and peace.

Let us go in peace, glorifying the Lord with our lives.

All: Thanks be to God.

Refreshments in the narthex

Brochures are placed on a table