When my children were growing up I worried about keeping them safe.  As they crossed a busy road, played in our local park, or rode their bike to a friend’s house.  I clearly remember the first time each one of them travelled by bus to school.  I was tempted to follow in my car to check they had arrived safely.  All children can be vulnerable sometimes.  Like all parents, I wanted to protect my children from all harm, and my worst fears, and to teach them how to be safe as they set out to explore their world.

On Sunday, 10 September, the Catholic Church in Australia marks Safeguarding Sunday.  The day seeks to acknowledge the enormous damage caused by sexual abuse of children and adults at risk by priests, religious and lay people within the Catholic Church.  It makes a commitment to practices and protocols that create and maintain safe environments for all.  It also invites us to pray for those harmed, directly or indirectly, by abuse.

During the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse we heard many stories from survivors and their families of the profound trauma and broad-ranging impacts of child sexual abuse, experienced during their childhood and throughout their adult lives.  Child sexual abuse can have fatal consequences for some victims.

Safeguarding Sunday reminds us of the need to look after everyone in our parishes, especially children and adults at risk.  There are a number of ways we can do this across our communities.  If you are in ministry of any kind in our parishes, you can check if your safeguarding requirements are up to date.  As a community member you can seek to understand the Code of Conduct which outlines the principles, values and behaviours around which our parishes operate.  You can also voice your concerns about parish life, the physical environment, or particular concerns around anyone’s safety. Contact the Parish Office or speak with a Parish Life Team member at weekend Mass. Together we can ensure that our parishes and churches are places of welcome and safety.

And by the way, I promise I didn’t follow that bus, tempting as it was.

By Tricia Norman