Broken Bay begins Safeguarding Month with the Liturgy of Lament

Each year the Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay highlights the importance of Safeguarding during the month of September. The month begins with the annual Liturgy of Lament to acknowledge and pray to God for those who have suffered harm by the Catholic Church, and to give public expression to our sorrow. The theme for this year’s liturgy is “Listening to the past; caring for the future.”

The Liturgy will be held on Tuesday 1 September at 7.00pm at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, Waitara. With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, a limited number of people will be present at the Liturgy, and for the first time it will be live streamed for people to view at home. You can view by clicking on the link provided on the Diocesan webpage. https://www.bbcatholic.org.au/liturgy-of-lament-live-stream 

This is the fifth year that the Diocese of Broken Bay will highlight Safeguarding in the month of September. The theme for this year’s Safeguarding Month is “Promoting the Rights of the Child”.

Safeguarding Month coincides with National Child Protection Week which begins on the 6 September, celebrating 30 years with the theme of ‘Putting children first’.

This year is 30 years since Australia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Diocesan Office for Safeguarding will launch a new Diocesan Rights of the Child Framework during Safeguarding Month.
“In our Diocese of Broken Bay, Safeguarding is an important priority,” said Bishop Anthony Randazzo. “The safety and wellbeing of all people in the community of the Church and beyond, is who we are as disciples of Jesus.”
“It is devastating to acknowledge that the abuse of children is part of the story of the Catholic community. The past has taught us how things went wrong and urges us to refocus again and again on our commitment to building safe communities with a healthy culture. This is outlined in our Diocesan Commitment to Safeguarding.”

Everyone in the Diocese of Broken Bay is asked to reflect on their contribution to Safeguarding in our communities and consider how they can engage throughout September with initiatives that raise awareness of a culture of safety and care.