Prayer for Healing and Renewal in the
Church
In March 2011 the Pastoral
Letter, Towards Healing and Renewal, encouraged
parish communities to offer public and private
prayer for all who suffered abuse as children.
Over the past two years, the Derry Diocesan
Healing and Renewal Group
has produced some resources for the Feast of
the Sacred Heart. The group also encourages
priests and people to use these prayers throughout
the year, either as a stand-alone service, in
monthly prayers of intercession, or in private
prayer. The initiative came in light of discussions
with people of the diocese who have an interest
in being involved in listening and in reaching
out to survivors of abuse. It is clear that
there is a continuing need for prayer opportunities
for people in the diocese at parish level. It
is hoped that these materials will be of assistance
to you as we continue to journey with this issue
both nationally and locally.
Free Confidential Helpline and Counselling
Referral Service: Towards Healing
Freephone (UK) 0800 0963 315
(IRL) 1800 303416
Towards Healing:
is a new, independent and confidential counselling
and support service for survivors of clerical,
religious and institutional abuse. From Wednesday
30 November 2011, the Towards Healing service
will provide extended opening hours, over the
next three days, following the publication of
reports by the dioceses of Raphoe, Derry, Kilmore,
Dromore, Ardagh and Clonmacnoise and Tuam and
the service will operate on an extended hours
basis, as follows:
The helpline can be contacted
by calling: Freephone 1800-303416 from anywhere
in Ireland and 0800-0963315 from Northern Ireland
and the UK or by email at info@towardshealing.ie
The Towards Healing counselling
service has been set-up with the support of
the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the
Conference of Religious of Ireland and with
the Irish Missionary Union. This service is
the cornerstone of the Bishops’ pastoral response
of March 2011 Towards Healing and Renewal and
is designed to ensure that survivors of institutional,
clerical and religious abuse can receive counselling
and other support services in a holistic manner.
The Towards Healing services currently provided
for survivors:
- Helpline Counselling
- Face- to – Face Counselling
- Group Work
- Practical Workshops, and
- A Friendly Call Telephone
Service.
The Towards Healing services
are free-of-charge, confidential and are provided
by professional lay, independent counsellors.
WEBSITE :
