Mags GarganAbout 200 people attended the first safeguarding conference for the Diocese of Clogher held in Clones. Special guests included: Sr Suzie Duffy of the Diocese of Kilmore; Marie Hamilton; Mary Mc Mahon; and Sr Una Purcell of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise.
The conference was opened by Acting Chairperson of the Diocesan Safeguarding Committee, Mary Harte and Pat Drury, Diocesan Co-ordinator of Safeguarding Children Services gave a talk on ‘Volunteerism in the Safeguarding Initiative’.
The main guest speaker was Marie Collins, an abuse survivor and member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. She spoke of her own personal experience of child abuse and gave an outline of her work in the Vatican. This was followed by a question and answer session.