Renata Steffens
The annual Day of Prayer for Survivors and Victims of Abuse 2025 happens tomorrow, March 7, which is also the first Friday of Lent.
On the day, blessed candles, also called ‘Candles of Atonement’, will be lit in parish churches and diocesan cathedrals across the country, “as a reminder to the faithful of the need for atonement and to symbolise repentance; light in the darkness and hope,” the Irish Bishops said in a statement.
The lighting of the candles and the prayer for the day are based on the Penitential Rite composed and prayed by the Pope at the final Mass of the ‘9th World Meeting of Families’ on August 26, 2018 at Phoenix Park, Dublin. During that rite, the Pope prayed for mercy for the crimes of abuse and asked for forgiveness.
To support survivors of physical, emotional, sexual and spiritual abuse who suffered in an institutional, clerical or religious setting in Ireland, the spiritual support service ‘Towards Peace’ was funded by the Irish Bishops’ Conference and the Association of Missionary and Religious in Ireland.
The support service offers a safe supportive space for victims and their families. The Towards Peace Spiritual Support Service is free of charge and for more please see www.towardspeace.ie.