Sr Marianne O’Connor
Sr Marianne O’Connor describes a spiritual support service for survivors of abuse
“I feel relaxed, and comfortable with the process…why? –my answer is this because the guilt, blame, confusion, was wearing me down, so with support and guidance, I want to let go, and thus try to move on with my life, being more connected with myself, family, the world and most of all God”. These are the words of a client of the spiritual support service Towards Peace.
Towards Peace is a free service offering spiritual support to people who have experienced abuse– physical, emotional or sexual – which was perpetrated by Church personnel, either individually or in institutions.
It is one of the three services that are part of the whole Church response (local, institutional, lay, religious and clerical) to abuse in Ireland.
The others two services are: The National Board for Safeguarding Children, which is the independent watchdog for all safeguarding in the Catholic Church, and Towards Healing, a free counselling service.
Towards Peace came later than the other two mentioned above and was a response to a request by survivors themselves, some of whom expressed a need to reconnect with God where that connection had been broken because of their experience.
People who have suffered abuse at the hands of representatives of the Catholic Church have spoken about their struggle with their faith and their relationship with God and the destruction of the possibility of achieving inner peace.
Many victims are so profoundly damaged by the abuse, that they suffer for the rest of their lives, feeling angry, isolated and rejected.
Accompany
What then has Towards Peace to offer? It is a spiritual companioning service that is available to anyone across the whole island of Ireland, where not only survivors, but also their families, who may also have lost connection because of what happened, may find their own path to God.
‘Own path’ is important as each path is individual and occurs at a different pace. That is why the service uses trained spiritual companions, not to get people back to church or to direct how they should go, but rather to accompany them as they carry out their own search step by step.
The idea of spiritual companioning – the Anam Cara – is found in many religious traditions. In the Christian tradition, it offers a safe space for a person to connect with their own sense of God, of the sacred. In our world, today, there is very little opportunity to have a space where you can ask and explore the bigger questions.
The role of the spiritual companion is to provide support and encouragement to help each person to achieve their own sense of wholeness, freedom and hope for a deep inner peace.
The spiritual companions in Towards Peace are men and women, lay people, religious and clergy who are qualified and trained in spiritual direction and have experience in journeying with people from all walks of life and aspects of faith.
It is the hope of the service that Towards Peace will get better known and that those who wish may come forward to avail of what it has to offer.
Success, in whatever way that can be measured, cannot be promised because each one’s journey is unique and unpredictable, and the pathway of spiritual companionship may not suit everyone.
But for those who do make contact there is the promise that they will be accompanied and supported as they journey in hope on the path towards peace. That help and support is only a phone call away at 00353-(0) 1 505 3028.
You can also email towardspeace@iecon.ie or see www.towardspeace.ie
Marianne O’Connor OSU is chairperson of Towards Peace.