Perpetual Day of Remembrance

Click here to read Bishop Michael Kennedy's letter. 

Lina’s Project was a victim-led community event of acknowledgement and repentance, that was first held on Friday 15 September 2017 at Newcastle City Hall. The intention is that this day be marked in a variety of ways including survivor-led events that will grow and develop from year to year. Lina, a victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of a member of clergy in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, conceived this project of atonement that was facilitated by the diocese. You can learn more about Lina’s Project here.

Bishop Bill Wright established the Bishop’s Healing Fund, which is an annual allocation of funds (up to $25,000) to assist in promoting the healing of those affected by child sexual abuse in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle.  The fund is managed by the Standing Committee for Healing and Support which is a part of the Diocesan Protection and Safety Council.

 ‘Those affected by child abuse’ (also stated as ‘affected persons’) is a collective term to describe those affected by child sexual abuse including individuals who were victims of abuse or the close relative or supporter/friend of individuals who were victims of abuse.  A close relative includes but is not restricted to the parent, partner, biological, step or de facto child or sibling.

Affected persons need to submit a written application for funding. The application form is available for download from this web page.

Approval for funding from the Bishop’s Healing Fund is based on the application being deemed to be of value to those affected by child sexual abuse.

As a people of faith, we offer support to individuals and communities through our prayer. Prayer resources are available below as PDF versions. Word versions have been sent to parishes and schools to facilitate liturgical preparation.

• Perpetual Day of Remembrance: The story so far
• Parish communities
• Schools
• Agencies, Groups, Householders, Individuals
• Stations of the Cross. Available as a Master copy or Peoples booklet or download the PowerPoint.
• Music Resource including melody for the Ode and the Responsorial Psalm
• Song: 'We sing for those' by John L Bell & Georg Neumark. Available as an audio file and as a video.
• ‘The Innocents’, an instrumental piece which is the fruit of collaboration between Zimmerman Service Healing and Support, Elizabeth Seysener, a survivor from the Clergy Abused Network (CAN), and composer David Banney. Listen here.
• As a Grace before a meal: Marking the Perpetual Day of Remembrance

You are invited to join in our prayer response to the Perpetual Day of Remembrance. Together we hope to shine a light of solidarity, a light of prayer, a light of commitment to change, a light of hope.

"The Innocents", a special musical piece composed for the Perpetual Day of Remembrance by David Banney, well-known and respected Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral and the Artistic Director of the Christ Church Camerata in Newcastle. 

LISTEN HERE.

For instructions about how to download the piece, please click here.