From the Parish House

This Sunday is marked by the Catholic Church across Australia as Safeguarding Sunday.  When you think about it, all of us want to be safe.  When we feel safe and secure we are able to be our best selves and bring out the best in others.  Safety can take many forms for different people.  Some people feel safest when they are on their own.  Others feel safer with people around them.  At a basic level, a safe place is going to be a place where I am protected from harm.  Harm, too, can take many forms.  The obvious harm we want to protect people from is physical harm and violence of any sort.  We can also be harmed psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.

This year’s Safeguarding Sunday has adopted the theme of National Child Protection Week – “every conversation matters”.  So, I am encouraging everyone to have a conversation around what makes you feel safe.  In particular Safeguarding Sunday asks us to have that conversation with children, young people and vulnerable adults.  What does safety look like to you?  What does safety feel like for you?  What can our family, our community and our Church do to make you feel safer?  Let’s take up that challenge and see if we can each have a conversation along those lines with someone else this week.

On a very practical note, I would like to address all of those involved in any parish ministry across our parishes.  Those of us in any ministry at all, from reading at Mass to participating in a choir or leading a group, need to take the lead in Safeguarding.  I am pleased to see that all our ministers are diligent in completing and renewing their Working with Children Check when they are required or have expired.  Today, however I am challenging all our ministers to complete their online Safeguarding module.  We have many parishioners across our parishes who have yet to complete this module.  It is easy to complete and our parish will be notified when you have undertaken that module.  You will need your Working with Children Check number to get started.  Join the September Safeguarding Challenge and complete your Safeguarding Essentials training module today!

If you need assistance or are unsure if you have completed the module please contact the Parish Office.  Thanks everyone for making Safeguarding our number one priority.

By Fr Brendan Reed

Published: 6 September 2024