A special service was held in Leeds Cathedral on 20 May, for this year’s Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse.
Bishop Marcus led the Office of None (the afternoon service from the Liturgy of the Hours) and also blessed an icon of St Raphael the Archangel which he commissioned from the artist Martin Earle in 2022, after supporting the Comboni Survivors Group in finally obtaining an apology from the Institute which ran the junior seminary in Mirfield where they had suffered physical and sexual abuse in the 1960s and 70s.
The icon is thought to be the first memorial of its kind inside a Catholic Cathedral and will be a permanent commemoration and focus of prayer for all victims and survivors of abuse. Families, friends and members of the Comboni Survivors Group filled the Lady Chapel. Some of them had travelled long distances to remember victims and loved ones who had not lived to see justice or hear an apology.
Comboni Survivors Group member Bede Mullen reflects warmly on the service, the icon, and the friendship and support received from Bishop Marcus … but he also calls for the Church to listen to the voices of victims and survivors and in all cases to provide a better and more appropriate pastoral response to those who have suffered abuse … :
The Bishop has produced a beautiful and informative leaflet detailing the story of the Archangel’s role as a healer of those in distress and the symbolism of the icon. The leaflets will be available in Leeds Cathedral as soon as the icon has been fixed in its permanent place in the Lady Chapel.
Safeguarding is Everybody’s Business!
If any any child or adult is at risk of immediate harm, please call 999.
The Diocese of Leeds Safeguarding Team is available Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. Direct any concerns via email to: Safeguarding@dioceseofleeds.org.uk or speak to our Safeguarding Team on 0113 2618046. Anyone who brings concerns or allegations to the notice of the Church will be responded to sensitively, respectfully and seriously. All concerns and allegations will be addressed using the Church’s national procedures and in a timely manner. The Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency (CSSA) can also be contacted on 0207 901 1920 or via email at admin@catholicsafeguarding.org.uk
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