Friday, 25th February, is the annual day of prayer for victims and survivors of abuse. The issue of abuse within the Church continues to be an open wound that we must continually acknowledge. It is a hurt that is still there among victims of abuse and this day is a reminder to all within the Church that we must never forget what they endured. The following is the official prayer for this day:
'Lord, forgive us our many sins.
We grieve and repent with all our hearts for having offended you, for our great failings and neglect of the young and vulnerable.
We place all of those who have been hurt by the Church in any way into your loving hands and under the protection of Our Blessed Mother.
Lord, bring peace to their broken lives and show us all the way out of darkness and into the light of your Word.
May we as the people of God be more fully human, more fully Christ-like and more fully your people, that we may see the errors of the past and go forward with renewed hope and faith in Christ and in our Church'.
Amen.