The Day of Prayer for Survivors of Abuse was observed on 7 March, the first Friday of Lent 2025. To honour this solemn day, Father Robert McCabe celebrated Mass at Saint Mary’s Parish Church, Navan, in the Diocese of Meath.
In his homily, Father McCabe said, “Since 2017, this Friday after Ash Wednesday has been a day of prayer in Ireland for survivors and for the victims of abuse. This initiative of Pope Francis grew out of his meetings with victims in different parts of the world. It offers prayerful solidarity with victims and families, and with communities and dioceses impacted by the scandal of abuse.
“Today we could remember his words at the start of Mass in the Phoenix Park in August 2018, during the 9th World Meeting of Families, when the Holy Father asked forgiveness for ‘all those times when, as a Church, we did not offer to the survivors of any type of abuse, compassion and the pursuit of justice and truth by concrete actions. We ask forgiveness.’
“This request for forgiveness and the hope of healing and integrity is what Isaiah explores in this morning’s text [Is 58:1-9] as do the words of the powerful Psalm 50: ‘My offences truly I know them, my sin is always before me.’
“This integrity of purpose and fasting is what Jesus describes in the Gospel of Ash Wednesday when He asks us to avoid the behaviour of the hypocrite. ‘’They have had their reward’. Today we are praying for all who by our prayers, our fasting, and our kind attention will receive the reward which they most need – the reward of healing, the reward of hope and the reward of peace.
“At the request of Pope Benedict, Cardinal Seán O’Malley from Boston came to Dublin in 2011. He met and listened to many victims and survivors of abuse. At a moving liturgy in the Pro-Cathedral he described how Many survivors have struggled with addictions. Others have experienced greatly damaged relationships with parents, spouses and children. The suffering of families has been a terrible and very serious effect of the abuse. Some of you have even suffered the tragedy of a loved one having taken their own life because of the abuse perpetrated on them. The deaths of these beloved children of God weigh heavily on our hearts.”
Visit CatholicBishops.ie to read the full text of Father McCabe’s homily.
ENDS