The Irish Church’s counselling service for survivors of institutional, clerical, and religious abuse has provided support to almost 7,000 victims and their families over the past 25 years.
Bishop Michael Router, a director of Towards Healing, which is funded by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland, revealed the figures for the organisation’s work and that of its forerunner Faoiseamh, which was set up in 1997, in his homily at the Armagh Diocesan Pilgrimage to Knock Shrine.
“We are all too aware that many people here in Ireland and abroad, have suffered sexual and physical abuse at the hands of clergy and religious. For too long they suffered in isolation, without being heard, acknowledged, or helped,” the auxiliary bishop of Armagh said.
Towards Healing operates a network of counsellors across Ireland and abroad who provide therapy to those who have suffered such abuse. Bishop Router said the service is based on the values of compassion, empowerment, and hope.
“The compassion comes from a humble recognition of the trauma and suffering experienced by survivors and how it permeates all areas of their lives. Towards Healing provides support that endeavours to empower survivors to reclaim and rebuild their lives. It gives them hope that they will find healing and develop the resilience to live their fullest possible lives.”
He acknowledged that as a Church, “we have sometimes lost touch with what we are about and have ignored the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. When that happens, we can neglect to display the compassion that should be the kernel of how we operate.”
The bishop warned that a Church without compassion “only hurts and alienates people and robs them of confidence and hope”.
Towards Healing’s annual report for 2019 showed that €1,182,305 in funding was provided by the religious congregations (AMRI) and Irish dioceses (IEC) bringing funding for the outreach to over €42 million since 1997.
Since 2011, Towards Healing has received over €20 million from the Catholic Church in Ireland. This is in addition to the €22 million in funding provided to Faoiseamh by the religious congregations and dioceses between 1997 and 2010.
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