The Catholic community throughout Scotland is called to set aside Friday 28th February 2020 as a Day of Prayer for all who have suffered, or are suffering, from any form of abuse.

Bishop John will be offering Holy Mass at 1pm in St Mirin's Cathedral for this intention. 

Here is a copy of  the bishops homily for your reflection:
World Day of Prayer for Victim-Survivors of Sexual Abuse
Lent 2020
 
Dear brothers and sisters,
 
We gather today in this first Friday of our Lenten Season following the call of Pope Francis for a World Day of Prayer for Victim-Survivors of Abuse, especially those who, as children and vulnerable, suffered sexual abuse at the hands of members of our Church. 
 
We are grateful to the Holy Father for calling this Day of Prayer. This universal expression of our sorrow, repentance and prayer, in union with all God’s people around the world, keeps to the forefront of our minds how we must never leave our brethren survivors to walk the path of healing alone.
 
The Lord speaks to our Church today through the Prophet Isaiah.  The Lord knows our Church’s deepest desire to be reconciled with Him; to seek His face and know His ways, to feel His Presence near us again, to be governed by His just laws and act with His integrity. 
 
Of course, an essential part of our return to the Lord is our Act of Penance before Him.  There is a place for us to hang our heads, sit down in ashes and fast.  But Isaiah reminds us of how our reconciliation with Lord as His Church requires so much more.  True reconciliation with Him comes only when our Church sets itself to no longer turn a blind eye to our kith and kin who suffered terribly -often in silence- at our hands, but instead to own those ties with which some of our members, many clergy, shamefully bound them, then to do all we can -for as long as it takes- to break their unjust fetters and undo the thongs of their yoke.  Our lasting reconciliation with God will come only when we have broken every yoke so that all those victim-survivors who are still to this day oppressed can go free, hungry no more for their truth to be told and heard, no longer feeling homeless in a Church that is meant to be their Father’s House, finally clothed with the dignity that was always their due as sons and daughters of their Heavenly King. 
 
Jesus reminds us in today’s Gospel that, until the day that every victim-survivor of abuse in the Church feels healed and restored, He cannot be with us as He so desires, the joyful Bridegroom of His Spouse, our Church.
 
And so, this Lent we continue to fast for justice for our harmed brothers and sisters until we ourselves are free of the oppression and fetters of our sin.
 
This Lent we set out again on our journey, yes in penance, but surely in hope of eventual healing for our survivors by the Lord’s grace, of restoration for our Church in His glory and of the glad return of our Bridegroom with His lasting Easter Peace.  Then, on that day the light of our Church in the world will surely once again shine like the dawn, our wounds quickly healed over. 
 
Our Lady of Peace and Mother of the Church, pray for us.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts,
heal your people’s wounds
and transform our brokenness.
Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace,
so that we may act with justice
and find peace in you.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.