Paprocki to preside at prayer for those harmed in the Church

From the Catholic Times:

Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Springfield diocese will preside at an "Evening of Repentance and Prayer for Those Harmed in the Church" at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Sixth and Lawrence streets in Springfield.

Simultaneously, identical services will be held in each of the six other deaneries, or districts of the diocese, to accommodate those from outlying areas:

• In the Alton Deanery, at St. Boniface Church in Edwardsville;
• In the Decatur Deanery, at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit in Mt. Zion;
• In the Effingham Deanery, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Teutopolis;
• In the Jacksonville Deanery, at Our Saviour Church in Jacksonville;
• In the Litchfield Deanery, at St. Agnes Church in Hillsboro;
• In the Quincy Deanery, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Quincy.

"It is my desire near the beginning of my pastoral ministry as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois to express our repentance and seek God's pardon for the sins of the past, that God's grace may bring us healing for the faith to flourish," said Bishop Paprocki.

Patricia Kornfeld, victim assistance coordinator for the Springfield diocese, said that the prayer service is meant to reach out in a special and individual way to anyone abused by a cleric within the Springfield diocese and also to anyone who may have been hurt in other ways by someone in the church.

"We also invite others who may wish to join in this prayer for those harmed in the church," Kornfeld said. "We encourage those harmed in the church to come and find rest, pray together united with others who have also experienced harm in the church, pray for those who could not speak for themselves or pray for those that are absent from our gathering. At this solemn service, we will pray for repentance for sins committed, ask for support for those harmed, seek understanding of the harm caused, and ask for God's forgiveness, healing grace and peace."

Kornfeld said no reservations are necessary and family members are welcome.
For more information about the Evening of Repentance and Prayer for Those Harmed in the Church, contact Kornfeld at (217) 321-1155 or email pkornfeld@dio.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .