The Safeguarding and Ministerial Integrity Office held its first Safeguarding Day for clergy on September 7 during National Child Protection Week.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP joined fellow clergy and members of the newly formed Independent Safeguarding Advisory Panel at the event.
The day concluded with the Archbishop giving prizes to children who had been involved in developing a Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for Children in the Archdiocese of Sydney.
Children from parishes throughout Sydney had entered their pictures into a competition to choose which images would be used in the document, as well as on special child protection prayer cards.
The prayer cards with Rights and Responsibilities were given out during the event to all parish priests for local celebrations of Child Protection Sunday on September 10.
Keynote addresses were provided by the NSW Children’s Guardian, Janet Schorer, and ACU’s Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Child Protection Studies, Dr Tim Moore.
The Director of the Safe Guarding Office, Karen Larkman, said she was happy that they day had been such a success.
“We were blessed to have input from four guest speakers all delivering powerful messages about keeping children safe in our Church.”
Copies of the Charter are available from the Safeguarding Office at 02 9390 5810.