Catechists Face Struggle

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn
May 9, 2013

http://www.cg.catholic.org.au/news/view_article.cfm?id=639&loadref=16

Catechists would now struggle with the “painful legacy” of the Church’s history of sexual abuse, the CEO of the Church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council, Francis Sullivan, has acknowledged.

Mr Sullivan told catechists at the annual Catholic Conference of Religious Educators in State Schools, in Canberra, that they faced the challenge of finding ways to talk to children and to help them come to terms with this “shameful and confronting” history.

The council is responsible for the Church’s engagement with the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

More than 20 catechist directors, responsible for about 5000 volunteer scripture teachers in public schools across NSW and the ACT attended the annual conference in Canberra.