Spiritual Triage
By Robin Caudell
Anyone hurt by the Catholic Church can get spiritual relief at a special Mass of Healing Sunday afternoon at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Ogdensburg. The Most Rev. Bishop Terry R. LaValley will preside at this Eucharistic celebration, on Divine Mercy Sunday, which acknowledges the pain and grief of victims and their families and apologizes for the misconduct by pastoral leaders or laity. This is the first time a Mass of Healing has been offered diocesan-wide. “Last year, the Holy Father declared it to be a Jubilee Year of Mercy,” LaValley said. “And as we were coming to the close of the year, I just kept thinking of an image he kept using, which was the church is a field hospital and the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds, to heal wounds.” LOCAL FIELD HOSPITAL LaValley pondered what he could do in his role as the Bishop of Ogdensburg, where he leads a local field hospital encompassing 12,000 square miles and serving more than 143,000 Roman Catholics. Although St. Mary’s is not centrally located, it is the Mother Church of the diocese. “So I said I think a Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday would be appropriate,” he said. “And so that’s what I decided to do. We’ll have a special Mass at the Cathedral on Divine Mercy Sunday and it would give us a chance to acknowledge the pain caused by some pastoral leaders or workers in the church. And Divine Mercy Sunday is a good occasion once again to seek forgiveness for the wounds afflicted and to be an instrument of healing and reconciliation for those who continue to suffer.” On Wednesday, he encountered a restaurant patron from the Thousand Islands region that indicated they would attend Sunday’s special Mass at St. Mary’s with a group. “Divine Mercy Sunday traditionally has great devotions among many of our parishes in the diocese,” LaValley said. “They have special Divine Mercy chaplets and Masses. So, some of them are taking place. We just ask all those who are in special devotions and prayers on Divine Mercy Sunday that they join our prayers seeking forgiveness and God’s mercy and healing for those who continue to hurt." 'SELF-INFLICTED WOUNDS' The Mass seeks to address a host of grievances, including the sexual abuse of minors. “It’s really acknowledgement that there are so very many ways that we in the church have offended,” LaValley said. “Our responses to the questions that people ask; sometimes they come to the rectory and we are not as kind or courteous in our responses to their requests. We’re in church, and we are not as hospitable as we could be. Those are just some instances, or the marriage tribunal. There are so many occasions where we hurt others. It becomes self-inflicted wounds. We need to acknowledge that.” He recognizes that not all people who have been offended by the church have approached the church. “Certainly some of the more heinous acts by church leaders in the past with sexual abuse, some of them have come forward,” LaValley said. Those who have not come forward are invited to do so and share what happened with Victims Assistant Coordinator Terrianne Yanulavich, Ph.D., M.A., M.H.T. She can be reached by telephone at 483-3261 or email at terrianneyanulavich@yahoo.com. SAFE ENVIRONMENT “So we can move on it,” LaValley said. “If we continue to sting from the pain and not brought it to prayer or brought it to a church official then that wound festers.” The diocese implemented Safe Environment protocol 15 years ago. “It’s (Victim Assistant Coordinator) part of our Safe Environment work here in the diocese to provide for our young people and vulnerable adults,” LaValley said. The Mass of Healing is not just those who have been offended but open to all. “It’s the body of Christ that we come and pray and support one another,” he said. Email Robin Caudell: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com
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