BishopAccountability.org
	Whatever Happened to Sackcloth and Ashes By Virginia Jones Garden of Roses: Stories of Abuse and Healing February 22, 2010 http://web.me.com/virginiajones/Compsassionate_Gathering/The_Garden_of_Roses/Entries/2010/2/22_Ascension%E2%80%99s_Parish_Bulletin_InsertSunday%2C_February_21%2C_2010.html OREGON -- In the last two years we have handed out Sackcloth Penance Patch. In the story of Jonah in the Bible, the King of Nineva, when told by Jonah to repent of wrongdoing, listened, and told all of the people in his kingdom to wear sackcloth and ashes as a sign of atonement. Whatever happened to sackcloth and ashes? Are we ever asked by God as His people to repent for anything? Is Lent a time when we might, as the prophet Joel states in the reading for Ash Wednesday, "fast and weep and mourn"? Is it a time to do penance as reparation for the sin of clergy abuse? No matter how long ago or recently these victims were abused, they need to know that someone is sorry for their pain. Someone is praying for them and asking God for His healing peace. We must name evil. Abuse is evil. It is a sin that causes serious spiritual damage to individuals and communities. It is often perpetrated by people who have been abused them selves and need our prayers. We must also love each other and care for each other as our Lord and Savior cared for us and sacrificed his own life for us. Could this little patch be worn during Lent to remind us to pray for and apologize to those who have been hurt and to beg for God's mercy? We have worn our Patch these last two Lents and have come to know that it has brought a measure of healing and peace to growing numbers of survivors, and it is our hope to know that this tiny gesture might be a spark which will ignite the fire of God's love in our Church and help us to recognize the suffering body of Christ in our midst and somehow bring God's healing mercy to our broken world. So, take a Patch and wear it on your jacket or coat or shirt or blouse this Lent, or simply take a Patch and use it along with the prayer and Psalm as a prompt for your own prayers and meditations this Lent. Virginia's comment: This insert was placed in the bulletin at Ascension Catholic Church this weekend to explain the purpose of the Sackcloth Penance Patches that were given out on Ash Wednesday and again this weekend. Patches were available in the vestibule of the church pinned to a prayer and Psalm 51. More people are wearing the Patch than in past years. My daughter goes to Sunday school, so I arrive early to church. My son sit in the downstairs so he can eat donuts. We talk to the parishioners who attend the 8:30 AM Mass as they come downstairs for donuts. We normally attend the 10:30 AM Mass. Today a man who is a member of the Knights of Columbus approached me, The Patches had run out. I had brought 300 to church the preceding weekend and people had taken every single one. "Do you have any more?" he asked. Anticipating the dearth of Patches, I brought more. I handed him one. "Can I have some extras for my brothers in the Knights of Columbus?" the man asked, "We are supposed to support the priests, but we need to support the survivors too." "That is why I do this," I said. I reminded him of the priest who had been removed from our own parish. "I did research and I discovered that there was a survivor who came forward way back in 1980, but he had never been properly supported so he kept coming forward hoping people would believe him and act. The best way for us to support our church is to support the survivors so they can heal." "Oh," the man said. I went on, "One of your knights of Columbus, I won't tell you which one, is the husband of a clergy abuse survivor. Many clergy abuse survivors remain in the Catholic Church, but they are silent because they have heard other Catholics say, 'Those survivors are just out for money,' or 'Why can't they forgive, forget and move on?'" "That's bad," the man said, "If you can't talk about what happened to you, you can't heal. My brother remained silent for years and couldn't move on." The man's brother was a sex abuse victim – a neighbor abused him. By handing out the Penance Patches we were able to stimulate a discussion on clergy abuse and abuse on general. Consciousness was raised about both issues. It is not a big step, just a small step. But Mother Theresa said when asked how to change the world, "One person at a time." Send your comments to Virginia at compassion500@gmail.com
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.