Emmaus Partnership
The Centre of Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS) in Oxford spent an afternoon of safeguarding training and reflection on Saturday November 4th. While this event was open to all members of the CACS community, it particularly catered to individuals engaged in spiritual direction and pastoral ministries within churches.
The timing was significant, aligning with the UK’s observance of Safeguarding Sunday for Christian churches this coming weekend. The 19th November is a day designated for parishes and religious communities to highlight the sacred and vital mission of safeguarding.
Since June 2023, Fr. Alexander Ezechukwu, OCD, the Prior of the Oxford Carmelite Priory, has spearheaded an initiative in collaboration with a team of friars and laypeople to develop a comprehensive safeguarding policy for CACS and the Oxford priory.
Their initial steps included enlisting an expert with experience in safeguarding within a religious context and ensuring that all friars in the Oxford Priory were fully informed about safeguarding procedures and protocols.
It is important to note that not all religious communities worldwide have reached this level of safeguarding preparedness, shortfalls within England and Wales led to the establishment of organisations such as RLSS (Religious Life Safeguarding Service), who CACS are members of.
Underpinning this safeguarding training was the importance of having a clear theology of safeguarding. The event featured keynote speakers Simon Bass, Director of Church Safeguarding Consultancy, and Fr. Liam Finnerty, OCD. Both speakers emphasised the importance of embedding safeguarding practices in Christian communities within the framework of gospel teachings and the Carmelite tradition’s profound insights into the sacredness of human life and communal living, as elucidated by figures like St. Teresa and other notable Carmelites.
“Our global community of participants reflected on how they could ensure a Carmelite Spirituality of Safeguarding shapes their ministries in CACS and in the wider world in which they live and work,” said Fr Alex.
Sixty participants attended from throughout the UK, Europe, North America and Africa, underscoring the extensive reach of CACS’s mission.
Future events are planned to explore further the application of Carmelite theology in the protection of minors and adults, within the framework of safeguarding legislation both within the UK and globally.
Fr. Liam Finnerty, OCD stated, “our theology of safeguarding within the Carmelite Tradition, is influenced by the works of Saint Teresa of Avila and centres around the principles of respect for human dignity, compassion and care, community responsibility and justice and advocacy. We recognise that Christian communities haven’t always been safe spaces for minors, and adults who are vulnerable, and are addressing this through training, policies and procedures and in establishing a culture of safety informed by Carmelite spirituality.”
Commenting on the journey CACS and the Priory have taken, the prior Fr. Alexander Ezechukwu, OCD said: “We are committed to the call that all Christian spaces and communities should be ‘Safe and Sacred space’” and are working tirelessly to ensure as Carmelites we provide a community safe for those who are hurting and troubled.”
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November 19th 2023 has been designated as Safeguarding Sunday in Christian Churches throughout the U.K.
The next training ‘The Carmelite Spirituality of safeguarding’ will take place on January 13th, 2024, 4pm – 7.30 pm (UK time)
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