SAFE SELF, SAFE COMMUNITY and SAFE MINISTRY
The Redemptorist Vice-Province of Manila held a three-day workshop and orientation on Safeguarding Policy from August 24 to 26. The Catholic Safeguarding Institute facilitated the activity with Ms. Thea Quintos, Msgr. Ramon Masculino, and Prof. Gabriel Dy-Liacco, PHD, LPC.
The workshop and orientation aimed to make the professed and lay missionaries aware of the importance of creating a safe space within the ministry and mission of the unit.
The participants discussed the different aspects of Safeguarding, including recruitment and staffing, ministerial environment, theological/personal understanding, pastoral dynamics, relational dynamics, code of conduct, and physical structure.
The facilitators also reminded the participants of the leadership diseases that can hinder them in providing a safe space. They emphasized that the church must be the safest place on earth and that all must be aware of creating a culture of safeguarding to protect the minors and the vulnerable.
The workshop and orientation concluded with a commitment from the Vice Province of Manila to build communities and ministries that foster justice, charity, healing, confidentiality, and the grace of love for all.
In any mission, the Vice Province of Manila adheres that it will always be responsible for upholding a safe self, a safe community, and a safe ministry. It will always advocate for the rights and voices of the poor and the most abandoned, the minors and the vulnerable.
The workshop and orientation were significant steps for the Redemptorist Vice-Province of Manila in its commitment to safeguarding. It is a courageous hope that the knowledge and skills gained from the workshop and orientation will help the unit create a safer environment for the mission.
Fr Edward Allan, CSsR.
