Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Church
The following was shared at the Prayer of Repentance and Healing service led by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain at St. James Cathedral on October 4, 2018.
Mary, Mother of the Church, we stand before you shaken by the scandal and division in the Church that we love. We pray for victims of abuse, whose trust was betrayed and whose innocence was shattered by members of the clergy. We pray for those whose suffering was ignored and for those who were silenced or disbelieved.
We pray for Church leaders, that by putting the needs of the vulnerable first, by acting with transparency, and by always holding themselves accountable to God and to the People of God they may regain the trust that has been broken.
We pray for ourselves, that the darkness and confusion we feel may give way to light. May we find the way to justice, unity, healing, and hope, through your Son, Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
Mary, refuge of sinners, pray for us. Mary, comfort of the troubled, pray for us. Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us.