Mill Hill Missionaries India: Safeguarding Workshop
The General Council of our Society arranged a two days Safeguarding Training / Workshop for all Students and Members in India. Rev. Dr. Barry O’Sullivan, a Diocesan Priest from the Diocese of Salford has been giving this training and workshop for the last one week in India for all Mill Hill Students and Members. He has been in this ministry for the last 26 years and travelled far and wide through the world enlightening priests, religious and the laity on the current issue of Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults.
All the students of Mill Hill both from 2nd Cycle & 1st Cycle Formation Centres gathered in Karunapuram at 1st Cycle Formation Centre for two days of Safeguarding Training from 28th to 29th of July 2023. While all the members gathered at Montfort Provincial House, Ramanthapur, Hyderabad from 1st to 2nd of August 2023.
Both Students and Members have been very appreciative of this generous and thoughtful effort of our General Council to organize the Safeguarding Training / Workshop. It has indeed been a time of reflection on the seriousness, the gravity, sensitivity and the urgent need of being aware and updating oneself on the current issue of Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults that’s at the centre of all that the Universal Church’s efforts in proclaiming the Kingdom of God.
It has been an experience of eye-opening in our discussions and deliberations through the wonderful presentations of Fr. Barry. One of the valuable points to take away for me would be the realization that we have to make a paradigm shift in our outlook from the emphasis on ‘Self-Preservation to Child Protection & to Child Nurturing’. And to realize that both victim and perpetrator are valuable and are to be cared for.
It has been a good time of reflection yet challenging to imagine the gravity and seriousness of the issue at hand that we are confronted with on a daily basis. But I am confident that being equipped with Training as such this, will enable us to become agents of Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults and specially of all those who are entrusted to our care in our ministries and formation programme.
On behalf of Mill Hill Missionaries – India Region, I sincerely thank our General Council and Fr. Barry O’Sullivan for their care and support and generous efforts in organizing Safeguarding Training.
Tomvenki Yellavula, MHM
Regional Representative – India.
