Canon’s baby steps to help heal those ‘hurting so grievously’

A priest who has served for more than 40 years in the Diocese of Cloyne plans to commemorate victims of mother and baby homes and of clerical sex abuse at a Mass in Youghal tomorrow.

Canon’s baby steps to help heal those ‘hurting so grievously’

By Olivia Kelleher

A priest who has served for more than 40 years in the Diocese of Cloyne plans to commemorate victims of mother and baby homes and of clerical sex abuse at a Mass in Youghal tomorrow.

He said he has never been able to comprehend individuals who hurt children.

Canon David Herlihy said he was moved to hold the remembrance after a protest group hung children’s shoes on the church railings as part of a national statement during the Pope’s visit.

He decided it would be appropriate to bring the shoes up during the offertory procession and to have a little place at the altar and some prayers for the victims and the survivors of abuse.

All those who are hurting so grievously and who need some gesture and some beginning of healing — that’s what it was all about,” said Canon Herlihy.

He said that, in his years as a priest, he was not aware of the moving around of paedophile priests who were preying on children.

In a follow-up to yesterday’s story in the Irish Examiner, he told Cork’s 96FM that he was 15 to 20 years into the priesthood before he even knew what being a paedophile involved.

I remember innocently asking another priest: ‘What is it?’ When it came to light I was appalled,” he said.

“I know I can say, hand on heart, that I love children and I had 28 nieces and nephews, loving them all. I feel like half a human being at the minute because you are so careful about your behaviour and when you are around children.”

He said he later realised he knew some of the priests in the Cloyne Report.

“I actually shared a house with one of them for four years,” he said. “I did not have any suspicions whatsoever.”

Canon Herlihy said he was saddened by what had occurred and had lost a degree of hope.

“What really had a huge impact on me is the never-ending stream of bad publicity, which is disheartening, can make you lose hope and focus,” he said.

“You can be badly affected by it, the relentless nature of revelations and so on. But that’s tiny in relation to the hurt, suffering, and pain of those who have been abused.”

Canon Herlihy said what he had decided to do was a “tiny, tiny gesture”.

“It’s only a small thing on Sunday but hopefully it will lead to better things,” he said. “If we went over yesterday [Thursday] and took down the shoes again, what would it lead to? Making the situation 10 times worse and leading to the pain and upset in people.

“That will achieve nothing and we must try and move forward. Small steps at a time, just like the little baby shoes. Please God, some time into the future that it will lead to something greater.”

The Mass will take place at noon tomorrow in St Mary’s Church in Youghal.

The group Standing4-women organised the shoe protest.

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