The Day of Prayer for the Victims and Survivors of Abuse is an important initiative that was proposed by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Each Bishops’ Conference was asked to choose an appropriate date to mark the day.
Originally observed during the season of Lent, the Bishops, listening to the voices of victims and survivors, moved the date on which the Day is marked in England and Wales to the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter.
The theme for the day in 2026, marked on Tuesday, 5 May, examines the scourge of domestic abuse which causes pain and fear that prevents its victims from living the life Jesus came to bring.
Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10
Immediately before the much-loved part of this verse from the Gospel of John we hear Jesus’s words: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” This is how abuse feels to those who experience it – their dignity and value as a unique child of God is stripped away and destroyed.
The physical danger domestic abuse presents to life is clear. A woman is murdered by a partner or ex-partner every five days in the UK. Between three and 10 women die by suicide each week due to domestic abuse. Abusers can also perpetrate spiritual and coercive abuse, disrupting their victims’ relationships with God and the Church. This can lead victims – adults and children – to feel guilt and shame that push them away from the support that the Church has to offer.
At its best, the Church can – and should – be a safe haven where support is available for victims and survivors so that they can live life without fear and begin to experience the life in abundance Jesus came to bring. This hope is what we pray for this year. Read more.
The group has already released a resource called Listening With Love – inviting people to reflect on the impact of abuse on individuals and the Church. Read more.
The Isaiah Journey (formerly Let’s Be Honest) is a working group of the Bishops’ Conference that has grown out of the need for a pastoral-spiritual response to the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse in the Church. Read more.
This year’s focus is on the theme of “The Empty Chair”.
With the support of the ‘Isaiah Journey’, the Jesuit Institute is offering a week of guided prayer for those who have been affected by the scandal of clergy abuse in the Catholic Church.
The Isaiah Journey (formerly ‘Let’s Be Honest’) is a working group of the Bishops’ Conference that has grown out of the need for a pastoral-spiritual response to the suffering of victims and survivors of abuse in the Church.
The Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse is observed on 30 April 2024. It is always marked on the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter in England and Wales.
Tuesday 9 May 2023 marks the Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse. This is observed on the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter in England and Wales.
Tuesday 17 May 2022 marks the Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse. This is observed on the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter in England and Wales.
In consultation with survivors, the Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse is observed on the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter in England and Wales.
The Bishops had originally chosen the Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent as the Day of Prayer for Victims and Survivors of Abuse. In consultation with survivors, from 2021, this was changed to the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter.
