115 participants enrolled to attend a national Safeguarding Day for Religious in Carfin, Lanarkshire on Friday 24th May 2024. They had travelled from across Scotland to reflect on ‘Safeguarding in the Context of Catholic Social Teaching’, led by the Rev. Dr. Barry O’Sullivan, a priest of Salford Diocese who is a leading proponent of safeguarding in the Catholic Church in England & Wales and who has been undertaking research on Spirituality and Safeguarding.

The SCSSA, in collaboration with the Conference of Religious in Scotland (CRS), had invited Fr O’Sullivan to provide his input in direct response to the requests of many Religious who had heard him briefly address the 2023 National Safeguarding Conference.

Spirituality featured throughout the day, with morning and afternoon prayer led by participants.  The celebration of Mass was led by Bishop Brian McGee, Safeguarding President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, with the homily preached by Fr Jim Clarke of the Xaverian Missionaries.

Fr Barry acknowledged that  he would only have time to touch on some aspects of Safeguarding and how it is located centrally in Catholic Social Teaching.  He generously provided his main Powerpoint presentation and a complementary set of Catholic Social Teaching resources which can be found here on the SCSSA website.