Safeguarding
AUSTRALIAN URSULINES
COMMITMENT STATEMENT
The Roman Union of the Order of Saint Ursula is a branch of the spiritual family founded by Saint Angela Merici in 1535. We are an international Religious Institute of Pontifical Right and we share in the mission of the Church to proclaim Jesus Christ and to extend the reign of God through our various ministries throughout the world. The Australian Ursuline Province, which has communities in Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria, is one province of this international institute.
The Australian Ursulines are actively committed to creating and maintaining an environment that is safe, respectful, supportive, nurturing and caring for all people, especially children1 and adults at risk. Saint Angela, our Foundress, encouraged us to be deeply concerned for those entrusted to our care, to ‘guard them and watch over them as most vigilant shepherds’. (Counsels, Prologue) Each person is created in the image and likeness of God and has an intrinsic dignity. As Ursulines we have been exhorted from the very first by Saint Angela to be respectful of all and to insist on the dignity, love and respect required for each person to reach her or his true potential.2
We categorically state that all people with whom we work or come in contact, especially children and adults at risk, will be treated with dignity and respect, that any and all abuse of a child or adult at risk is wrong and that we have a zero tolerance towards all forms of such abuse. As a Province we commit ourselves to do all that we can to make the Church and society a safe place for all and to help bring healing to those wounded by abuse.
Sr. Ruth Durick osu
Provincial
Australian Ursulines
Date 28th June 2020
1 Those defined as a “minor” in accord with the Motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi 2019 Art.1§2,(a).
2 (Counsels,Prologue #9,Counsels #3-7)
Australian Ursulines Safeguarding Policy November 2020
