A Prayer Gathering will be held to remember and acknowledge the people who have come forward with their stories of sexual abuse in the then parish of St Matthew’s in Page

The gathering will be held on Sunday 8 April at 3pm at St Matthew’s Church in Page and will be open to all people who wish to attend.

The gathering will take the form of a prayer service, followed by the planting of a weeping cherry tree and the blessing of a plaque. The tree is deciduous and has been chosen specifically to reflect the great sadness of the abuse and the hope of healing. The tree will also bear white flowers in Spring to signify the innocence of the children and hope for the future.

The purpose of this prayer gathering is to create a space in the garden at St Matthew's Church Page where people who told their stories of sexual abuse can be assured they have been heard and acknowledged. It is also a space where families and friends of those children can feel remembered. The space will be an ongoing sign to the general parish community and others, that the betrayals and failures of the past will not be forgotten, nor repeated.