Safeguarding and the Mission of the Church

Monday, March 9, 7-8:30 p.m.

A-1046; online

St. John’s knows the cost of silence, and the weight of truth. The horrors at Mount Cashel and Belvedere orphanages, the devastation inflicted on survivors by priests, and the forced removal of Indigenous children in Labrador to residential schools shook this province and the world. The wounds run deep. Families still carry trauma. Communities are reeling as parishes are sold off in bankruptcy. Survivor testimonies, the Hughes Inquiry, and the Winter Commission marked pivotal steps toward justice, but the story is far from over. Unmarked graves, ongoing trials, and investigations elsewhere in Canada and all over the world remind us of the lives silenced and forgotten. The question remains: where do we go from here?

From Rome comes Hans Zollner, SJ, a theologian, clinical psychologist, and fearless advocate confronting the Church’s darkest failures. As founder and director of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, Fr. Zollner has led global reform in safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults, placing survivors’ voices at the forefront.

In a province that helped the world confront institutional abuse and accountability, his lecture, “Safeguarding and the Mission of the Church: Ethics, Responsibility and Care,” is essential for anyone in the Church, committed to justice, or affected by abuse. It’s time to write a new chapter; one not defined by yesterday’s failures, but by the courage we show today and the promise we build for tomorrow.

Professor Zollner’s talk will be followed by Q and A and light refreshments. Parking is free in lots 1A and 15B.

For those unable to attend in person, please join us via Zoom.

Presented by Department of Religion and Culture; Pathways Foundation

Event Listing 2026-03-09 19:00:00 2026-03-09 20:30:00 America/St_Johns Safeguarding and the Mission of the Church St. John’s knows the cost of silence, and the weight of truth. The horrors at Mount Cashel and Belvedere orphanages, the devastation inflicted on survivors by priests, and the forced removal of Indigenous children in Labrador to residential schools shook this province and the world. The wounds run deep. Families still carry trauma. Communities are reeling as parishes are sold off in bankruptcy. Survivor testimonies, the Hughes Inquiry, and the Winter Commission marked pivotal steps toward justice, but the story is far from over. Unmarked graves, ongoing trials, and investigations elsewhere in Canada and all over the world remind us of the lives silenced and forgotten. The question remains: where do we go from here? From Rome comes Hans Zollner, SJ, a theologian, clinical psychologist, and fearless advocate confronting the Church’s darkest failures. As founder and director of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University and former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, Fr. Zollner has led global reform in safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults, placing survivors’ voices at the forefront. In a province that helped the world confront institutional abuse and accountability, his lecture, “Safeguarding and the Mission of the Church: Ethics, Responsibility and Care,” is essential for anyone in the Church, committed to justice, or affected by abuse. It’s time to write a new chapter; one not defined by yesterday’s failures, but by the courage we show today and the promise we build for tomorrow. Professor Zollner’s talk will be followed by Q and A and light refreshments. Parking is free in lots 1A and 15B. For those unable to attend in person, please join us via Zoom. A-1046; online Department of Religion and Culture; Pathways Foundation