At the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue, Ohio, the Cincinnati Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood have dedicated the Healing Place, an area in the shrine where victims of abuse and their friends and family members can come to pray, meditate and heal. The project was led by Fr. Leon Flaherty, C.PP.S., who with Companion Margaret Saliga of Whiting, Ind., and other volunteers, worked to make the Healing Place a reality.

It’s in keeping with the Missionaries’ “spirituality of healing and reconciliation,” said Fr. Flaherty, who traveled from his home in Superior, Wisc., to Ohio for the June 2 dedication. Originally conceived as a place for victims of clergy sexual abuse, the idea quickly expanded to include all abuse survivors.

The planners worked with victims’ groups and with the Diocese of Toledo, in which the shrine is located. The labyrinth that resulted, in the midst of a peaceful corner of the shrine, is outlined in red, signifying the Blood of Christ poured out for his people. Those who pray at the Healing Place will be “walking through a river of Christ’s Blood, which we hope will bring them to healing,” Fr. Flaherty said. The Healing Place is situated at the foot of the crucifix, so that Christ remains the focal point.

Article adapted from one provided by Jean Giesige.  Photos provided by Jean Giesige.