Bringing Safeguarding Sunday to life through art and action
Events
Across the Archdiocese of Adelaide, parishes united in September to mark Safeguarding Sunday 2025, embracing this year’s theme – Every Conversation Matters: Shifting Conversations to Action.
Earlier in the year, the Archdiocese Integrity and Safeguarding Department provided a suite of resources to support parish engagement, including activity ideas, a commissioning ceremony for Parish Safeguarding Contact Persons, and a Banner Art Competition designed to spark creativity and collaboration across generations.
This annual celebration invited faith communities to reflect on their shared responsibility to foster safe, inclusive, and hope-filled spaces, especially for children, young people, and adults at risk. It was a call to action, reminding us that safeguarding is a collective mission rooted in dignity, care, and compassion.
A standout feature of this year’s celebrations was the Safeguarding Sunday Banner Art Competition, coordinated by the Safeguarding Operations team, which encouraged parishes to visually express the values of safety, inclusion, and community care.
The response was inspirational, with parishes across the Archdiocese producing vibrant, meaningful, and community-driven artworks that captured the essence of safeguarding in everyday parish life. The team thanks all who participated, acknowledging the effort, imagination and spirit that brought the banners to life. The following parishes were recognised:
First place – Sacred Heart Church, Hindmarsh/Findon
The banner beautifully depicted a welcoming, safe, and hope-filled Church. Created as a collage of notes and drawings, the artwork reflected the parish’s shared values of hope, peace, love and joy. Each contribution symbolised a collective commitment to building a Church community grounded in compassion and care.
Second place – Glenelg
Judges were impressed with a joyful and colourful display featuring hand-crafted posters created by parish children. Each piece highlighted key words such as Welcome, Safe, Happy, and Hope Filled, together forming a powerful visual message of inclusion and care. The simplicity of the artwork reflected how every small act and conversation contributes to creating a safe, hope-filled, and welcoming Church community.
Third place – Vietnamese Catholic Community
Described by their Safeguarding Contact Person as reflecting ‘many different types of communication and conversations within our community life’, the banner served as a vibrant reminder that safeguarding begins in everyday interactions. Displayed proudly during Safeguarding Sunday, it symbolised unity and shared purpose.
Most creative – Saint Pius X Church, Dernancourt
The joyful and symbolic collage of self-portraits, created by Sunday School children with parishioners also invited to contribute, celebrated diversity, creativity, and shared faith.
Bursting with colour and personality, it embodied the parish’s spirit as, ‘a safe and hope-filled community made up of people of all ages and backgrounds’, as described by the parish team.
Beyond banners – Living the spirit of Safeguarding
While some parishes expressed their commitment through art, others brought the theme to life through acts of service, prayer, and connection. At St David’s, Tea Tree Gully, the focus was on ‘Connecting with our Parish, Community, and the Vulnerable’. Children and young people played active roles during Mass, serving, reading, and carrying candles, symbolising the Church’s commitment to shared participation.
The parish’s children’s choir also demonstrated generosity and empathy. When given the choice between receiving chocolate or donating to charity, they unanimously chose to donate, raising $100 combined for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Rosies Victoria, a charity supporting vulnerable people.
Other initiatives included:
• Renaming the widow and widower group to ‘The Butterfly Group’, inspired by a reflection on transformation and hope.
• Presenting a diamond art butterfly made by children as a centrepiece for their gatherings.
• The De Mazenod Family Group gifting a new candle to the Children’s Liturgy, a touching gesture of remembrance and continuity.
The creativity and compassion shown across the Archdiocese reflects the true spirit of Safeguarding Sunday: that safeguarding is not a one-day event, but a continuous, shared commitment. Through banners, prayers and community connections, parishes have demonstrated that every conversation does matter, especially those that lead to meaningful action.
As Archbishop Patrick O’Regan reminds us, “Safeguarding is the work of the whole Church.”
Together, through small yet powerful acts, our communities continue to build a Church where all people are safe, supported and respected.
– Integrity and Safeguarding Department
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