10.06.2014
Statement from the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, the Archbishop of Dublin on Mother and Baby Homes
Following last week’s announcement that an interdepartmental group was to be set up by the Government to look into the issue of mother and baby homes, the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Revd Dr Michael Jackson, wrote to the Taoiseach, having previously written to the Minister for Education, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Children, asking that the Bethany Home be included in any such inquiry.
In his letter of Thursday June 5 Dr Jackson also urged the Taoiseach to consider the possibility of marking such grave sites, similar to the memorial provided by the Department of Justice for the Bethany Home in Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin. He said he felt that this initiative has helped address some of the pastoral needs of relatives of those who died as well as the ongoing needs of others concerned with the home.
While it was run by an independent trust, the Bethany Home is often referred to as the Protestant home. As the leader of the largest Protestant church in the State, Archbishop Jackson has taken a pastoral interest in the issue and has sought to provide pastoral support for those who have been associated with the home.