IF YOU WERE A SEMINARIAN, PRIEST OR RELIGIOUS AND FEEL YOU WERE UNJUSTLY TREATED YOU ARE NOW ABLE TO ASK YOUR DIOCESE OR ORDER FOR ALL THE DATA THEY HOLD ON YOU.
This means that you will get to see all the letters, reports, emails minutes, and notes that were and are on file about you.
Information is power.
That information and that power is now available to you through this European legislation that is binding in all European countries.
I spoke recently to a former Maynooth seminarian who had been treated very badly there – to the point that it had seriously affected his health.
He needed to find out what was being said about him and what daya was being held on his diocesan file.
He submitted a request to his diocesan data official and within a month he received a copy of everything the diocese had about him – including a copy of the initial psychological report the diocese submitted him to.
Any of the information that mentioned other individuals had the individuals names redacted.
So, in the last few days I requested all my data from the Archdiocese of Dublin, where I grew up and where I was a seminarian at Clonliffe from 1970 to 1973.
I also requested my date from Down and Connor with which I have been associated with since the summer of 1978 – 41 years now.
I’m looking forward to the outcome.
I will follow up with a request to Waterford where I was a seminarian from 1973 to 1976.
And of course I will apply to Cardiff archdiocese with which I was also associated with.
It’s good to be able to access data held on oneself.
Go ahead – and access yours.
BISHOP PAT BUCKLEY 