WelCom February 2021
Brigid Sharp, Rupi Mapusua
Our Lady of Hope Parish of Tawa and Titahi Bay are holding their first ‘Loud Fence’ ceremony at Our Lady of Fatima Church, Tawa, 1pm, 21 Sunday February. Called ‘No More Silence’, the event aims to support survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Ribbons will be tied to trellises to remember those who have been abused by clergy and the wider church community in Tawa, Titahi Bay and Porirua areas. The ceremony will let survivors know they are not alone and will offer a public display of love and compassion for survivors and their families.
Workshops are being held in the lead up to this event to help the community understand what survivors of abuse have been through, and to acknowledge this abuse within the Church. The focus is on the survivors and to remember those survivors no longer with us.
We are looking at ways we can prevent abuse, make our churches and communities safe places for all, as well as at the support systems available in the community for survivors and their families.
We are encouraging anyone who has been abused within the Faith community to talk to the Royal Commission. Reporting can be done confidentially by phone or by sending in a written submission.
The Loud Fence event in Tawa is supported by the Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Hope Parish, and the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP)
www.snapnetwork.org/aotearoa_new_zealand