Hundreds of ribbons, written messages and crafted items now adorn the railings outside St Joseph’s in Wolverhampton.

Made and written with hope and love by parishioners and visitors you can’t help but notice the standout visual impact.

Which is made even more permanent following the installation of a new Shrine to Our Lady – the first Safeguarder – in the church garden.

The three-day LOUDfence initiative hosted by St John Henry Newman Parish concluded with A Service of Reflection & Commitment on the afternoon of Sunday 8 March led by Bishop Timothy Menezes.

Parishioners and visitors turned out in force to take part in the moving service which included music, readings, prayer, an Act of Commitment and the Blessing of the Shrine.

Over the three days people of all generations have taken part in the LOUDfence. They were invited to tie brightly-coloured ribbons, tokens and messages, to railings, suspended wires and on internal displays.  

This is a visible act of solidarity with those who have been abused or harmed in any setting and represents the voices of those who also wish to speak out in support and defence of those affected by abuse.

LOUDfence helps to give survivors, the entire church and wider society a voice. The survivor-led initiative was brought to the UK in 2020 by Antonia Sobocki, Director for LOUDfence UK. Antonia was present throughout the three days having worked closely with the team at St JHN Parish to organise the event.

During the Service the symbols of chains were used, a symbol found on the flag of the Black Country. These chains reflect the area’s industrial heritage and the tradition of chain-making, representing hard work, resilience, and communities linked together across generations.

But chains are not always a positive symbol, they can represent oppression and suffering.

In the Service those present were encouraged to take what is negative and build chains of hope, justice and love. And so, such messages were attached to the chain, and it was taken in procession to the new Shrine and laid at the feet of Our Lady (see below video).

In His Reflection Bishop Timothy explained how the LOUDfence at St JHN Parish had come about:

In January of last year, I came to this parish for a weekend Parish Visitation. Parishioners will know how uplifting an experience that weekend was, reflecting on the dynamic life of this parish, as I described it: the parish that never sleeps! But front and centre of everything that was presented to me on that weekend last year was: Safeguarding.
It wasn’t a passing mention: it was a firm acknowledgement that amid the huge range of activities from week to week in this parish, safeguarding runs through it, and is in everybody’s consciousness. Through Marie Ramsbottom and all those responsible for ensuring that safeguarding runs through every parish activity and is a culture within the parish, when there was a wish to hold a Loudfence in a parish of our Archdiocese, this parish seemed an obvious place to start.

When the request was made, Fr Craig Fullard spoke with the leadership team in the parish and – without too much delay – they accepted the request, and preparations began.  

Read Reflection in full

And Bishop Timothy’s Reflection concluded with some messages contributed by children and young people:

You are not alone. Your voice will be heard. You will find peace and joy fullness in time of your doubt. Together your problems will be solved with the help of many hands. Wounds will be bound with compassion. Sorrow will be stopped with care. We shall always be there

Help us to be a voice for those who are hurt. Stand with them who are going through rough times. Give us the courage to stand up for what is right. We pray for those who feel sad or hurt. May our voices bring hope and make our community a safe place.

We see you, hear you, and promise that we will treat everybody with dignity. We promise not to discriminate. Remember that you are listened to and you are loved. Not just by God, but we are in your hearts watching. Amen.

The positive and overwhelming impact of the LOUDfence in the St JHN Parish is evident. It has kickstarted conversations, it has raised awareness, it has engaged both young and old, it has given people the confidence to speak up. 

And as Fr Craig said: “The Service marks the end of the LOUDfence gathering, but not of the work.”

Safeguarding in our Archdiocese

LOUDfence Photo Gallery

Procession to Our Lady