Athlone church to host powerful exhibition on domestic abuse
A powerful exhibition in which pairs of shoes are placed alongside the words of domestic abuse survivors will go on display at St Mary's Church of Ireland, on Church Street, Athlone, next week.
The Souls of Our Shoes exhibition was put together by the Christian charity Mothers' Union and has previously been displayed in other parts of the country.
It will be launched in Athlone on Friday next, April 28, at 8pm. This date was chosen to coincide with 'Go Purple Day', an annual initiative to raise awareness of domestic abuse which was started in 2020 by Garda Stacey Looby of Athlone Garda Station.
Rev William Steacy of the Church of Ireland's Athlone Union of Parishes explained that Souls of Our Shoes features around 50 pairs of shoes accompanied by comments from people affected by gender-based violence or domestic abuse.
He described it as a "thought-provoking and compelling" exhibition.
"It aims to open conversations and let people know that there are people of faith who are concerned about people affected by this issue," he said.
"The exhibition is primarily intended for adults as the subject matter may be disturbing, especially for younger members who may have experienced abuse themselves."
Rev Steacy said the steering committee organising the upcoming event had invited Lesley Bayley to speak at the launch about her own experience of domestic abuse.
"Lesley Bayley has experienced domestic abuse at first hand and will share about her experiences in this sensitive area. She is a Diocesan Reader in the Church of Ireland and a member of the Mothers’ Union in County Wexford.
"We thank Lesley for her courage in coming to this launch and sharing her story."
Rev Steacy said men and women from the Athlone parish, from other churches in the area, and from the wider community were invited to come along to the exhibition.
The launch on April 28 will take place from 8 to 10pm, and the exhibition will continue on Saturday, April 29 (10am to 5pm), Sunday, April 30 (2pm to 5pm) and the Bank Holiday Monday, May 1, (2pm to 5pm).
"Individuals and groups are welcome to drop in and view the exhibition and stand in solidarity with all who experience domestic abuse," said Rev Steacy.
He highlighted the recent words of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, when he said: "Gender-based violence is one of the greatest injustices in our world today.
"The Church is already supporting and caring for those affected; it must continue in that work and must condemn the notion that such violence is ever acceptable.
"The Church must be an advocate for restored relationships of mutual respect and love, modelling the reconciling love shown by Christ to all people."
The exhibition follows on from Rev Steacy and the Athlone Union of Parishes taking part in the United Nations' 16 days of activism against gender-based violence and domestic abuse late last year.