Contact: Suzanne Morse 617-680-2131, smorse@votf.org

For Immediate Release

Voice of the Faithful to Host Major Leadership Meeting in Indianapolis

Organization Will Discuss Accountability in the Catholic Church, Honor Leaders

Newton, Mass. – June 8, 2005 – Members of Voice of the Faithful from across the country will convene in Indianapolis, Indiana on July 8th through July 10th to discuss the future of the Catholic Church. The focus of the leadership meeting, entitled “The Laity Speak: Accountability Now,” will be to determine ways to bring greater accountability to the Catholic Church, particularly in the areas of bishops’ accountability, financial accountability, and lay accountability.

The three-day meeting, to be held at the Indiana Convention Center, will include grassroots training sessions, as well as panel discussions and breakout sessions that will focus on accountability-driven actions. Francine Cardman, who is Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Church History at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, will deliver the keynote address. Other speakers will include Justice Anne Burke, the former head of the National Review Board; Paul Lakeland, chair of the department of Religious Studies at Fairfield University; and David Castaldi, chair of the board of Voice of the Faithful.

In addition, the leadership gathering will offer the celebration of liturgies, times for prayer and reflection, and recognition of those leaders in the movement who have furthered the mission and goals of Voice of the Faithful.

The lay organization was formed in 2002 in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis and is pledged to reform the Catholic Church through increasing lay involvement in the governance and guidance of the Church

“We are very pleased to be hosting this leadership meeting in Indianapolis,” said James E. Post, president of Voice of the Faithful. “We have grown rapidly in our few short years, and we believe that Catholics from all over the country are attracted to our mission to engage lay Catholics. This meeting will be an excellent opportunity for Catholics to share ideas, resources, and enthusiasm, as well as to become energized in the challenging work of reforming the Church.”

For more information on the Indianapolis leadership meeting, including information on the program, speakers, and registration, please go to Voice of the Faithful’s convocation web site

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About Voice of the Faithful: Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group's mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support victim/survivors of abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church teaching. VOTF’s supporting membership exceeds 30,000 registered persons from 50 U.S. states, 39 countries and 207 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.

Join us in Indianapolis, Indiana for “The Laity Speak: Accountability Now,” a convocation of Catholic laity, between July 8th and 10th. For more information, visit the convocation web site at: