VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL
BROOKLYN/QUEENS CELEBRATES BISHOP DAILY’S
DECISION TO LIFT THE BAN ON VOTF MEETINGS

Bishop Daily States VOTF Is in Accord with the Teachings of Catholic Church

Brooklyn, NY, May 1, 2003 -- Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) members in Brooklyn and Queens learned today that Bishop Daily has reversed his earlier decision to ban VOTF meetings on church property, opening the way for local VOTF groups to meet in their churches, parish halls and other diocesan facilities for the first time since last autumn.

VOTF is a Catholic lay movement started in early 2002 in Boston, MA, in response to the clergy sexual abuse scandal. Last autumn, like seven other Catholic bishops around the country, Bishop Daily prohibited the group from meeting on church property in the diocese of Brooklyn (which includes the NYC boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens). But, he subsequently established a committee of diocesan representatives to meet with local VOTF leaders, and that dialogue evidently persuaded Bishop Daily to reverse his earlier decision.

“I think this demonstrates that VOTF is strong, that we are loyal members of the Church, not dissidents,” said Melissa Gradel, a parishioner at the Oratory Church of St. Boniface in downtown Brooklyn and the VOTF Regional Coordinator for Brooklyn and Queens. “We are very pleased that Bishop Daily has recognized that we are seeking only to assume the responsibilities that are ours as baptized Catholics, and especially gratified that he has acknowledged the need for new forms of collaboration in carrying out the mission of the Church --- a mission that lay people, religious men and women, priests, deacons, and bishops all share by virtue of our baptism.” Gradel continued, “We are very grateful to the members of the diocesan committee, especially to Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius Catanello, for their willingness to sit down with us and discuss difficult issues. I hope that this collaborative process points the way to the future, where lay people should be involved in every level of decision making.”

Mary Keirnan, a VOTF leader from Rockaway Beach, Queens, and a parishioner at St. Rose of Lima, also welcomed the decision. “I feel this is a very important reconciliation. Like so many VOTF members, I am very active in my parish, it is my spiritual home. Not being able to meet in that parish, which I support both financially and as a volunteer, and not being able to meet freely with the people with whom I worship, has been very painful.” (After several preliminary meetings, held before Bishop Daily banned the group, the Rockaway Beach VOTF Affiliate was forced to meet at an American Legion Hall.) “Lifting the ban recognizes our desire to contribute to the healing of victims of sexual abuse, as Jesus would surely want us to do, to support our priests, and to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who is calling us to become more active in the governance of the Church. I couldn’t be more pleased.”

John Gallagher, a VOTF member and parishioner at St. Charles Borromeo in Brooklyn Heights, said, “This is a significant movement toward collaboration. Real collaboration between the laity and the hierarchy is the only way forward for our Church. I applaud Bishop Daily’s willingness to consider the evidence and revisit an earlier decision in this way. I hope other bishops will follow his lead.”

VOTF remains banned in seven dioceses around the country, including Boston, Rockville Centre, L.I., Camden, NJ, Newark, NJ, Baker, OR, Bridgeport, CT and Portland, ME.