May 24, 2006

Sean Cardinal O’Malley, OFM Cap
2121 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02135-3193

Dear Cardinal Sean:

Your Novena to the Holy Spirit scheduled for “nine communities that have experienced an especially painful history of sexual abuse of children by priests” is a promising move to reeducate our parish communities and rebuild trust. Voice of the Faithful, which emerged as a response to those breaches of trust, has offered and is ready to support your renewal effort.

Protecting Our Children is a VOTF Working Group of parents, educators, and child advocates which provides and shares resources that help the Catholic Community - laity, priests, and bishops - keep our children safe. The Bishop’s Charter’s commitment to creating a Safe Environment within the church states: “We, who have been given the responsibility of shepherding God’s people, will, with his help and in full collaboration with all the faithful, continue to work to restore the bonds of trust that unite us. Words alone cannot accomplish this goal. It will begin with the actions we take in our General Assembly and at home in our dioceses and eparchies.”

As you reinforce the requirement that parishes establish “Safe Environment” programs, we urge that you ask at the parishes you visit how the VIRTUS, TAT and CAP programs have been implemented. We have talked with Deacon Rizutto several times over the past few years as he and VOTF have worked toward this Safe Environment common goal. We support all your efforts to achieve the goal and your call inviting, “ all people of this Archdiocese to join us as we call upon the Holy Spirit to assist us as we work to bind up the wounds of abuse and restore the faith of our community.” We are willing to work with your office and with Parish Councils to inform parish communities about the necessity to create Safe Environment programs that educate and train adults and children in abuse prevention measures.

We hope that this letter initiates a dialogue through which we can share efforts to create and maintain Safe Environments in parishes. Please respond with information about the levels of implementation you find in each of the parishes you visit. I can be contacted at krhm@comcast.net.

We pray for the “Pilgrimage of Repentance and Hope” and look forward to hearing from you.

Very truly yours,

Katheryn R. Mullaney
IN behalf of Protecting Our Children Working Group
Voce of the Faithful
www.votf.net/Protecting_Our_Children