National News

• VOTF National Elections are under way with ballots distributed electronically and by "snail" mail. Check the web site for Election News. Register. (It's a lot easier to register than to have your voice heard in our Church - and the best way we know to turn up the volume.) Out of town? Electronically limited? If you register. by 12/14, VOTF will fax your ballot to you so as to include your voice by the 12/15 deadline.

• The VOTF table at the Worcester conference ran out of the small lapel pins. They are available by emailing the Healys at hgaps@healysgraphicark.com

• What is the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People? The Charter is a comprehensive set of procedures established by the USCCB in June, 2002 to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. The Charter also includes guidelines for reconciliation, healing, accountability, and prevention of future acts of abuse. Read the Charter for the Protection of Children; interesting thoughts in the Christian Science Monitor "As bishops meet, legal troubles still loom" Click here to read this story online.

• Voice of the Faithful announces a national search for Executive Director.
  With the authority of the officers and Board, an eleven - person search committee has been formed. The committee is chaired by Mark Mullaney. Members representing particular constituencies of the organization are as follows:

  Peter Anderson, Voice of the Faithful Boston Council
  Peg Clark, Voice of the Faithful of SouthWest Florida
  Sr. Betsy Conway, national Secretary of Voice of the Faithful
  Ed Gleason, Voice of the Faithful San Francisco
  Mark Mullaney, chair of search committee, Founding member
  Suzanne Morse, Communications Manager, Voice of the Faithful
  Maura O'Brien, Trustee, Voice of the Faithful
  Sheila Peiffer, originally of Voice of the Faithful Long Island
  John Ryan, Voice of the Faithful Diocese of Peoria, IL
  Anne Southwood, Voice of the Faithful Council Steering Committee
  John Wissler, former executive director of Boston College Alumni Association
  
  The committee is currently in the assessment of skills and needs phase and it seeks your input regarding your vision for the role of Executive Director. The members will review the comments they receive and then shortly prepare a position description which will be circulated nationally.

• For coverage of the Seattle, WA Diocese filing for bankruptcy, making it the third in the US to do so, click here.

• If not of national import right now, certainly it is a sign of hope that VOTF founding member and trustee David Castaldi has been appointed by Abp. Sean O'Malley, Boston archdiocese, to chair The Parish Reconfiguration Fund Oversight Committee. The committee will conduct an independent review of the financial aspects of reconfiguration including the monitoring of receipts and spending of funds from closed parishes, as well as funds from the sale of parish property. The committee will offer advice and recommendations to the Archdiocese in these matters.
  
  David provided the following statement for In the Vineyard readers:
  
  "I am pleased that Archbishop O'Malley has established a committee of independent Catholics to review the financial aspects of the parish reconfiguration process in Boston and that someone from a closed parish and from VOTF has been chosen as its chair. This committee appears to me to be part of a pattern of his reaching out to Catholics for meaningful lay involvement in the affairs of our Archdiocese and I hope that this pattern becomes a model for our Church in the future. I will work with my fellow committee members and the staff of the Archdiocese to ensure transparency in the handling of the assets of closed parishes. I'll also continue to be an advocate for VOTF and its mission and goals in all that I do."

• Interesting reading on the USCCB web site: "Midwest Regional Dialogue Of Christians And Muslims Meets To Discuss "Values And Virtues: Living Our Faiths In A Changing America'" at . There's also a regular column you can access on the home page at www.usccb.org "Current Issues in Congress" from the Office of Government Liaison.

• Governance Committee (ad hoc) statement from committee member Henry Dinger: "For the past several months, a group consisting of the officers, representatives from the VOTF Board of Trustees, the Representative Council Steering Committee, and the Governance Committee chaired by John Ryan, have been in discussions with a view toward recommending a reorganization of the Council and clarification of the Council's role within the organization. The reorganization will likely result in a smaller Council, with representatives selected from national regions and less 'Boston-centric.'
  
  The discussions have been quite constructive and a consensus has been reached on some, but not all issues. Although the participants in the discussions have had the same difficulty that everyone else has had in keeping up with the discussions of governance on the various listservs, the comments and perspectives of the members have been very helpful."
  
  Governance Committee members, ex officio and officer attendees are John Ryan (chair), IL; Henry Dinger, Anne Southwood, Bill Fallon and Cathy Fallon, Jim Post (VOTF president), Jeannette Post, Mary Ann Keyes (Parish Voice), Ron Dubois (Steering Committee chair), Elia Marnik, Fran O'Leary, Sr. Betsy Conway (VOTF secretary), Ann Carroll (VOTF treasurer), MA; Kris Ward, OH (VOTF vice-president); Ed Wilson and Anne Wilson, NY; Gaile Pohlhaus, PA
  
  
  Some of the Governance Committee - November 19 meeting, Our Lady Help of Christians, Newton, MA left to right around the table: Ed Wilson, Anne Wilson, Sr. Betsy Conway, Gaile Polhaus, Elia Marnik, Ann Carroll, Anne Southwood, Henry Dinger, Jim Post, Mary Ann Keyes, Ron Dubois, Bill Fallon, Cathy Fallon (back of her head). Photographer not in photo - John Ryan

• 2005 Convention Update Catholic Contacts Wanted - Especially Hoosiers! In preparation for our 2005 National Convention in Indianapolis, we are seeking volunteers to outreach to other groups of mainstream "people in the pews," especially those who are active in Catholic ministries. (At the 2004 National Catholic Educational Association convention I was surprised to learn how many Catholics have not heard of VOTF, and then I realized that had VOTF not been started in Boston, I probably would not know about it either!) The list below is not exhaustive and is geared to the Midwest (Indianapolis). Other suggestions will be welcomed!
  
  Are you an alumna/alumnus of a Catholic school in the Midwest?
  Ancilla College
  Aquinas College (Grand Rapids, MI)
  Benedictine University (Lisle, IL)
  Bellarmine University
  Catholic Theological Union
  College of Mount St. Joseph
  DePaul University
  Dominican University (River Forest, IL)
  Fontbonne University
  Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH)
  Holy Cross College (Notre Dame, IN)
  John Carroll University
  Lewis University
  Loyola University - Chicago
  Marian College
  Marquette University
  Notre Dame
  Saint Joseph's College (Rensselaer, IN)
  Saint Louis University
  Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (IN)
  Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN)
  Saint Xavier University (Chicago)
  University of Dayton
  University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne, IN)
  Ursuline College (Pepper Pike, OH)
  Walsh University
  Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)
  
  Do you know someone from a religious order in the Midwest?
  
  Are you a member of any of these groups (or know someone who is)?
  Catholic Health Association (CHA)
  Catholic Theological Society of America (CTSA)
  Knights of Columbus (especially in the Midwest)
  National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers (NSCFLM)
  National Association of Church Personnel Administrators (NACPA)
  National Association for Lay Ministry (NALM)
  National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
  National Pastoral Life Center (NPLC)
  
  If you support the idea of VOTF doing this outreach, and are willing to send a few emails (or make some phone calls), please contact Ann Carroll (anncarrollvotf@yahoo.com). Thanks in advance.
  
  Working together, we can "Keep the Faith, Change the Church"! Ann Carroll [Ann Carroll is outgoing VOTF Treasurer]

Voice of the Faithful, VOTF, "Keep the Faith, Change the Church,"
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Voice of the Faithful is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization.