NATIONAL News

[Comments are welcome at pthorp.ed@votf.org]

Message from VOTF Vice-president Kris Ward, Chair Charter Task Force:

The revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People will be considered by the Bishops at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting June 16-18 in Chicago. Please be vigilant during this time for any updates and be ready to use your voice.

Voice of the Faithful obtained a Workbook that the Bishops used to gather comment from all United States Bishops on the revisions proposed by the Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse.

Voice of the Faithful submitted a Workbook with our comments on the proposed changes and a letter with additional recommendations to Archbishop Flynn. The materials are available on our website.

Voice of the Faithful is opposed to any weakening of the Charter. Voice of the Faithful proposed language for strengthening the Charter and proposed the Bishops undertake a major education campaign in order to inform every Catholic about the provisions of the Charter.

CONVOCATION News – “The Laity Speak: Accountability Now

Working group papers now on the web site are from Voice of Renewal/Lay Education and the Structural Change group. The idea behind making this material available and downloadable now is to help attendees at the convocation to arrive with as much background information as possible. Consequently, we hope all attendees will find themselves comfortably engaged throughout the weekend.

What To Look For on the VOTF web site.
Structural Change Working Group package – an Introduction from Margaret Roylance

During the last month, the Structural Change Working Group (SCWG) has been preparing for the VOTF Convocation in Indianapolis this July. Several long-term projects should be completed in time for the meeting, including:

  • the first, and soon the second, edition of the Primer on Organizational Structures of the Catholic Church;

  • [now posted] 9 recommended operating Principles for Parish Finance Councils (a parallel set of recommendations to the diocesan-level principles, which were unanimously approved by the VOTF Representative Council meeting in Hartford, Connecticut in May 2004);

  • two proposals for structural change based on our work with Ladislas Orsy, S.J., who provided consultation to the SCWG on Canon Law and Church governance. These two proposals are entitled “Independent Judicial Review of Actions by a Diocesan Bishop” and “Diocesan Mutual Visitation as a Mechanism for Renewal”. They will be submitted for consideration by the convocation and the new National Representative Council, which will meet for the first time in Indianapolis, along with other structural change recommendations such as the Bridgeport Proposals (on the Bridgeport web site).

The SCWG has also submitted recommendations along with five other national Working Groups for a Project Workbook entitled “What Do We Do Next?” The Workbook offers concrete steps that may be taken at the parish or affiliate level to advance the mission and goals of VOTF. The completed Workbook was submitted to the outgoing Representative Council at its last meeting in May for approval, and should be available for distribution in Indianapolis.

In additional to these projects, the SCWG has assembled a series of recommendations on Parish Pastoral Councils and Safety Committees for the Convocation. The information on Parish Pastoral Councils (PPCs) includes the results of the survey carried out by the SCWG during the last two years; a set of sample By-Laws for PPCs, and links to successful PPCs identified by the survey. Sample By-Laws are included in the package because the survey showed that PPCs that operate under By-Laws or some other form of foundation document are perceived by their members to be more effective and that the recommendations of such PPCs are more often implemented.

For almost two years, VOTF members from across the country have participated in the work of articulating structural change within our Church. We have done so electronically, through the Structural Change Network and other electronic avenues. The Convocation in Indianapolis promises to be a wonderful opportunity to put a face with all those e-addresses!

Voice of Renewal/Lay Education Working Group has posted on the web site:

  • Model for a Day of Renewal

  • Faith-Sharing Groups

  • Education Resources

  • Origins of the Church – with a Timeline

  • Annotated Bibliography (pdf) on The History of the Church; Structures of the Church; Current Views of the Church; The Sexual Abuse Scandal; The Priesthood/Ministry; Prayer/Spirituality and more

CALLING ALL AFFILIATES - Don't be among the unrepresented! To register now, click here.

And when you get to Indianapolis, introduce yourselves with an exhibit or a brief presentation in the Exhibit Hall of the Conference Center. .

If you haven't received the e-message about display opportunities at the convocation exhibit hall, please contact pthorp.ed@votf.org . If you have “wares” to sell, contact John Moynihan at moynihan_john@hotmail.com . Pat Gomez can help with your exhibit/presentation needs - contact PTCGomez@comcast.net.

Remember! The Friday Training Sessions are FREE, i.e., included in your registration fee.

Spread the word: We are extending a special invitation to lay religious - contact Evelyn Mercantini at esmerc48@comcast.net

Share a room? Have a housing concern? Contact Michelle at famvm@prodigy.net

Please visit the web site and see recent updates and news. Besides our impressive roster of speakers, we will be joined by Frs. Tom Doyle and Donald Cozzens, women religious, and affiliate representatives from over 20 states. Also, the first Council meeting of our newly elected National Representative Council will take place from 3-5 at the Hyatt Regency just before the 6-8 welcome reception in the same hotel, which is connected to the conference center.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP?

Your response to our last call for volunteers was wonderful - we have all the lectors we could ask for! We would still like a few more volunteers to be greeters, singers and Eucharistic Ministers - contact Susan Troy at prayerfulvoice1@yahoo.com . If you would like to help with breakout sessions, transportation, hospitality and information, please contact jaycarrigan@earthlink.net.

If you’re bringing any artistic creativity to Indianapolis, you are much valued. Prayerful Voice is looking for a group to make banners for the Saturday evening liturgy and Sunday’s Council Commissioning and Sending Forth. Contact prayerfulvoice1@yahoo.com

Please note the Friday evening 6-8 welcoming reception at the Hyatt Regency preceded from 3-5 by the first meeting of our new Representative Council also to be held at the Hyatt Regency. See the convocation pages for details.


VOTF Cincinnati has produced a DVD – and right on time for Indy!
Submitted by Nan Fisher

A professionally produced 15-minute DVD about the mission and goals of VOTF is now available for use in outreach efforts. The DVD was produced by Cincinnati VOTF to be used in presentations to pastors, pastoral/parish councils and to domestic church groups (e.g., faith sharing groups). It features commentary from two survivors, two priests and two members of VOTF affiliates. It is not specific to Cincinnati and is intended for use in a facilitated meeting to introduce Catholics to VOTF and to provide a starting point for discussion about how Catholics can respond to the ongoing issues that have resulted from the sex abuse scandal and its cover up by bishops.

The DVD is part of Cincinnati VOTF’s outreach packet that includes their position on Structural Change, a brochure to explain VOTF and a response postcard to send to the Archbishop of Cincinnati. Affiliate members are committed to the two-fold approach of showing the DVD along with providing a way for viewers to respond. We believe that the viewing of the DVD will inspire others to respond and we want to capitalize on the opportunity to have impact.

The DVD is copyrighted but Cincinnati VOTF’s goal is to share it as widely as possible. Copies of the DVD will be available at the Convocation in Indy. Resource materials such as the facilitation guide and sample postcard will also be available in print, with the opportunity to have them sent to you electronically. Members of Cincinnati VOTF will be at our booth to share ideas and experiences of using the DVD.

An outcome of the Convocation will be a renewed interest to spread the message of VOTF—the DVD “Faithful Voices” will make that job so much easier!

San Francisco VOTF has put a petition on line asking Archbishop Levada, as head of the Confraternity for the Doctrine of the Faith, to continue the Fr Maciel investigation. The USCCB meeting in Chicago June 16-18 is an opportunity to raise the issue and support a positive response from the bishops. For more information and to sign this petition go to www.votf-sf.org.

A Dubious Distinction for Boston Churches
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has identified Boston’s Catholic Churches as one on a list of 11 most endangered historic places in the country. The churches are Blessed Sacrament in Jamaica Plain, Our Lady Presentation in Brighton, St. Catherine of Siena in Charlestown and St. Peter’s Lithuanian Church in South Boston. To learn more click here.

HBO premiere of “Twist of Faith” at the Boston, MA State House
About 75 people gathered in a sub-basement screening room of the MA State House on Beacon Hill to view the premiere of HBO’s compelling documentary about the day-to-day reality of living with abuse in one’s past. The film addresses with clarity the cloud that hovers over all aspects of a victim’s life, even decades later – work, family life, spiritual life – as well as the destructive force of trust lost. The film will air on HBO on June 28.

CBS 60 Minutes (Wed) provided national coverage of another tale of clerical sexual abuse, this one led to reopening an old murder investigation. There is a segment on the diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts and the case of former priest Richard Lavigne. Fr. James Scahill, who received the Priest of Integrity award from Voice of the Faithful at our regional conference in Worcester, MA last November, is also featured in this story. View the video here. Read the text of the story, “Murder Haunts the Catholic Church.”

VOTF president Jim Post to respond to Winnipeg, Canada Archbishop James Weisberger at the 7th Annual Catholic Common Ground Initiative Lecture on June 28 at Catholic University, Washington, DC. The lecture is “Building a Church of Communion.” The Catholic Common Ground Initiative was inaugurated by the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin with the release of a statement “Called to Be Catholic: Church in a Time of Peril,” on August 12, 1996. It originated in a concern that unnecessarily polarizing differences among church leaders and members hinder efforts to build the Church community and to carry out its mission. The statement proposes working principles for dialogue within the Church and expresses the conviction that such an effort will transform those who engage in it as well as strengthen the Church for its mission in the new millennium. For more information on the National Pastoral Life Center and the Common Ground Initiative, click here.

Sr. Betsy Conway, former VOTF national secretary and ongoing VOTF activist, has received an award from Regis College for excellence in community service. In addition to her ministry in Framingham (Bethany House), the award highlighted Sr. Betsy’s involvement in Voice of the Faithful and framed her work with VOTF as one of many courageous choices. Sr. Betsy believes her VOTF work and commitment were significant factors in being selected.

Following on the heels of the resignation of Tom Reese from America magazine, a national Jesuit newsletter fired a writer for proposing in the newsletter that the Church have an open dialogue on homosexuality. See the National Catholic Reporter.

Also, NCR reports that the Maciel scandal won’t go away.” That editorial and John Allen’s coverage are at NCR.

BOOK ALERT: John Allen’s new book The Rise of Benedict XVI : The Inside Story of How the Pope was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church will be released on June 7, 2005. Watch amazon.com and booksellers.

From Gaile Pohlhaus: Affiliates should send their meeting info to ParishVoiceExchange@Yahoo.com. It would be wonderful to see something on every block of the calendar!



In the Vineyard
June 2005
Volume 4, Issue 6
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