“We Need to Model the Church We Envision Ourselves Thriving In”
By Janet Hauter
Voice of the Faithful has come of age, and with maturity comes responsibility. We recognize through our member survey that we, VOTF, have a confused identity in the marketplace, and while our national goals were enthusiastically embraced by a majority of our members, they found it difficult to express who we are and what we are about.
We have matured enough to become a new creation by re-imagining our potential as faithful Catholics. This new platform plan was put together during the Easter season and we indeed are resurrection people. Change is constant and we are in a position to redefine ourselves.
As an organization, we need to be seen as an organization of hope that speaks in a respectful, collegial and collaborative manner. We know that a shrill, blame-seeking message often hits a saturation point that yields minimal to no results.
We have set up a cadre of aggressive goals through this year-long strategy planning process and it all points to a very exciting future. While these goals are critically important, the way we present, communicate, and implement them is equally important.
If we believe we are truly the Church, change must begin within ourselves, individually and communally. We must learn to channel and harness our anger at the institution constructively. In community-organizing terms, we need to move from “hot anger” to “cold anger,” anger that transforms our hearts to forgive (but never forget). We must speak the truth grounded in fact with professional objectivity. Fundamentally, to change the Church, we must change ourselves first. We must also learn to forgive ourselves for remaining quiet, compliant, and passive in the face of recurrent abuse: sexual, financial, and power.
Integrating our centrist identity with respectful action packaged in a unique branded manner will distinguish VOTF among reform groups. We are the Church. We are the living, breathing, VOTF brand!
