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In the Vineyard
March, 2004

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Mt 3:3

A wilderness, indeed. There are many ways to assess the wilderness in our Church. Let's consider one view using a VOTF lens.

Step One: A voice for the laity "goes public" on March 9, 2002. Tuesday of this past week marked two years since VOTF took its first public steps into the arena of Church reform. On that day in 2002, the "new kid on the block" attended the Boston Convocation hosted by Cardinal Law. Organizations and parish representatives from all over the archdiocese gathered to voice their outrage over revelations of clergy sexual abuse. We also gathered to state our hopes and expectations; VOTF continues to stand by the document we presented that day (LINK). Conclusion two years later? The message is worthy.

Step Two: Following intense public pressure and media exposure, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) commissioned a National Review Board (NRB) that would study the extent and causes of the crisis and publish those findings. This effort culminated in the release on February 27, 2004 of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice report and the NRB report. Conclusion two years later? Voices matter.

Step Three: The much-touted release of the John Jay and National Review Board reports did little to relieve pain, provide hope or remediate much for Catholics who are expecting bishop accountability or Vatican intervention. What it did accomplish, however, is a modicum of clarity - the debris of deception will not move, and has not moved, of its own accord. Conclusion two years later? Again - voices matter..

Among many other commentators and observers, National Catholic Reporter recognizes all of the above. The current issue's editorial (March 12, 2004) compares two ads that appeared on the same day in the New York Times - February 29. One was a USCCB ad, which "had a ring of finality about it." The other was the VOTF ad, promoting the VOTF Petition Drive. According to the editorial, the VOTF message "had the sound of a campaign getting underway. Which view prevails, those who think the issuance of the reports marks an end to a difficult chapter or those who think the event marks the beginning of a process aimed at essential reforms, could well determine the future shape and tone of the Catholic Church in this country."

As we said to Cardinal Law over two years ago, "We are the Church; we are the People of God." Conclusion two years later? We are the Church; we are the People of God.

The campaign is under way.

Peggie L. Thorp, Ed.

Responding to the John Jay and National Review Board Reports

  • End the silence: Sign and distribute the petition to restore responsibility to Catholicism.

  • Why no Catholic can say again "It Didn't Happen Here." Commentary - LINK

  • See the VOTF call for responsible Catholicism proposed in the Voice of the Faithful's Ad in February 29, 2004 New York Times (Adobe Reader Required); VOTF president Jim Post's op-ed remarks "Fix the Church in the Name of Hope," published in the Boston Globe, 2/28/04.

  • Visit the John Jay Report Special Section on our web site for an overview of relevant commentary and links to key documents and articles. Or visit the USCCB web site at www.usccb.org for both the John Jay and National Review Board reports; track bishop news on www.bishopaccountability.org; and read survivor support groups reactions to the John Jay and NRB reports on www.survivorsnetwork.org and www.thelinkup.org

  • National Catholic Reporter highlights VOTF ad - Abuse reports mark beginning, not end

  • At the press conference in Washington, DC, following the release of the John Jay and NRB reports, there was little joy to be had in Bishop Gregory's assertion that abuse is "history." For Web access to the press conference, go to www.connectlive.com/events/usccb/ [ Note: History includes the recent charges against Archbishop Dupre of Springfield, Mass. The district attorney for Hampden County in the Springfield, Mass. Archdiocese William Bennett, said he would present a grand jury with accusations that former Bishop Thomas Dupre of Springfield abused two boys when he was a parish priest. If the grand jury indicts Bishop Dupre, he will be the first Roman Catholic bishop in the United States to be criminally charged with sexually abusing children. Bishop Dupre retired in February 2004 citing health reasons.]

Something to think about - prayers, poetry, a homily and your opinion

Events, Etc.

  • Another VOTF milestone in the recent publication of the VOTF genesis story by Jim Muller and Charles Kenney Keep the Faith, Change the Church. The first VOTF story is now in bookstores and available at Amazon.com. Voice of the Faithful is making a limited time offer of signed copies of Keep the Faith, Change the Church by the authors. Your purchase of this signed copy for $50.00 including shipping and handling will help support Voice of the Faithful and the important work we continue to do in returning responsibility to Catholicism. Click Here.

  • Jason Berry and Gerald Renner, authors of Lead Us Not Into Temptation and Vows of Silence - The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II will be speaking at St. John the Evangelist School Hall in Wellesley, MA on Tuesday March 16th 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Jason Berry's latest book is the culmination of over 15 years of investigative journalism on the clergy sexual abuse crisis. It's a story you haven't heard before. All are welcome.

  • Have a few free hours next week? Spend some at Boston College. Monday, March 15, 2004 Panel Discussion: "Now That We Know, What Do We Do?: Reflections on the Bishops' National Review Board Study of Clergy Sexual Abuse," 7:30 p.m., Gasson 100. Sponsor: The Church in the 21st Century. Information: 617-552-0470. **** Tuesday, March 16, 2004 Lecture: "The Rights of Priests," with Rev. James F. Keenan, S.J. 4:30 p.m., Gasson 100, Information: 617-552-3880. Jim Keenan is a longstanding friend of VOTF and speaker at VOTF gatherings. Check www.bc.edu/church21/ for more.

  • Scandal and Sunlight – What the John Jay Study Means to Catholics, Remarks of James E. Post President, Voice of the Faithful St. Patrick and St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church, Hartford, CT March 11, 2004

  • There's still time to come to Wellesley, MA, St. John the Evangelist Church Social Hall and hear Rev. J. Bryan Hehir continue a series of lectures (3/11,18, 25, and 4/1) on "From the Council to the Millennium: the Journey of American Catholicism" at 7:30 pm. Not long ago, Fr. Hehir told a gathering at Boston College, "The laity needs to say, at every level, 'We simply won't accept anything less than adult conversation.'" Fr. Hehir is former head of Catholic Charities USA and formerly an official of the United States Catholic Conference. On January 1, 2004, Fr. Hehir assumed his position as President and Treasurer of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston.

  • From Hartford, CT to St. Louis, MO and on to San Francisco, CA - VOTF is engaged in and hosting conferences and symposia; VOTF Mayflower, VOTF Boston and VOTF South Shore affiliates to host VOTF Priest of Integrity award recipient and survivor advocate Fr. Tom Doyle. All are welcome to hear Fr. Doyle speak at St. Albert the Great Church, Rt. 53 (1130 Washington St.), E.Weymouth, MA on Sunday, March 21, 2 pm. For directions, visit www.angelfire.com/rock2/kevinzip/voice.htm .

  • Representative Council passes motion for five-person Steering Committee. See February Council minutes. Council concluding Prayer written during early days of revelations serves again.

  • See our very first "Corrections" entry!

Parish Pastoral Councils

  • Get ready! Read the VOTF Structural Change statement and watch for more details in coming months - the Primer on "Organizational Structures of the Catholic Church" is nearing completion for distribution. This document will prove to be an historic development in responsible Catholicism.

  • How healthy is your Parish Pastoral Council? Consider the VOTF Boston, MA survey of parish pastoral councils http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=51127395154

  • Confused about Parish Pastoral Councils? You're not alone. Archbishop McCarrick of Washington, DC thinks there's a parish pastoral council, the so-called "lay voice" in our Church, in every parish "in the world." So he said to Tim Russert on NBC News "Meet the Press." Wrong. (see the program transcript at www.msnbc.com); Gaile Pohlhaus, PA, found this web site on parish pastoral councils quite helpful: http://www.west.net/~fischer/ and/or http://users.adelphia.net/~markfischer/

Parish Closings - Coming to your neighborhood?

Working Group and Affiliate News

  • Survivor Community - Courageous and empowering for two years, Geoghan victim Patrick McSorley dies; Accountability March calls on Governor Romney to do the right thing in Boston, MA

  • Vignettes from VOTF in New Orleans, LA - Feb. 15 S.N.A.P. vigil and Feb. 16 Loyola University panel discussion on clericalism

  • Priests Sounding Board - VOTF Cleveland/Akron, OH prays with priests

A Sermon For Our Time

During a visit to our New Orleans and Baton Rouge, La. affiliates, Susan Troy and Peggie Thorp had the good fortune to find themselves at Mass on Sunday February 15, for a sermon that in its essence presaged the VOTF New York Times ad placed on Sunday February 29. The sermon was delivered at St. Stephen's Church in New Orleans by pastor Fr. Weber.

"Be Compassionate as God is Compassionate" Lk 6/17, 20-26 2/15/04

The New Testament gives us two different versions of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Both Matthew and Luke include this sermon in their gospels. While these accounts are similar, we do find some differences in the two. For instance, for Matthew it's a sermon on a "mount," but for Luke it's a sermon on a "plain." Matthew's account is somewhat longer, three chapters rather than the one chapter in Luke; Matthew has eight beatitudes rather than the four found in Luke. Both accounts conclude with similar, yet different statements. Matthew has Jesus conclude with "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." I never liked that since there is no way I can be perfect. On the other hand, Luke's account, which we are presently reading, concludes with "Be Compassionate as your heavenly Father is compassionate." Luke seems to be defining what it means to be perfect - it means being compassionate. It is this expression of Luke that I wish to speak to today.

The rallying call for the Jewish people yesterday and also today is "Be holy as God is holy."Jews have always held this statement up as their motto in life; you find it repeated throughout the Old Testament, "Be holy as God is holy." It is first found in the book of Leviticus [19:2], and the same book also details what it means to "be holy." But by the time Jesus came on the scene, some thousand years after the book of Leviticus, "being holy" had changed considerably from its original meaning in Leviticus.

"Being holy" had come to mean tithing on everything, even the smallest herbs you grew, but on the other hand, neglecting justice, mercy and honesty. "Being holy" meant being careful about our appearance - how we looked to others, being clean, having front seats in the synagogue, wearing tassels, making a show of our generosity to the poor, and praying so that everyone noticed our prayer - rather than showing respect, concern and reverence for those less fortunate than we. "Being holy" meant caring for friends and our fellows, but hating outsiders and referring to them as our enemies. Over time this holiness code had lost its original purity and took on the look of hypocrisy. Jesus abhorred hypocrisy.

Because this word "holy" was being so abused by the people of his day, Jesus makes a radical substitution in the statement "Be holy as God is holy" to say "Be compassionate as God is compassionate." The close parallel between those two statements suggests that Jesus deliberately replaced holiness with compassion. Compassion and not holiness became the dominant quality of God; rather than looking at God as holy, think of him as compassionate. As a consequence of the change in words, the dominant quality for the Christian has come to be compassion and not holiness. The word "holy" is so ambivalent; what does it mean to be holy? How does "holy" look? What does "holy" do? But the word "compassion" is focused.

The word "compassion" means "to feel with"; it means feeling the sorrow, feeling the hurt, the despair, the pain of another. And compassion is not merely feeling these things in our heads, but deep down where it actually hurts. Our heads tend to keep us at arm's length from the poor, the sick, even while we're helping them, but when we feel it in our depths, we're drawn to embrace those same persons, to be one in their pain. Actually compassion is more than simply feeling the suffering of someone else, it means being moved by their suffering to do something about it. That is, we can't help ourselves when we act out of our compassion. We cannot endure it from afar.

You abuse my brother or sister, by God your abusing me. A compassionate person is moved to do something about the terrible situations we encounter day after day, and to refuse to allow it to continue. Compassion will not allow us to remain still in the face of injustice, cruelty and stupidity. Compassion looks toward a more beautiful future; there should be a refusal on our part to accept the world in its present sinful condition. Compassion knows that this can be a better world. I'm quite sure this is what drove Jesus in his life and it should drive all of us. If there was ever a more compassionate person than Jesus I can't imagine who it might have been. If I honestly take Jesus as the Lord of my life, then I too must strive to be compassionate.

A Christian is not merely someone who thinks about the awful condition our society is in and then prays for it to get better; rather, the Christian must act. This is the difference in being holy like God and being compassionate like God. Christians are meant to make this a better world for all to live in. When Jesus gave his famous Sermon on the Mount, he tried to bring together all those values he believed were important - mercy, peace, justice.

He concluded by telling the people "Be compassionate as God is compassionate."

He was telling them to go out and live our compassion. Christianity is not a religion of ideas but rather one of action.

SURVIVOR COMMUNITY UPDATE

Steve Sheehan reports on the Boston, MA "Accountability March" held Sunday, February 29, 2004. The purpose of the march was to call on Governor Romney to convene an independent panel to assess the public safety crisis created by the Catholic bishops of the four dioceses of Massachusetts. The March was organized by the Coalition of Catholics and Survivors (CCS) and co-sponsored by CCS, Call to Action/New England, and SNAP, New England.

Steve's report is followed by a tribute to Patrick McSorley who died last week. Patrick was a victim of convicted abuser John Geoghan.

They beat the drum slowly in Boston on February 29, 2004.

The drum beat for 30 minutes on the sidewalk in front of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Each beat of the drum accompanied the name of a Boston priest accused of abusing children they were ordained to serve and shepherd.

Each beat of the drum echoed the pain of the survivors of clergy abuse and their supporters who stood and listened.

The drum continued to beat to accompany the footfalls of approximately 150 marchers who proceeded from the cathedral, through the streets of downtown Boston to the State House. Many of the marchers carried posters with the names and pictures of the abusers and their superiors who abetted them. Four larges Crosses of Shame (approximately 15 feet high and two feet across) were carried by volunteers. These represented the four dioceses of Boston, Springfield, Worcester and Fall River. The crosses bore the names of priests, bishops and public officials who caused the abuse or failed to take appropriate action to bring it to a halt and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The drum beat again as the names of the bishops were read. These bishops, while assigned to dioceses in Massachusetts, allowed the abuse to continue for over four decades and protected the guilty parties until, in almost all cases, the statutes of limitations had expired. By their action or inaction, they placed the prevention of scandal and the church's code of secrecy ahead of the pleas of victims and their families.

In a press conference held in front of the State House at noontime, the marchers demanded that Governor Romney designate a task force to investigate the dioceses of Massachusetts and make public the names and locations of accused priests who have been removed from ministry. The Catholic Church is sitting on the largest list of sex offenders in the state and the public has a right and the need to know who they are and where they are in order to protect future generations of children from the same level of abuse.

The drum will continue to beat in the hearts and souls of the survivors and their advocates. And it will beat in memory for the deceased victims of sexual abuse by clergy until the truth, the whole truth is revealed.

Farewell to Patrick McSorley
Eternal rest grant him, O Lord,
and let the perpetual light shine upon him.

Survivors and advocates everywhere joined the family of Patrick McSorley in saying farewell to this young, brave survivor of John Geoghan.

Patrick, by coming forward and pressing his case against Geoghan, set a wonderful example for all survivors and prompted many others to come forward who otherwise might have remained in silent suffering. Patrick's courage and determination, in the face of his own tragic life, was a constant beacon in the darkness.

Patrick was buried on Friday, February 27, at Saint Francis Cemetery in Taunton, Massachusetts.

Some 50 vehicles formed a funeral cortege from St. Pius X Church in Milton to the cemetery in Taunton where mourners said their last farewells. All were devastated by the tragedy of Patrick's life as well as his death. Our hearts are overflowing with sympathy for Patrick, his family and friends and, especially, for his children.

The following prayer was offered for Patrick in the funeral program. It is a fitting tribute to the life and passing of this fine young man.

I'm Free

Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free;
I'm following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard Him call;
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way;
I found that place at the close of day.

If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss;
Ah yes, these things, I too, will miss.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow;
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much;
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.

Perhaps my time seemed all too brief;
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your heart and share with me;
God wanted me now, He set me free.

Author unknown

Spirit Be Free

Spirit Be Free…
Now that your capture in this container has ended
May you gently soar among and All that is Life…

Spirit Be Free…
Go and mingle with All that is Life
Return from whence you came
Bring with you the lessons imprisonment has taught…

Spirit Be Free
Mourn the tortures of capture; rejoice the freedom of release
Share the lessons learned and the wisdom gained
With those others opened to learn…

Spirit Be Free
Rest well; allow strength to return
Home is near
The cycle of birth and death has been completed
Warm, comforting and nurturing embraces await your arrival…

Spirit Be Free…
Take time…
Enjoy the sacredness of home, the gentleness of spirit…
Fuse all lessons into your being…
That should you ever have to return, both home and knowledge
Will be your conscious guide…

Spirit Be Free…
The longing has ended
The aching is over
You are Home now

Spirit Is Free!

survivor Kathleen M. Dwyer

Priests Sounding Board News
Submitted by VOTF Cleveland/Akron, OH

The attached prayer was used at the first priest sounding board sponsored by VOTF Cleveland/Akron, OH held at St. Rita in Solon and attended by three priests and about twenty members of VOTF.

Divine Grace, which always heals that which is infirm
and supplies that which is lacking,
has called our beloved brothers to sacred ministry.
Let us pray that they be confirmed and strengthened
With the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Fill them with grace and counsel, that they may love you
with all their hearts, all their minds, and all their strength.
Grant them irreproachable conduct, steadfast faith, and good works
so that they may help and guide your people with unselfish motivation.

Grant them wisdom, let their minds be sober and watchful,
so that they may be filled with works of healing and words of instruction. May
they teach your people in meekness and serve you in holiness
with an undivided mind and a willing soul.

May they be the light of your only begotten Son
that the word of your gospel may be spread
and your name may be glorified in every creature.

May they serve at your holy altar with pure hearts and good consciences.
Grant that they may prosper in all your commandments
and the keeping of your laws,
so that they may be able to minister joyfully on the day of your coming.

Jack Rakosky

Commentary: It Didn't Happen Here

For months now, many good and caring Catholics have corresponded with VOTF offering their prayers, support and hope for our work but from the arm's length that says "It didn't happen here." If nothing else, the John Jay report altered the geography of this understanding of what ails our Church - it tells each of us loudly and clearly that, this did happen and does happen "here." "Here" covers the one-hundred ninety-five of 202 dioceses and eparchies across the country reporting across a 52-year span more than 10,000 cases of abuse by nearly 4,300 priests or 4 percent of all American clerics. The report also estimated the crisis has cost the Catholic Church nearly $600 million in litigation and counseling costs - a figure that does not include settlement money. Even a cursory look at the published reports (www.usccb.org) suggests that while all roads may lead to Rome, the starting point is the local diocesan chancery. For all the zero tolerance the bishops have assigned to priests, there is no such policy toward each other - no "fraternal correction." In fact, the NRB report finds bishops at the very heart of this era of crime.

VOTF today has a better understanding of why the streets of the US aren't jammed with millions of protesting Catholics, why Church leadership seems to lurch from error to crime and back again with impunity, and what it will take to turn the next corner. It will take the "rest of us" - the ever-present, often silent, sometimes protean mass of untapped, unknown Catholics "on the fence," in the pews, on the committees, in your office, at your town meeting, at the family wedding, at the holiday table.

Our offer of a voice to these - our sisters and brothers in faith - is the now-familiar VOTF Petition Drive (www.votf.org ). Announced in the full-page New York Times ad of Sunday, February 29, the petitions are a user-friendly attempt to encourage a few seconds of investing in the future of our faith and how our Church represents that faith. LINK to Petition

EVENTS, ETC.

EAST REGION

****DON'T FORGET!! April 16-17 - A conference with global implications, "Envisioning the Church Women Want: A Conference on Women in the Church," will be held at Boston College, visit www.bc.edu/church21, or call 617-552-3489.

****From VOTF member Anne Barrett Doyle: With Bishop Dupre accused of sexually molesting minors, survivors and Catholics in Springfield, MA are desperate for an investigation into the corruption in their diocese. Some have called on Attorney General Tom Reilly to convene a grand jury probe, as he did for Boston. Email or phone AG Reilly to let him know that you support such an investigation. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/ten-minute-activist/2004-02-17-Dupre/2004-02-17-main.htm. Let Reilly's office know if you're a Massachusetts voter. He is probably running for governor in 2006. He needs to know that Catholics want public prosecutors to hold their bishops accountable!

**** VOTF Mayflower, VOTF Boston and VOTF South Shore affiliates to host VOTF Priest of Integrity award recipient and decades-long survivor advocate Fr. Tom Doyle. All are welcome to hear Fr. Doyle speak at St. Albert the Great Church, Rt. 53 (1130 Washington St.), E.Weymouth, MA on Sunday, March 21, 2 pm. For directions, visit www.angelfire.com/rock2/kevinzip/voice.htm .

****VOTF Protecting Our Children sponsors TAT (Talking about Touching) Training with Family Support Training Specialist Kathy Kelley. Two-session program on Sat. March 27, 9 am - 5 pm at St. John the Evangelist Church, Wellesley, MA. Brown bag lunch; coffee and drinks available. Fee is $50 payable to Friends of the Children's Trust Fund. RSVP and questions: votfprotect@yahoo.com or call 781-944-1375. More information about VOTF Protecting Our Children at www.votf.org/Protecting_Our_Children/tat.html.

**** Tuesday, March 16, 2004 Lecture: "The Rights of Priests," with Rev. James F. Keenan, S.J. 4:30 p.m., Gasson 100, Information: 617-552-3880. Jim Keenan is a longstanding friend of VOTF and speaker at VOTF gatherings.

****Saturday, April 3, 2004, 9:30 am-2:00 pm, Boston College workshop: "Leadership Issues in the Church Today: Education for Collaboration and Group Decision Making in a Redefined Church," sponsored by BC's Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Continuing Education. Voice of the Faithful is promoting this event as an educational piece for Regional Coordinators, affiliate leaders, and our affiliate membership in general. Information: http://www.bc.edu/irepm or 617-552-8057. Cost: $30.00 per person or groups of five for $100.00; lunch included. PLEASE NOTE: The event at St. Eulalia's originally scheduled for April 3 has been postponed to June 12 (tentative) to allow our members to attend the event at BC (above).

****For additional lectures, symposia and educational opportunities at Boston College,Chestnut Hill, MA, visit the Boston College web site at www.bc.edu/church21/programs)

****Jason Berry and Gerald Renner, authors of Lead Us Not Into Temptation and Vows of Silence - The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II will be speaking at St. John the Evangelist School Hall in Wellesley, MA on Tuesday March 16th 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Jason Berry's latest book is the culmination of over 15 years of investigative journalism on the clergy sexual abuse crisis.

****Jim Post, president of National VOTF, spoke on the John Jay Report released on Feb. 27th Thurs., March 11, 2004, at St. Patrick & St. Anthony Church, Hartford, CT. See the VOTF web site for Jim's upcoming speaking schedule.

**** Wellesley, MA, St. John the Evangelist Church Social Hall and hear Rev. J. Bryan Hehir continue a series of lectures (3/11, 18, 25, and 4/1) on "From the Council to the Millennium: the Journey of American Catholicism" at 7:30 pm. Not long ago, Fr. Hehir told a gathering at Boston College, "The laity needs to say, at every level, 'We simply won't accept anything less than adult conversation.'" Fr. Hehir is former head of Catholic Charities USA and formerly an official of the United States Catholic Conference. On January 1, 2004, Fr. Hehir assumed his position as President and Treasurer of Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston.

***On Monday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m., the Winchester Area Voice of the Faithful will present a program entitled, "Pastoral Associates: Today and Tomorrow," at its regular Monday night meeting at St. Eulalia's Parish, 50 Ridge St., Winchester. Mary Lou Burke, pastoral associate at St. Eulalia's, will be joined by Sister Mary O'Rourke CSJ, pastoral associate at Blessed Sacrament in Saugus; Linda DeChristotoro, pastoral associate at Immaculate Conception in Revere; and Marie LaBollita, SC, pastoral associate at Our Lady Help of Christians in Newton. Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Bob Morris at rmorrisvotf@aol.com.

WEST REGION

****VOTF Western States Conference. A Two-Day Practicum March 27-28, 2004. For details go to the VOTF San Francisco, CA web site at www.votf-sf.org. Panelists include VOTF president James Post, Fr. Donald Cozzens from John Carroll University, Mary Ann Hinsdale from Boston College and Robert Blair Kaiser, author and Vatican correspondent for Newsweek.

SOUTH REGION

****Our Agony in the Garden - An Open Forum, March 23, 2004. Ft. Worth Voice of the Faithful. Tuesday, March 23, 2004 - 7:00 p.m., Catholic Renewal Center, 4503 Bridge St., Fort Worth, TX. For more information, contact Jean Frie at 817/589-7607, or email at jeanfrie@friefinancial.com

CENTRAL REGION

****Saturday March 13th, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. VOTF Mid-Missouri and VOTF St. Louis are co-sponsoring a one-day conference on "Challenges in the Church," featuring Donald Cozzens. Busch Center, St. Louis University Campus. More information available at http://www.votfsl.org

Corrections:

Some say it is a sign of journalistic maturity to apologize for content errors and publish corrections. We do both.

  • Tom Byrne, VOTF Cleveland, OH notes that the first issue of VOTF Perspectives was January 4, not January 24 as stated.

  • From Survivor advocate Steve Sheehan - the number of attendees at the January 11 Lighthouse meeting was 33, not 333.

  • Sue Archibald, not Barbara Blaine (founder of S.N.A.P.), is president of the Linkup.

  • A reminder that the web site address for bishopaccountability.org is www.bishopaccountability.org There is no 's' at the end of "bishop."

AFFILIATE NEWS

VOTF Winchester, MA
Submitted by Bob Morris

In February we continued our practice of meeting weekly, despite the inhospitable New England weather. On Saturday, February 21, we held a special Saturday meeting (co-sponsored with the Concord, MA VOTF) at which David France, former Senior Editor of Newsweek, discussed his recently published book Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal. David first read from harrowing sections of his book regarding clergy abuse. This was followed by a lively and wide-ranging discussion period. We are especially grateful to Pat Gomez and her wonderful group in Concord for co-sponsoring this event.

On February 2, Tom Beaudoin, a Professor at the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry at Boston College, was joined by an extraordinary group of young adults from the St. Eulalia's Youth Group, as well as recent graduates from that group and two of our own members. Tom led a discussion regarding youth and VOTF, and the connection, if any, between them. We were all greatly impressed by the faith of the young people, and by Tom Beaudoin's presentation.

On February 23, we discussed as a group the audit reports of the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the USCCB. Joining us for that discussion was Elia Marnik, of St. Agnes in Reading, MA. Elia has chaired the Protecting Our Children group at VOTF, met Archbishop O'Malley in November with other VOTF leaders, and subsequently met with Deacon Anthony Rizzuto of the Archdiocese. Elia's discussion of these issues added immeasurably to the evening.

Vignettes from New Orleans, LA

In February, Susan Troy, National Prayerful Voice chair, and Peggie Thorp, VOTF Publications Editor, joined the S.N.A.P. memorial for deceased victims of clergy sexual abuse and, the next day, a Loyola University panel discussion "Clericalism and the Abuse of Power in the Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church." Panelists were survivor advocate Fr. Tom Doyle, S.N.A.P. founder Barbara Blaine, author Jason Berry, former Galveston-Houston, TX diocese attorney and survivor Robert Scamardo, and VOTF publications editor Peggie Thorp.

Mark and Adele Foster of VOTF New Orleans and Billie and Shelton Bourgeois of VOTF Baton Rouge hosted the Boston visitors. Following are some of the moments shared:

  1. A S.N.A.P. vigil on a cold, windy late and gray afternoon, in a quiet New Orleans town meadow. We are there to remember the lives of victims of clergy sexual abuse who are dead by suicide. Their photos are mounted high above our heads on pairs of flexible, metal roads planted firmly in the ground. We are stone-still as the names are read. But these mobile monuments are ever-moving in the gusts, as if the victims were waving to us. In her opening remarks, Susan Troy says to those gathered, "If we want to see the face of God, look at these photos." Eric Patterson is one of the dozens of names his mother reads. Eric wrote the word "hope" on the note he left behind. A bag-piper donates "Amazing Grace" - people are humming. Lyn Hayward, director of Louisiana S.N.A.P., giving and receiving wordless embraces.

  2. Mass Sunday morning at St. Stephen's Church in New Orleans - Pastor Fr. Weber notes his intention to speak about compassion during the homily. Some wonder if this will be a sermon that tries to put the crisis away. Instead, his sermon moves us forward and we leave church at ease with the work ahead. Fr. Weber's words might just as well have been scripted for VOTF but his intended audience is much larger - the entire Christian community. (Read sermon)

  3. Monday evening at Loyola University in New Orleans - Tom Doyle, Jason Berry, Barbara Blaine, Robert Scamardo speak from decades of struggle to an audience of 250 or more. Peggie Thorp speaks for VOTF National on what's missing in the John Jay Report and why we can say to Eric Patterson "You bet there's hope." She quotes from Fr. Weber's Sunday sermon that "compassion is action - therein lies our hope." Speakers are warm in their encouragement and respect for VOTF. Attendees are survivors and their families and friends; VOTF members from Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi; priests; members of the Loyola University community; media.

  4. We acknowledge a calm that settled on many as we filed into the night of New Orleans' "deep winter." We talk about this and come back to one of Eric Patterson's last words - hope - and a profound sense of community.

VOTF SOUTH REGION

VOTF Tampa Bay Area, FL
Submitted by Dee Esteva

In response to the release of the National Review Board and the John Jay reports the following letter to the editor was submitted to and published (on Mar. 3) in the Tampa Tribune:

"The Tampa Bay Area Voice of the Faithful would like to congratulate the members of the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People for their integrity and insight. Their recommendations to the Catholic bishops in their report made public on Friday echo the concerns of Voice of the Faithful.

We agree that 'the current crisis at heart is one of faith and morals.' It is time for the Catholic laity to be more responsive and accept responsibility for the health of the church. Silence and passivity make us sharers in the blame for allowing the abuse to continue for so long.

Voice of the Faithful is willing to work with that majority of the clergy who are dedicated pastors in bringing about change (not having to do with dogma) that will help prevent such abuse in the future. We must all strive for a healthier church."

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We begin this section with a sampling of the response to the National Catholic Reporter editorial.

"The editorial in the March 12th National Catholic Reporter is very powerful. We on the west coast tip our hats to you folks in the east who got this movement started. I do believe that our chapter, St. Patrick's, Sonora, Diocese of Stockton, CA VOTF is probably one of the newest in the US. We will have a minimum of eight members attend the conclave at the University of San Francisco March 27-28. Again, thanks for the fine leadership you have provided during the past two years. PAZ. Richard and Frances Rohrbacher, St. Patrick's, Sonora, Diocese of Stockton, CA

"Those of you who formed VOTF should be VERY proud. We in Atlanta had a survivor as guest speaker at our meeting this past week. He concluded by saying that because of VOTF he had hope for a better future for the Church and that VOTF was a major source of healing.

This is what you have given Catholics in this country, especially those victims of abuse by the Church - HOPE. I can imagine the despair and frustration and anger at all the injustices that would be festering and leading to more suicides and ruined lives, if not for your hard work. You are literally life savers. May God continue to watch over and care for you."

"Thank you and everyone who has brought VOTF so far in such a short time. As the newest affiliate in the Chicago area, two months, we have just spent the last three days with authors Jason Berry and Gerald Renner at presentations on their new book Vows of Silence. Jason spoke highly and often of VOTF each time, encouraging membership. The three events were hosted by VOTF-Diocese of Joliet and VOTF-Chicago NW suburbs where many new names were added and St. Gertrude Parish where we acquired 17 names and will begin a new affiliate in the downtown/north area. We are very proud to be a part of VOTF and able to bring a voice to more and more Catholics in the Chicago area. Blessings to All. Marilyn Wells, VOTF-Chicago NW Suburbs

"I see the Wichita, Kansas bishop is speaking out against same-sex marriage. Where was he and guys like him while our pedophile priests were being routed around the country…. I don't want any of these bishops telling me about same sex marriage … as it is obvious that few have ever had any psychological and other appropriate training in this area." Bernie O'Brien

"On February 7, 2004, I read an article in our local newspaper from the Boston (AP) about Mass attendance for a typical week dropping in the Archdiocese of Boston since the clergy sexual-abuse crisis was uncovered two years ago (without all parishes reporting). Kudos to VOTF for welcoming these statistics, and for calling for further information about finances and other factors in parish closing.

Speaking about parish closings all over the United States, it is my suggestion that the rules governing parish closings be changed to provide for the return of the money to the parish who gave the money. This money should then be set aside in a fund for the parish to decide whether or not they wish to build a new or different parish. We must all remember that parishioners repeatedly are reminded, "it is your parish." Those generous lay individuals who provide land, buildings or icons to their particular parish should include a reversion clause in their gifts to prevent any archdiocese from purloining land or buildings or objects d'art and reaping the money. Parishioners are not bottomless pits of money.

Not being aware of the financial disclosure required by clergy, it is my belief that all personal wealth including real property be disclosed yearly, including where the income was earned….

Finally, a question: Are clergy and religious required to be fingerprinted and placed in the national finger print registry like teachers? If not, they should be." R. L. Monson

"I would like to suggest that there be a major consideration for affordable housing with the income from the sale of church properties. The city of Boston is interested in buying the schools but if they want other properties, the sales could be contingent on them having to include affordable housing in their plan for the properties....social justice from private to public!"

"I have been asking questions of our pastor as to how was a person like the current Cardinal of Los Angeles ever able to achieve the top spot in this diocese. His previous experience was as a bishop of Modesto, which is a very small diocese north of Los Angeles. This person exhibits no leadership, management experience or charisma, nor intestinal strength. He is constantly asking for money from the parishes. He has done very little to aid priests who have been unjustly accused….[My wife and I] mark weekly donation checks to be used for our parish expenses only, not to be sent to the archdiocese." Steve Pelentay

"Jesus establishes the Great Order. 'Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be cast into the abyss.' That was the first excommunication order established by Christ Himself. (Matt: 18, 3-6; Mark 10: 42; Luke 17: 2)

It should be the most unforgivable sin in our faith - above murder, apostasy and infidelity…. The pain of years and years of lost faith of a community - and the bishops' heinous turning their backs on their flocks. These bishops who condoned this horror must leave the shepherding of their rich corporate dioceses.

How can an faithful person pray anymore, participate in church when to look at the priests or bishop is to see multitudes of youth, children being sexually abused? No child can pray. No child can see the shepherd as an image to follow. The policy statement in our community (posted in the lower church) reads 'NO CHILD ALONE WITH ANY RELIGIOUS OR CHURCH WORKER.' We have suffered (the world has suffered) the third wave of holocaust upon the peoples of God - first, the lamb of Moses, then the Lamb of Christ, and now the Lamb of the Faithful."

"This has been such a hard time for all of the Church. We must leave judgment to God but it is hard to know that so much of this occurred because the clergy saw themselves as above everyone else. Much of it could have been stopped years ago…. I only wish the Pope had been more responsive."

Regarding Archbishop McCarrick's statement to the effect that every parish in the world has a parish pastoral council, VOTF correspondent from Atlanta, GA wrote the following:

"Can we remind the Cardinal (and the American public) that this is not true - that parish councils can be and have been dismissed by the pastor; that the pastor can appoint or dismiss members from the parish council. The same holds true for parish finance committee; these bodies only have access to the information that the pastor wants them to. The same is true for the diocesan level councils.

Not all dioceses were equally impacted by the sex-abuse scandal. However, most of us have experienced 'clericalism' in dealing with the governance and administration of our local churches. Isn't it time to move forward towards the stated goals of the VOTF Structural Change committee?" Betty Clermont, Atlanta, GA

Parish Closings 101

There are two types of closings: mergers, when two or more parishes combine into one, and suppressions, wherein a parish is closed or terminated. Traditionally, most suppressions have occurred in national or ethnic parishes that were originally established to serve a language-based need. When that need no longer exists, the Archbishop closes or suppresses that parish.

In civil law, the parish assets are owned by the RCAB, A Corporation Sole. The assets of all parishes are part of this one Corporation Sole.

Canon law considers parishes as separate juridical persons that have certain specified rights. In a merger, one juridical person (a parish) is merged with another, with the result that a juridical person (the combined parishes) still exists. In a suppression, the juridical person (a parish) ceases to exist.

Ultimately, the Archbishop decides whether a parish should close or be suppressed, hopefully with considerable input from the laity in the parishes.

In Canon law if two geographically contiguous parishes are merged, the assets go to the new juridical person (the surviving parish).

In Civil law the property belongs to the Corporate entity RCAB, Archbishop of Boston, A Corporation sole.

In a suppression, the juridical person ceases to exist, and because of this, the money belongs to the Corporation sole, and goes to the "central fund" of the diocese for "chancery operations."

David Castaldi notes that as a practical consideration, "a diocese should not use any property for a purpose different from the intention of the donor without their permission. However, it may be difficult to determine who the donors were and what their intentions were." Cathy Fallon

What Do You Think?
Please send your comments to leaderpub@votf.org

Frequently, VOTF members respond to published articles and essays of concern to all Catholics. This month we share a response by VOTF member Ken Scott to Fr. Andrew Greeley's much-discussed essay "Forgiveness Can Happen," published in December in the Daily Southtown and available at http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/columns/greeley/x14-grd2.htm. [Andrew M. Greeley is a Roman Catholic priest, author and sociologist. He teaches at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona. His column on political, church and social issues appears each Sunday in the Daily Southtown, Illinois.]

Dear Fr. Greeley,

I am writing in response to your article "Forgiveness can happen" that appeared on the Daily Southtownweb site on Sunday. I have heard you speak several times when I lived in Chicago and was a congregant at Old St. Pat's.

I had lived in Boston for many years, but lived in Chicago from 1989 until 2001. I returned to Boston just in time to become aware of the sexual abuse problem here, and to become involved as an advocate for survivors. I have no training as a therapist. Thus I am not in a position to tell any survivor how they should 'heal.' But healing is what I wish for all the survivors, which is why I am replying to you.

I think that most of the survivors and advocates would agree that any time one gets a large pool of people, there will a number who would prey upon children if given the chance. The fury that you describe is not that this happens. The fury is that when the institutional church became aware of abuse, the redress of the children abused, the prevention of future abuse, and the prosecution of the perpetrators wasn't just a low priority, it wasn't any priority at all. Rather the priority was to silence and intimidate the victims, to cover up any scent of scandal, and to return the perpetrator to active service somewhere else. Keep the cash coming in.

The church's description and admission of sexual abuse is so sanitized. So and so was guilty of 'inappropriate touching.' That sounds only vaguely malign. Wrists should be slapped. Every survivor is different; every survivor is affected differently. I have heard enough stories to know the grisly horror behind the term 'inappropriate touching.' About forty of us spent an entire evening reviewing the subpoenaed records of the Archdiocese of Boston before they were released to the press the following day. The meeting ended sooner than it might otherwise have done because people were on the verge of throwing up from the gross details. Most of us spent a sleepless night; many were in tears. Inappropriate touching indeed! The pew-Catholics and the church really don't get it.

There are also suggestions that the abused children involved may have invited their abuse or that their families may have been too trusting. This is a typical 'blame the victim' approach. There is never an equal power relationship between a child and priest - who is the manifestation of Christ on earth after all. There is never an equal power relationship when a victim or a family approaches the institutional church as an institution and its phalanx of lawyers, theology, sanctimony and trappings. The pew-Catholics don't get it, and the church doesn't want to get it.

The institutional church constantly quotes the mantra that pedophiles are only a few bad apples. A good mantra, but it is not supported by the facts. The database of alleged priest abusers is in excess of 1700 the last time I checked. Furthermore, we can look at the incidence of pedophilia in the population as a whole. The incidence of pedophilia within the clergy is double the rate in the population as a whole. Is this because the present institutional structure provides a good hiding place for pedophiles? These facts would seem to be your professional specialty.

You talk about forgiveness as a form of healing from abuse. I guess it can be for some. What does forgiveness mean? Does it mean giving up any expectation of remorse or recompense from your abuser? Does it mean we will no longer consider this abuse as a punishable act as in 'we pardon our enemies.'?

I do think that people can become prisoners of their anger. If you let something prey upon you, it can totally consume you to the exclusion of everything else. In that case, the abuser and/or the institution has won! They have maintained their power over you. To get through this one has to relegate this to a small part of one's life. This is not to forget, deny or diminish the horror. This is not to relinquish any claim for remorse, recompense or apology from the abuser and the institution. This is not to abandon any criminal conviction. It is solely so that one can get on with the rest of one's life. That is an act of will.

What enables someone to make this act of will? Some have the internal strength to simply do it on their own. Some receive counseling and find that healing. I would like to think that the survivor and advocate community that has formed in Boston and elsewhere has been instrumental in helping others heal. At the very least we have removed the stigma of having been abused and allowed people to publicly and privately come forward and seek help from various sources.

Maybe it is unchristian, but that attitude is not 'forgive and forget.' That offends our sense of justice. Forgiveness and reconciliation require a sense of genuine remorse and restitution on the part of the wrong-doer. Roman Catholic confession would add 'and amend one's life.' Pious words are often empty clap-trap. Our New England forbearer Emerson said, "your actions speak so loudly I can not hear what you say."

For your information, Cardinal Law did not 'take the fall' for the sexual abuse crisis in Boston. Cardinal Law was an accessory before the fact and an accessory after the fact to the rape and molestation of children, and aided and abetted the cover-up of these acts. This was not a brief thing; it went on for probably two decades in several jurisdictions. Except for the accident of our legal system, Cardinal Law ought to be in prison along with a number of other bishops I would be only too happy to name. As it is, his extravagant life style and trips to the Vatican are still being paid for by the Archdiocese of Boston. He is still listed as Archbishop emeritus. If he is 'emeritus' in this institution, I want no part of it.

Sean O'Malley has been installed as the new Archbishop of Boston. We started off with great hopes for this man. One of the active survivors observed at the time of the installation that the Mafia has 'cleaners.' They are the people who go in, clean up the blood, change the rugs, and whitewash the walls. In other words, they make everything look pretty, without changing the underlying reality. Was O'Malley a 'cleaner?' As time has gone on, it seems more and more certain that this is what he is.

Where does this leave us? Many in Boston are still working that out. There is a vast difference between the Christian faith and the church hierarchy who derive their sustenance and palatial estates from the institutional structure. Meanwhile the Roman Catholic Church in Boston continues to wind down.

Sincerely, Kenneth Scott, Boston, MA

Below are some of the responses to Rev. Helmick's article that appeared in Human Development magazine and reprinted here in February.

"One old Catholic's view - excellent essay by Rev. Helmick. As one of the kids abused by a priest nearly 50 years ago, I have had to make some decisions in my later life.

Just skip to the very last paragraph of the essay and read it carefully. 'We face challenges to the basic credibility of our Church, and hence of our teaching...' THAT is THE problem and it is NOT getting 'fixed.'

I was taught this religion by the good Sisters of Charity in the 1940s and '50s. Then I was molested by a priest in a Catholic High School (Archbishop Stepinac in White Plains, NY) in 1954. No one can understand the fear and fright I suffered after that incident - with NO ONE to talk to about it - and I was 16 or 17. I survived this life by my own doing, with some counseling help in my earlier adult life and a lot of support in my later life. So I am personally OK now, but the Holy Roman Catholic Church is NOT.

When men became priests and set themselves up as THE ONLY channel through which we might attain eternal salvation, then molested the kids, and then protected the molesters, that did two huge things; It screamed ultimate hypocrisy and put into severe doubt all the other teachings of the church.

I am in my later 60s and I have absolutely given up on the Catholic Church. The hierarchy is more interested in their red skullcaps and the millions of dollars stashed away in the Vatican Treasury than the care of their flock. How about the estimated half of a billion dollars given away as hush money - taken right out of the wicker baskets - donations given one dollar at a time by people who sometimes could ill afford it?

In 1950, the first priest who molested the first kid should have been dealt with in the severest terms, then this last half-century of continued molestation and cover-up would never have happened. No, the answer was this secret administrative procedure to 'counsel and transfer' for decades. Didn't anyone think that some day this whole thing would explode?

I agree with the author, too, that the cover-up is worse than the abuse. How could a well-educated, deeply religious, powerful prelate let this go on for one microsecond? Self-protection, greed and hunger for power are the answers. It certainly wasn't out of love of Christ and deference to His teachings. The good Lord must be furious.

If what has happened is OK with a big number of our bishops, archbishops and cardinals (and it seems to be by the past actions of the church and the unbelievable reluctance of the present hierarchy to either admit to or effectively and enthusiastically deal with this damnable crisis), then I have to doubt all the other proclamations and basic teachings of the church. I don't believe in the church or what its priests say anymore…. Leopards don't change their spots. I think we are all being led like lemmings off a cliff - but fill the collection plate before you jump, please. My cynicism is a direct result of the actions of the Holy Roman Catholic Church's actions. Now what do I do? I love the Lord Jesus - He and I are good friends and I continue to try to be a good person in His eyes."Richard Barry Cronin

"Thank you for an informative read. The ideas exchanged are certainly among the most important issues facing the Church. I feel strongly that our present Pope has the best interests of the Church in his heart. However he is aged and infirm, and the bureaucracy is running the show and resists change as any bureaucracy does. This is not the way to run a Church, but it is the appropriate response of a bureaucracy most concerned with its own survival and continuance in power.

The best response is to begin now praying daily for the influence of the Holy Spirit upon those who will choose the next pontiff. Daily we should flood the universe with our cries for the influence of God upon our leaders. It is only if God can get God's desires into the cracks of the facade that we can hope for positive growth in our structure. In the meantime, those of us who feel the need for growth in our institution must stay put and work to make life difficult for those who would tear down the gains of Vatican II (of which there are legions!). Join the Resistance! Support Vatican II!" Dan Leetch, Rocky Ford, CO

"What resonated in the Helmick article was his focus on two serious question that the Church needs to address - attitudes toward sexuality and institutional governance. That seems to be right on target to me, and I found his perspective on each to be well thought out and instructive.

My sense of what's going on within the laity relative to these major issues is that we are split between traditionalists/conservatives and liberals/progressives/or whatever term you want to use. Most disquieting is that those on either side only talk to each other - in publications, organizations etc. Can we come together somehow in resolving the two basic questions raised by Fr. Helmick? I think there are those in both camps who can agree on much of what he has to say." Carol

"This newsletter just gets better and better. You are doing a great job! Many thanks for all your hard work and effort!" Best regards, Rickie Harvey

PRAYERFUL VOICE WORKING GROUP - Prayer for Lent

This Desert Time

Luke 4:1 "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, then returned from the Jordan and was conducted by the Spirit into the desert for forty days."

Life Giving God, Jesus our brother and Holy Spirit who leads us to truth, be with us in this desert time

We pray for the wisdom to hear you, the strength to bear the truths that are painful, and the hope to believe that our lives, our Church can be transformed.

You have shown us that good things can happen in deserts, that the Spirit is stronger than temptation, hate, and destruction, that out of heartbreak, new life can emerge.

Comforting God, hold us closely in our grief, heal those who feel broken, strengthen those who speak the truth. Challenging God, lead us in your way that we are faithful first to You. May the voice we hear and the voice we are be Yours.

In this time of Lent, let us be led by the Spirit in this desert as was Christ, our brother, who walks with us still. Amen.

-- By Prayerful Voice and Sister Betsy Conway, Voice of the Faithful Secretary

Minutes
Voice of the Faithful Representative Council Meeting
Saturday, February 28, 2004, 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Paulist Center, Boston, MA

Acting Moderator Frances O'Leary opened the meeting at 10:30 a.m. She thanked the Paulist community for their hospitality, in particular Ron DuBois and Donna Doucette. Pat McNulty led us in prayer, including a meditation and special remembrance of victim/survivor, Patrick McSorley, whose funeral was held this past week.

President's Report

Jim Post acknowledged the support, courage and energy the Paulist community continues to give to Voice of the Faithful. He introduced new VOTF vice president Kristine Ward of Dayton, OH, who brought greetings from her affiliate and expressed gratitude for the pioneering work done in the Boston area.

Jim spoke of the extraordinary progress of VOTF in the past two years. He announced the publication of Jim Muller and Charlie Kenney's book, Keep the Faith, Change the Church, now available in bookstores and online. VOTF's singular focus is on the release of the John Jay Report. For VOTF, a six-week campaign has begun, centering on three A's: 1) awareness - disseminate information; 2) action - take Catholics out of the comfort zone; 3) accountability - who's responsible, when and what to do to encourage healing. He discussed the various efforts VOTF would be taking in the direction of each of these.

Jim asked for a sense of the meeting as to his writing to the National Review Board, thanking them for their work to date, noting it as a first step; stressing the importance of participation of the laity; urging their attention particularly to the accountability of bishops. The Board members should know that VOTF will support them as long as they are credible and continue to look for the truth. Suggestions for text were made, and there was a voice vote of "cautionary agreement" to send a letter.

Motion for Discussion

Anne Barrett Doyle presented a motion for discussion with regard to VOTF leadership positions. After discussion of the motion, Anne withdrew the motion to rework it and bring it back to the next meeting of the Council.

Motion for Discussion

Margaret Roylance presented for discussion a motion from the Structural Change Working Group:

RESOLVED: That the document (Attachment 1) on "Principles for Diocesan Level Finance Councils - Draft Recommendations" be posted on the VOTF website and be remanded to Parish Voice affiliates for discussion and comment in anticipation of a final vote on the document at the April Council meeting.

Jim DeGraw briefly introduced the five principles under which rules would be developed, stressing that they would be alongside and complementary to Canon Law. The resolution will be discussed at the March Council meeting. Anyone with questions may email Jim (jdegraw@ropesgray.com) or David Castaldi (dlcvotf@hotmail.com).

The Council voted to remand the resolution to parish affiliates for discussion before the March meeting.

Motion

Donna Doucette presented a motion sponsored by council alternate John Magilligan. Following discussion, the motion was amended by the presenter to read: The Representative Council approves the establishment of a steering committee of 5 persons. This motion passed with a standing vote of 27 yes, 17 no, and one abstention.

Fran O'Leary presented a proposed timeline for electing the membership of this steering committee: nominations by April 5; voting from April 5 - 15; results by April 22. Nominations should be sent to Moderator Fran O'Leary by April 5.

Executive Director's Report

Steve Krueger had just returned from Washington, DC, where the National Review Board, The USCCB leadership, SNAP and VOTF held press conferences regarding the February 27 report. Steve said that three of the four groups stressed the need for "bishops' accountability." The bishops stated that "it's about the seminaries." Steve urged all Council members to sign the petition noted in the VOTF New York Times ad and forward it along for signing by at least three additional people.

Fran announced that the next Representative Council meeting would be held on March 20 at St. Agnes Parish, Reading, MA.

Announcements

March 16 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. St. John the Evangelist School Hall, Wellesley, MA. Jason Berry and co-author Gerald Renner will speak about the sexual abuse crisis addressed in their new book Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II.

March 18 7:30 p.m. Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, O'Connell Hall, Sharon, MA. Fr. Robert Bullock, a founder of the Boston Priests' Forum, will speak on "The Laity and the Future of Catholicism."

March 21 12 Noon. St. Albert the Great Parish, South Weymouth, MA. Fr. Tom Doyle, OP, recipient of the first Priest of Integrity Aware from Voice of the Faithful will be the speaker.

March 25 7:30 p.m. The Wakelin Room, Wellesley Free Library, Wellesley, MA. Penny Kirk, Voice member and parent of a survivor, will present her chronicle.

March 27 9 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and March 28 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. St. John the Evangelist, Wellesley. Talking About Touching (TAT) Training, a two-session training with Kathy Kelley, family support training specialist, Children's Trust Fund. $50.00. For information: 781-944-1375.

April 3 9:30 - 2:00 p.m. Boston College, Fulton Hall 230. "Leadership Issues in the Church Today: Educating for Collaboration and Group Decision Making in a Redefined Church," sponsored by the Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Continuing Education, Boston College $30/person. For information: 617-552-8057.

Bob Morris of the St. Eulalia affiliate, Winchester, MA, announced plans for a one-day New England VOTF Conference in the fall. It would be held at the Worcester Centrum. Bob asked those willing to assist in the planning to contact him.

Anne Southwood led us in the closing prayer (below).

The meeting was adjourned at 1:00

Prayer For Healing

Offered by Anne Southwood at conclusion of February 28 Council meeting, Paulist Center, Boston, MA. "Thinking of prayer the day after release of the John Jay report, my thoughts went back to the Prayerful Voice Healing Mass that VOTF Mayflower held in a Plymouth church after the abuse revelations first broke. The combination of lamentation and affirmation spoke to me then as it does now. I hope for a loud 'AMEN!'"

psalm 2/27

Many of us again cry "My soul is deprived of peace."

As prepared as we were, we're again stunned.

As our humanity is assailed by new revelations,
Let us maintain our footing in faith
Let our spirituality support us, seeking level ground.

As welcoming the living God within us all humbles us,
Let accepting our common priesthood prime us
to see the risen Christ in the face of victims around us.

As the beauty of truth we know confronts us, catching breath in the throat,
Let our hearts grow with it, fill with it, flow into
community.

As we have gathered in trust before,
Let us trust again the healing power of love.
We ask the grace of hope and confidence in the Spirit
We ask wholeheartedly, in Christ.
AMEN.