WORKING GROUP REPORTS

The National Structural Change Working Group of VOTF is working on several projects that we hope will bear fruit in the new year. They include the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) survey, and a primer on church structure. The PPC questionnaire was sent out to the entire VOTF e-mail list during the month of November 2003. Although there was some initial confusion about who should fill out the questionnaire, everyone who received a questionnaire is invited to respond in this first phase of the PPC survey. We hope to use the results of the survey to learn what faithful Catholics know about their PPCs, and we are happy to receive multiple responses from each parish.

The results of the PPC survey will be tabulated and analyzed during the new year, and will be shared with the membership of VOTF. We will use the results to guide us in our efforts to support active, collaborative, effective and representative Pastoral Councils, in every parish across the US. We plan similar surveys in the future on Finance Councils and Safety Committees.

As part of our effort to provide educational support and resources for the lay faithful, the working group has prepared a presentation entitled "Organizational Structure of the Catholic Church, a Primer." This primer on church structure was promised in the Structural Change Statement approved by the VOTF Representative Council last February. We hope that it will provide a clearer understanding of how our church functions as a human institution, and suggest opportunities for more active and meaningful involvement of the lay faithful in the life of the church.

As a direct result of SCWG work, the Hingham, MA VOTF affiliate formed a task force that recently completed a draft document on parish pastoral councils. The Hingham group worked closely with National SCWG to develop their recommendations. Not surprisingly, several other groups in the Boston area and around the country are working on similar projects.

The Structural Change Network address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCN_VOTF/. Interested readers can view the homepage of the network, as well as find some information about the Hingham draft document there, if you are an SCN member. In order to post and read the messages and read uploaded files, you must receive an invitation to actually join the SCN. To request an invitation, people should send a message to SCN_Moderator@yahoo.com.
Submitted by Margaret Roylance

Protecting Our Children
On Friday, December 19, 2003, three representatives (Pat Gomez, Elia Marnik and Kathy Mullaney) from the VOTF Protecting Our Children Working Group met with Archdiocese of Boston Deacon Anthony Rizzutto and his assistant, Bob Kelley, of the Child Advocacy, Implementation, and Oversight Ministry. This office was created two years ago in response to the abuse crisis. It is diocese-specific. This was an initial discussion between VOTF and the RCAB. We had a cordial, ninety minute meeting during which it became clear that this is a natural link between VOTF and the RCAB.

We identified several areas of mutual agreement, such as, the need for Parish Safety Committees or Parish Safe Environment Programs as well as lay involvement in the decision-making process regarding the implementation of the "Talking About Touching" program, which is the RCAB's excellent but controversial education program instituted in grades K-3 in diocesan parochial schools. The Program will be implemented in parish Religious Education classes as soon as possible. We discussed the almost impossible task of instituting something of this magnitude and divisiveness without sufficient support for parishes, especially directors of religious education and catechetical teachers. Success will depend on collaboration between parishes and diocese and ongoing dialogue. As reported after the first meeting with Bishop Sean O'Malley on November 19, 2003, VOTF will continue dialogue towards mutual collaboration with Deacon Rizzutto on the implementation and oversight of Child Safety Programs in parishes and schools.

We also discussed the implementation of the Recommendations of the Cardinal's Commission. We were reminded that this Commission did not submit policies, merely recommendations. One of POC's goals is to monitor child protection policies within the Church. Though advised that the Church "measures effective decision-making in terms of centuries," the laity do not have centuries to wait for changes that will ensure the protection of our children. We look forward to continuing our dialogue and focusing on our mutual concern for the children in our parishes.
Submitted by Kathy Mullaney

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