Voices, Voices Everywhere!

National Parish Voice has identified four U.S. regions and an international region for purposes of affiliate coordination, communication efforts and future regional definitions and representation. Please click on the appropriate region to view Regional PV Coordinators and existing affiliates:

WEST
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

CENTRAL
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

SOUTH
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

EAST
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

VOTF INTERNATIONAL

VOTF New Zealand
Submitted by Mike Nicholas, VOTF Regional Coordinator, Christchurch, New Zealand

A further case of sexual abuse by the New Zealand clergy is pending. Former priest Alan Woodcock was a priest/teacher at St Patrick's College Silverstream, about 35 miles out of Wellington.

This case came to light when it was aired on one of our current affairs programs. Denis O'Hagan, the Provincial of the Society of Mary, appeared on television and was very straightforward and honest about the fact that Woodcock had been given the relocation treatment. As a result of the evidence that came out in the program, the New Zealand Police decided to press charges against him. Woodcock is currently living in London.

In the paper today it was reported that a date has been set in one of the London Court's for the extradition hearing.

VOTF Overseas - Ireland Report
Submitted by Mary and Bill Sheehan
IRELAND ON THE BRINK

Mary and Bill Sheehan, co-founders of VOTF, Wellesley, Mass. recently returned from an Ireland vacation. Before and during their trip they corresponded and met with several Irish citizens who have been in touch with VOTF. Their first meeting with an interested couple in Kinsale focused on VOTF history, goals and distribution of information about the VOTF. They were then asked to conduct a meeting of other interested Catholics in Limerick. The whole issue had re-ignited on the day of the Sheehan's arrival in Ireland on September 2, so feelings were very reminiscent of the early VOTF days in Boston.

The Limerick meeting was held on September 14, with approximately 25 people in attendance. It was conducted in the same manner as all VOTF meetings, beginning and ending with a prayer. A presentation of information by Bill and Mary Sheehan was followed by questions. Guests came from Dublin, Galway and Limerick and included a former priest, a nun, married couples and singles. Both the questions and the thoughts expressed could have been lifted from any VOTF group as they began to grapple with the crisis in its many dimensions. For the benefit of readers who may also be new to this dialogue, the Sheehans noted the following remarks and questions from the participants:

• Does the Church want to tell the truth?
• I feel let down by priests/bishops - they don't listen.
• Stop propping up the institution.
• Need a vehicle between walking away and participating.
• Power and money make a dysfunctional system.
• Sentiment was expressed against giving money to Rome.
• How do you change the system?
• Why are so many priests involved - asked by a nun.
• Priests are lonely and can't keep up, stated by a former priest.
• Is the institution crumbling?
• Long-term growth of Church not encouraging.
• VOTF has achieved great things
• Hope for a VOTF affiliate in and around Limerick.

The clergy abuse situation in Ireland became additionally explosive after the recent resignation of Chief Justice Mary Laffoy from the government committee on child abuse. Her lengthy resignation letter criticized the government for supposed lack of assistance to fulfill her designated job in handling abuse allegations - there are about 1700 alleged victims in Ireland. This government committee was established in 2000 and overseen by the Department of Education to handle abuse claims. However, the Department of Education is also under investigation.

Diarmuid Martin is a new co-adjutor Archbishop of Dublin (8-30-03). He is also a Vatican diplomat. In his installation address he made several important comments; (These quotes and remarks are from the Irish Catholic, Thursday, September 4, 2003.)

Addressing the victims, he said "your wounds are our wounds, and the wounds of the entire Church, and there is no way that the Church can forget that, as long as you still feel hurt." He went on to say that, "the Church must, in the first place, be a listening Church. A listening Church will become a more welcoming Church for women, appreciating the work of women in society and the family." Archbishop Martin intends to "get out and about in the diocese, by foot if necessary," to ask lay people, and priests what they thought needed to be done in the Church. He said he would be worried by any form of clericalism and hoped that "GIFTS and CHARISMA of LAY PEOPLE would help bring a transformation" in the Church, which in turn would be helped by the clergy, whom he called "his first collaborators."

The Archbishop echoed others when he noted that, "norms and procedures are not enough. We need more heart and energy to make new measures a reality…. Many priests have been wounded by what has happened and are in need of support."

Further, Archbishop Martin stated, "The Church must learn to be a different sort of Church" and "We must move forward to a different relationship between priests and people, where the Church is more one of community, where all talents are enhanced and respected."

The Sheehans learned that priests also have an organization, National Priests Conference of Ireland. The e-mail address of the Irish Catholic is editor@irishcatholic.ie.

The media in Ireland is inundated with articles about the Church crisis. Sadly, the Sheehans found widespread apathy among many Irish. It lead the Sheehans to conclude with this thought: "Thank God for the Voice of the Faithful. We are a means for Catholics to express their opinions." The rest, as in the United States, remains to be seen.

VOTF EAST

VOTF Tri-State Conference - NY/NJ/CT
Submitted by Maria Coffey, NY VOTF Regional Coordinator,
NY VOTF 2003 Conference Chair

A while back some of you had asked about the VOTF Conference to be held at Fordham University on October 25th. Here is an update. First, I know many reading this live quite far away. However, pause for a moment and give thought to a get-away Fall weekend in New York. It is truly a beautiful time of year in New York State and City. Then there are those of you who told me about busloads coming to the Rose Hill campus (my friends in Roslindale, West Roxbury, Scituate, Marblehead, and Weston)! Some helpful notes:

*As you know, the website is up and running. Please register sooner rather than later. Please promote it to your affiliates, friends and family. www.votf.org/octconference

*About those buses--Fordham has asked that we tell them the number of buses coming. PLEASE send this information to me (mmc43830@votf.org) as soon as you have scheduled a bus. They have to make arrangements for parking.

The New York Archdiocese has not banned VOTF. We have no Cardinal Law. There is no current riveting scandal attracting media attention. But many of us see the need for VOTF as even greater now than back in July 2002. Now is the tough time. We need to keep the juices flowing within a growing national organization; we need to keep VOTF, the middle-of-the-road source of comfort, hope and change-- lively and relevant. I'm sure you agree that our strong, vibrant and enthusiastic participation at this conference is a major step in this direction.

Winchester, MA
VOTF Christmas Cards - Order your VOTF Christmas Cards, sponsored by the Winchester, MA Area VOTF! All proceeds will benefit the Lighthouse, a resource center in Boston for survivors of clergy abuse. Please place your order by October 31 if at all possible. The four designs were produced by artists in our affiliate. The back of each card will have a little information about the Lighthouse and also invite people to learn more about VOTF by visiting the national site. A PDF version of our order form with pictures of each of the cards is available on the first page of our local web-site (www.votfwinchester.org).

Building the Boston Affiliate
Submitted by VOTF vice-president Ann Carroll

The 45 VOTF affiliates in the Archdiocese of Boston have taken the first step toward the separation of BostonVOTF from National VOTF with the creation of a ten-person BostonVOTF Transition Team. The team will be developing the framework for a new umbrella organization for the affiliates in the Archdiocese. The umbrella organization will bring together the voices of all the affiliates in the Archdiocese's five regions (vicariates), and will have the ability, when there is a consensus, to act in a unified way for VOTF in the Archdiocese. Acting as the unified voice for VOTF in the Archdiocese, the leadership of the new umbrella organization will also seek to establish on-going dialogue with Archbishop Sean O'Malley and chancery officials.

The Transition Team consists of two representatives from each of the 5 regions in the Archdiocese of Boston, selected from the affiliates in that region:
Central Region: Ellie Harnett (St. John the Evangelist VOTF, Cambridge) and Bette McNiff (St. Catherine of Siena VOTF, Charlestown)
Merrimack Region: Maurice (Mo) Donovan (Seacoast VOTF, Amesbury) and Other rep. is TBD
North Region: Bob Morris and Louise Aleo (alternate) - (both from Winchester Area VOTF/St. Eulalia's, Winchester) and Jack Whelan (St. Pius V, VOTF Lynn)
South Region: Ben Murphy and Anne Southwood (alternate) - (both from Mayflower Area VOTF, Duxbury), and John Hynes (St. Gerard Majella, Canton VOTF)
West Region: Rich Acerra (St. Bernard's VOTF, Newton) and Lois Mastrangelo (Our Lady'sVoice, VOTF Our Lady Help of Christians, Newton)

In addition, Bob Ott, the Regional Coordinator for the Boston Central Region, has volunteered to serve as facilitator for the Transition Team. The Team meets twice a month. Additional details on the formal launch of BostonVOTF are anticipated later this year.

VOTF Paulist Center, Boston, MA
Submitted by Donna B. Doucette

At our Paulist Center VOTF meeting in September, we agreed to meet every other month and to communicate via email in the intervals. We are blessed because Voice of the Faithful is fully accepted (and embraced!) as a Paulist Center ministry. (That is not true of many parishes, where, unfortunately VOTF is held suspect.) Furthermore, the laity is already actively involved in the guidance and governance of the Center.

Because of our acceptance, and since many of our members are already very involved in the existing groups and ministries at the Center, we feel that the role of our VOTF affiliate is to inspire ALL community members to find their voices and use them, and to deepen their involvement in ministries such as the Worship Committee, Pastoral Council, Adult Education, social action groups, etc. In addition, affiliate members are also encouraged to expand their participation in Archdiocesan committees, and VOTF regional, diocesan and national working groups.

To further those efforts, VOTF members participated in the Paulist Center's annual Community Festival (Communifest) on Sept. 27/28. Communifest is an opportunity for all community members to learn more about the many lay ministries offered at the Center. The theme this year is "Nourishing the Body of Christ." It is clear that lay people will continue to play an ever more significant role in the leadership of the Church in the years ahead -- it is we who must be about nourishing the Body of Christ.

Affiliate member (and VOTF Council Representative) Ron DuBois described several VOTF and related events scheduled for September and October. Of special note was the presentation on Sept. 23 by Father Walter Cuenin, pastor of Our Lady Help of Christians parish in Newton. Fr. Cuenin was invited by the Center's Adult Education Committee to speak on "The Laity and the Governance of the Church." In his remarks, Fr. Cuenin spoke of how Vatican II had emphasized the role of the baptized and changed the way we pray; for example, turning the altar around to face the people in a dialog; using vernacular language so that the words are understood and prayed by all; and identifying the Baptized and our roles within the Church. "The way we pray affects the way we believe," Fr. Cuenin noted. One result has been that the people expect to be participants in the Church, not just observers. We expect to have a voice in the community.

In the coming months, the Paulist Center will host a VOTF Discussion Series, beginning with Paul Lakeland's book, "The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church." Ron DuBois will lead the discussions. A list of the recommended chapters to read for each meeting is being circulated. If you are interested, please contact Ron DuBois at kaynron@beld.net.

VOTF Bridgeport, CT
Submitted by Jim Alvord

Reflections on a Day of Giving

Actually, it was for only a few hours. But it was an exhilarating exercise on behalf of the one hundred donors to Voice of Compassion - Bridgeport Fund. All 250 members of Voice of the Faithful in the Diocese of Bridgeport can be deeply gratified by the simple act of philanthropy that took place on Monday morning, September 8, 2003. Mary Jane Range, Affiliate Treasurer and Fund Chair, Joe O'Callaghan, Affiliate Chair, and Jim Alvord, Fund Committee member and VOTF Regional Coordinator were exceedingly proud to represent the VOC of VOTF and submit financial support to two groups aligned with Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Inc.

Not accustomed to distributing thousand dollar checks (let alone those to the amount of $2,500.00 each), the meetings with the charitable organizations were humbling experiences. The recipient for The Thomas Merton Center was Director Maryann Furlong. Accepting for Family Stages was Director Maria Reyes-Medina. Both organizations are located in Bridgeport and both exhibited dire need and grateful appreciation for the donations.

The Thomas Merton Center was founded in 1974 by a group of concerned individuals who saw a need for services to the economically disadvantaged people in the city of Bridgeport. The Center is located in a former church with other services available in adjacent or nearby buildings. "Feed the hungry" was the initial effort but time and circumstance have demanded other concerns, such as a medical clinic affiliated with St. Vincent's Hospital, women's groups, men's groups, family support, after school programs, prayer groups, shower facilities, and literacy volunteers. Housing support has been a continuing effort and job opportunity and preparation are ongoing concerns. A paid chef augmented by 200 volunteers oversees weekday breakfast and lunch. There is a paid staff of about seventeen for all services. In the course of the tour, it appeared that the VOC monies would be very well spent.

Family Stages is located in the building that houses the city's Health Department and provides housing and support services to pregnant and post-partum women with substance abuse and mental health problems in the greater Bridgeport area. The agency is funded by grants awarded by the federal Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to a partnership of Catholic Charities, the City of Bridgeport and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. The Director indicated that the check presented was significant. Most monies are achieved through the efforts of a New York grants consultant contracted for that purpose. The agency has approximately ten paid staff in a rent-free space.

The Merton Center has a budget of $800,000 per year. The diocese through Catholic Charities supports The Center to the amount of $100,000 (or 12 1/2%). St. Stephen's Food Pantry, claimed as a separate charity of Catholic Charities, is actually under the umbrella of The Merton Center. Family Stages is not in any way (or 0%) financially supported by Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Inc. The chart on the diocesan website does not offer percentages of monetary distribution to the individual charities it supports other than income and expense percentages. These are indicated by asterisk (*) below for the most recent fiscal year from July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002. Full financial disclosure is important if the principles of transparency and accountability, enunciated by the bishops at their conference last year, are to be observed.

The third check for $2,500.00 is slated for the Queen of Clergy home for retired priests but has yet to be delivered due to communications problems. The "joy of giving" will continue with the distribution of this check from Voice of Compassion - Bridgeport Fund. The outcome of this gift will be made known when it happens. The Voice of Compassion - Bridgeport Fund balance presently stands at approximately $2,620.00 and is open to donations from members whenever the Spirit moves with loving compassion for the less advantaged.

Keep the Faith. Change the Church. Be attentive to the Spirit. www.ccfc-ct.org/annualreport.htm.

(*) Catholic Charities of Fairfield County, Inc. FY 2002

VOTF Winchester, MA
Submitted by Bob Morris

Our group held meetings on September 8, 15 and 22. On September 8, we welcomed Dan Burns and Mary Keefe, who blessed us with an evening of sacred song and reflection. Dan is a Deacon and Mary is the Choir Director at Holy Family Parish in Duxbury. Their talent, warmth and spirituality made for a very special evening for our group.

On September 22, Penny Kirk joined us. One of Penny's sons was abused by John Geoghan. Penny described for us how she only learned of the abuse in January 2002, as a result of which the cause of a whole series of misfortunes in her son's life became clear. Penny provided us with a different and valuable perspective on the unspeakable horror of clergy abuse. It was an unforgettable evening for all present.

On September 15, our working groups met. There are two projects currently under way in our group. First, the production of four VOTF Christmas cards. All proceeds from their sale will go to the Lighthouse, the resource center in Boston for survivors of clergy abuse. Second, on November 8 we will host our second pot-luck supper for priests, as part of our ongoing effort to support priests in a tangible manner.

As we look forward to October, two events stand out. On October 20, Professor Stephen Pope of Boston College will speak to us on, "The Church in Boston: Where Should We Go From Here?" The next week, on October 27, Revs. Robert Bullock, John McGinty, Austin Fleming and Thomas Mahoney of the Boston Priests' Forum will join us.

VOTF CENTRAL

VOTF Joliet, IL
Submitted by Deirdre O'Neal

Approximately 30 persons from a dozen different parishes attended the inaugural meeting of VOTF in the Joliet Diocese. This first meeting was fittingly held in the "Lighthouse" gathering room on Thursday, Sept. 25th at St. Thomas Apostle parish in Naperville, Illinois. We were able to hold this VOTF meeting on parish premises thanks to the hospitality extended to us by STA's pastor, Fr. Joel Fortier. We truly appreciate Fr. Joel's willingness to trust the Holy Spirit to guide him in making this decision.

The meeting was chaired by Jack Bartz who has assembled a group of six parishes to form their cluster. Jack is from St. Raphael parish in Naperville and is assisted in the Joliet diocese by Dee O'Neal, also a parishioner at St. Raphael, and Hugh Kelly, a parishioner at Ascension of Our Lord parish in Oak Brook Terrace. The keynote speaker for our inaugural Joliet Diocesan VOTF meeting was Terrence O'Connor, the Chicago-metro area regional coordinator for VOTF. Terry, a retired businessman, has been the regional coordinator for all Chicago-area VOTF groups since October of 2002. He is a member of Holy Family parish in northwest suburban Inverness.

Terry told the group briefly about his background and how he first became involved with VOTF. He then described what has been accomplished in just one year by the other VOTF groups in the Chicago area. Chief among the accomplishments of the other groups in the region was a meeting held in April 2003 at which VOTF co-founder Dr. Jim Muller spoke to about 200 VOTF members and interested others. One day after that meeting, Dr. Muller had a two-hour meeting with Cardinal George at which time he relayed many of the concerns of the Chicago-area membership to Cardinal George. Terry O'Connor told the group that, in line with VOTF's commitment to supporting "priests of integrity," VOTF-Chicago is most supportive of actions that will bring about dialogue between our priests and the laity.

After Terry O'Connor spoke, the meeting continued with questions from the floor. One of the questions that seemed to stir the most interest was whether the VOTF national office has issued any statement in support of the 163 Milwaukee priests who recently sent a letter to Bishop Wilton Gregory, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The letter/petition asked that the U.S. Bishops Conference hold a session at their next meeting in which the question of optional priestly celibacy would be discussed. Bishop Gregory has so far declined to present that motion.

Those in attendance then broke into three groups to discuss the three planks of the VOTF platform: support for victims of abuse; support for priests of integrity; and working for structural change in the Roman Catholic Church. At the end of these 20-minute discussion sessions, each group reported back to the whole assembly. A report will be sent to Bishop Imesch with a summary of their recommendations.

It was decided that the second meeting of our Joliet Diocese VOTF group will be held in approximately four weeks. The meeting ended at 9 p.m. with a prayer. The general consensus seemed to be that, through the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we had a very successful "first ever" meeting of VOTF in the Joliet Diocese.

VOTF WEST

VOTF On the Road - Arizona
VOTF president Jim Post comments on his September 2003 trip to Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY

I recently visited our VOTF affiliates in Phoenix and Tucson (September 17-18, 2003). The reception from Arizonans was as warm as the weather itself (102 in Phoenix; only 96 in Tucson). Both dioceses have a sad history of clergy sexual abuse cases, and each is now under new leadership. This situation exists in too many dioceses and parishes. But meaningful change can come to the Catholic Church. To VOTF members who live in dioceses where bishops refuse to openly address the challenges of justice and healing, these Western dioceses offer a message of hope: "It doesn't have to be that way."

A Diocese in Transition

Our VOTF leaders in Phoenix arranged for us to meet with Sr. Mary Ann Winters, Chancellor of the Diocese. Sr. Mary Ann has served under Bishop Thomas O'Brien and Archbishop Michael Sheehan, who is currently doing double duty as bishop of both Santa Fe and Phoenix. She is likely to serve during the transition to the next bishop of Phoenix (expected later this year).

VOTF leaders Sandy Simonson, Chris Long, Jim Lawler, and I discussed the situation in Phoenix with Sr. Mary Ann. We focused on the challenge of being a "diocese in transition" and the steps being taken to respond to survivors and facilitate healing (there are 18 cases pending). Sr. Mary Ann also wanted to discuss how VOTF affiliates will be "integrated" with existing parish structures (parish councils, finance councils, and diocesan structures). We finished up on a positive note, stressing the readiness of VOTF to work with the new bishop who will face a complex agenda of problems. LINK to Rausch article.

A Model of Openness

The Diocese of Tucson had serious problems when Bishop Gerald F. Kicanis arrived from Chicago. His arrival signaled the beginning of a turnaround. I knew that important steps were being taken in Tucson, but was still a bit surprised.

The meeting with Bishop Kicanis was very constructive. The Diocese of Tucson has taken some path-breaking steps to reach survivors, operate openly, and open the doors to laity involvement. It's not Nirvana (to mix metaphors), but Tucson may be providing important lessons to the nation on these matters. Bishop Kicanis has implemented a code of conduct, new personnel policies, training, and public disclosure (see www.diocesetucson.org), including the summary report of the USCCB-National Review Board audit.

Bishop Kicanis concluded by saying that he was pleased to be "in dialogue" with VOTF and is supportive of what we are doing for the Church. As in Phoenix, we discussed how VOTF can relate to parish structures and encourage active lay involvement. I believe the bishop sees us as faithful Catholics whose efforts are good for the Church. He specifically asked for ideas to improve "structures of communication" and "structures of laity involvement". Our local VOTF members will continue the dialogue, perhaps drawing ideas from our national Structural Change Working Group.

We have wonderful people in Phoenix and Tucson. They have been working to promote VOTF and to address serious problems in each diocese. Phoenix will be "in transition" for several years to come. There is the heavy legacy of problems from Bishop O'Brien's era.

Sandy Simonson, our VOTF coordinator, has been a clear, eloquent voice for young Catholics who want the Church to serve their children and adults. While in Phoenix, I also had the pleasure of speaking at the Newman Center at Arizona State University and meeting dozens of VOTF members and supporters. This is the nucleus of an affiliate we hope will be effective in encouraging positive change.

Tucson's group is in dialogue with the bishop and has knowledgeable leaders. Terry Carden is a retired physician from Chicago who once served on accreditation teams that evaluated and certified large hospital systems. Terry is savvy about how institutions work and what it takes to effect change happen in large bureaucratic systems: persistence; responsiveness; and consistency. And prayer.

That's who we are and that's why the trip to Arizona was so encouraging. As in other dioceses, there is a "can do" attitude toward shaping change. If you become discouraged at the slow pace of change in your own parish or diocese, take heart from the experience of VOTF members in Phoenix and Tucson. And remind your bishop or pastor, "It does NOT have to be that way!"

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