BOSTON, Mass., Nov. 29, 2023―A changing of the guard is occurring at Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic Lay Apostolate committed to raising lay voices in Church governance, as Mary Pat Fox steps down as president and chair of the board of trustees and Bradley A. Pritts steps up. As past president, Mary Pat remains an ex officio member of the board of trustees.
When the board asked Mary Pat to become president again in 2017, the request also came at a crucial time, as she was stepping into the position upon the tragic death of Mark Mullaney. Under Mark’s leadership, VOTF initiated its Finance Working Group, which has produced seven annual reports ranking diocesan financial transparency; its Broken Vessels™ Healing Circles program, which supports survivors and others affected by clergy abuse; and its partnership with the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests, which has led to studies of celibacy and women’s roles in the Church.
During Mary Pat’s second term, VOTF has enjoyed much progress in its work renewing the Church. “Her sharp eye for detail and deep understanding of our mission and goals has contributed directly to many of our efforts, especially our vigorous support of synodality,” VOTF trustee Margaret Roylance said. “As she led us into our twentieth year in 2022, the importance of her contributions in achieving that milestone was plainly evident.”
Brad has been an active member of St. Mary’s Student Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a Jesuit-operated parish with a special ministry to University of Michigan students and faculty. At St. Mary’s, he has served on the Parish Pastoral Council and as chair of the Family Education leadership team, as well as being a long-term music ministry volunteer.
He is a founding board member of Vineyard Village, a startup nonprofit seeking to create employment and training opportunities for the formerly incarcerated and the recovery community. Brad also has been a board member of the Saline Area Players community theater group and Orchard Hills/Maplewood Homeowners Association and an adult leader for the local Boy Scouts of America.
A self-employed management consultant, Brad specializes in quality and engineering management. He has been active in the automotive industry for more than 40 years, serving companies as large as GM and Ford, as well as many small and medium-sized auto parts suppliers. He said he particularly enjoyed the opportunity to visit China frequently on business. While in China he was a guest member of the English-speaking choir at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Ningbo and supported their efforts to publish an English language hymnal.
Now in a “phased retirement,” Brad said he looks forward to having ample time to lead Voice of the Faithful into the future.
Voice of the Faithful® is a Catholic Lay Apostolate whose mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Holy Spirit, through which the faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. More information is available at VOTF’s website https://www.votf.org.