Introducing
VOTF Q & A
(and more Qs!)

From the Q & A desk of Anne Murphy

Welcome to the first in a series of questions, answers (and more questions!) from and for the members of Voice of the Faithful. We live in a torrential time of inquiry about the Church. We'd like to begin addressing some of the questions – about VOTF, about the Church, about the rights and responsibilities of the laity – being raised in your parish affiliates around the country. Our new monthly Q&A column will be dedicated to exploring and responding to the questions that come from the brothers and sisters "in the vineyard." Shocking as it sounds, we may not have all the answers. But we promise to seek answers by consulting Catholic tradition, teaching, history, experience and experts on your behalf.

This month's questions have been seeded by us. Next month we'd like the inquiry to spring from you. We welcome your questions, your quandaries and we look forward to an ongoing dialogue we hope educates and enlivens us as members of the Body of Christ.

Okay, the (planted) Question of the Month:

What kind of organization is Voice of the Faithful? Is it a lay association? Does it have or can it have any official standing in the church? The next issue of In the Vineyard will offer an answer that, we hope, will generate and feed the dialogue among us. So please begin to prioritize your list of questions and let’s tackle the answers together in the Christian tradition of inquiry, prayer and inclusive discussion. I welcome your thoughts at amurphy@votf.org. Please use Q & A in the subject line.