National News

Emily and Rosemary Fund
Last week, VOTF announced the establishment of The Emily and Rosemary Fund to support women who lose employment in the Roman Catholic Church as the result of injustice or discrimination, and to help women who are working to bring about justice and equality in the Church.

Initiated by Lynette Petruska, an attorney practicing in St. Louis MO, with a donation of $75,000, the fund honors her grandmothers, Emily and Rosemary, two women whose devotion to their families and to the Church inspired Lynette.

To read more
http://votf.org/page/emily-rosemary-fund-women-church/14217

National Responds to Vatican Resignation Rejection
August 13, 2010
The Vatican’s refusal to accept the resignation of two Irish bishops dramatically highlights the failure of Pope Benedict to hold himself and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church accountable for their role in the sex abuse scandal.

Cardinal Bernard Law left Boston in disgrace, and was awarded a rich sinecure in Rome. Two Irish bishops judged themselves to be unworthy of continued service as bishops, and the Vatican now rejects

Read more
http://votf.org/vineyard/Aug19_2010/rejection.html

New Voice of the Faithful Brochure Available
Have you joined the effort to“spread the word” this summer? You can order the new Voice of the Faithful brochure to share with your friends, neighbors and fellow parishioners. The brochure is a concise but thorough explanation of who we are, what VOTF supports, and what we are trying to accomplish. There is no time better than now to introduce people to the work of Voice of the Faithful. You can order the new informational brochure or the 21st century disciple brochure online now!
https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/
weblink.aspx?name=votf&id=3

Members in the news

Carolyn Disco comments on Bishop McCormack’s retirement
http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/
articles/2010/08/14/bishop_stepping_down_in_nh/

Site Seeing

80 year old Irish woman organizing one day boycott of mass by “faithful women of Ireland” to let the Vatican and the Irish church know that  “women are tired of being treated as second-class citizens”.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/
2010/0811/1224276549321.html

Testimony of victims at a bankruptcy hearing involving a diocesan lawsuit. The outcome will determine whether the individual victim lawsuits will go forward or be stayed again. The testimony of victims is wrenching
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100813/NEWS01/
8130338/-1/NLETTER01/Victims-testify-of-hurt--betrayal?source=nletter-news

Vatican attempts to clarify difference between sex abuse of children and women priests
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66E2C620100716

A theologian urges women religious to model authentic discipleship in the face of ecclesial conflict
http://ncronline.org/news/women-religious/women-religious-
experiences-have-implications-entire-church

Sister Joan Chittister urges women religious to remain strong
http://ncronline.org/news/women/wanted-women-spirit-our-own-time

“Breakaway” Catholics celebrate mass in new space – could face sanctions
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/08/
bishop_richard_lennon_seeks_me.html

Calendar

LONG ISLAND VOTF REGIONAL MEETING
WEDNESDAY, September 22, 2010 7:30 PM
Universalist Unitarian Congregation - Veatch House - Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY    "Male Sexual Abuse" presented by Dr. Richard Gartner

For details http://votf.org/vineyard/Aug19_2010/livotf.html

Book Review

By Gaile M. Pohlhaus, Ph.D.

Phyllis Tickle. The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books (2008.) 165 pp. Index. Diagrams.

Tickle does for Christianity what Thomas Kuhn did for science in The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. She makes a convincing argument that religions change approximately every 500 years. Certainly there is a period leading up to the change and a period leading down. She draws her schema going from the Great Reformation to the Great Schism (Eastern and Western split) to Gregory the Great to Jesus. Then she shows what has been forming the Great Emergence for the past 500 years. 

This is another book I wish I had seen in time to order for my students this semester.  The text is both clear and interesting.  The steps are both logical and imaginative. The book is available through Amazon.com both in hard cover and a Kindle edition

Working on  your back to school shopping?  Buying books for college bound students? If you are, please begin your shopping by accessing the Amazon link on our website.  VOTF will get a portion of whatever you buy!

Questions, Comments?

Please send them to Siobhan Carroll, Vineyard Editor at Vineyard@votf.org. Unless otherwise indicated, I will assume comments can be published as Letters to the Editor.