John 20:19-23

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
[Jesus] said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

Reflection

The 50 days of Easter Tide have passed. So has the Feast of the Ascension. We are about to return to Ordinary Time. But today we receive the Peace of Christ which will help see us through the coming days. This Peace will help me to allow my new hip to heal and as I move to an independent living facility. What challenges will Peace help you to meet?

Blessings,

Gaile

Gaile M. Pohlhaus, PhD
Practical Theologian and former VOTF officer

If you thought the Vatican would lessen its criticism of Amercian nuns because our new Pope expressed a desire to improve the role of women in the Church, you were wrong. At least, so far. Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Vatican mandate against the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Here are several VOTF blog posts citing recent news stories to bring you up to date:

• Sr. Joan Chittister / LCWR: ‘Radical Feminism’ or ‘Living the Gospel’
• Nuns on the Bus Leader Responds to Reaffirmation of Vatican LCWR Mandate
• Vatican, LCWR Approaching Critical Crossroads / National Catholic Reporter Editorial
• America Magazine Commentary Sees Hope for the American Nuns

You can click here to go to the Nuns Justice website to see how you can continue to support our Sisters.

Ten years after VOTF's founding, Voices: Telling Our Stories offers a glimpse into the ideals and ideas of individual Voice of the Faithful® members, told in their own voices. They continue to seek ways to break the Church's silence, hold perpetrators of scandal accountable, afford justice and healing, and ensure a responsible lay voice in Church governance.

Read Voices: Telling Our Stories and learn why and how Catholics firm in their faith, and often serving in roles central to parish life, but disenchanted with their Church governance, turn to advocacy as a way to remain whole.

As a preview, you may read the book's preface here, the author-by-last name index here, and the author-by-first name index here.

Order your copy of Voices: Telling Our Stories, and copies for your friends, by clicking here. Or, if you prefer, send your check for $25 to VOTF, P.O. Box 423, Newton, MA 02464, and put "Voices Book" on the memo line.

Voice of the Faithful® is in the midst of an Internet advertising campaign that started when Pope Francis was elected and will continue at least through the summer. The ads aim to take advantage of the heightened interest in all things Catholic after the election and to encourage participation in the Church along the lines of VOTF isues and initiatives. Thanks to the generous contributions of several members, these ads are being placed on the websites of secular and Catholic media publications. Viewers who click on the ad go to a landing page on our website where they can watch the video and leave a prayer or comment.If you haven't caught the ad and seen our video, click the ad above or click here.

As Voice of the Faithful® continues its focus in 2013 on financial accountability in the Church, Nonfeasance: The Remarkable Failure of the Catholic Church to Protect Its Primary Source of Income is available from Michael W. Ryan.

Nonfeasance is a detailed examination of the Church’s stunning failure to protect its Sunday collections. Ryan, a retired federal law enforcement official experienced in financial audits and security investigations, is interested in Church security. He has developed procedures that would virtually guarantee every dollar placed in collections gets deposited in parish bank accounts. He will be assisting our Financial Accountability team as we strive to improve both diocesan and parish accountability.

Nonfeasance is available from Amazon.com by clicking this BOOKS link and then clicking the Nonfeasance icon (it's on the top row at the right). You'll also support VOTF by using our website to buy Nonfeasance from Amazon, which donates a small portion of book sales to us.

You can find additional readings and information on Mr. Ryan's church security site.

May the New Year bring you joy and renewed hope—a hope in the “Spirit loose in the world,” as Fr. Don Cozzens put it when he spoke at our 10th Year Conference last September, and added “You are, at bottom, doing the work of the Spirit. Please carry on.”

That’s what we’re doing in 2013, carrying on—speaking up for transparency and accountability in our Church; seeking justice for survivors and protection for our children; asking questions about how the bishops are spending your dollars and about why women cannot serve as deacons the way they did in the early Church.

Here are a few of the key projects we’ll be pursuing this year … 

A video of VOTF's entire 10th Year Conference is now available to order. Here's a look at a couple of the highlights:

Like our "Voice of the Faithful: A Retrospective" video, which made its debut at the conference and is also available to order online, the "VOTF 10th Year Conference Video" is a Da Vinci Rocchio production. That means the professioal quality is high and the light for the Church that is VOTF shows through every frame. It's the next best thing to having been at the conference.

Order your copy of our "10th Year Conference Video" today! Our secure online ordering process is quick and easy (check the 2012 10th Year Conference DVDs option), or you may print and mail the order form (on which you also may order the VOTF book "Voices: Telling our Stories").