15 Things Any Catholic Can Do

1. Pray for the victims and for the moral renewal of the Church. Read the Bible. Return daily to your faith as the source of your spiritual sustenance.
   
   
2. If you believe in your local parish priest, tell him or write him a note of support. Support all the priests of integrity.
   
   
3. Do not contribute blindly or on auto-pilot. Research your charity(ies) of choice. Be explicit about why and how you give your money. For example, "I give to the Church because of (this reason)." Or, "I give to this charity to take care of the poor because of (another reason)."
   
   
4. Find out if your top one or two charities are affected by reduced Catholic donations. If so, volunteer your time, raise money, or give money.
   
   
5. Find one other concerned Catholic. Ask him or her how they feel, and LISTEN. Together, fight apathy in the pews; this crisis affects us all.
   
   
6. Form a VOTF affiliate group in your parish.
   
   
7. Learn about victims' support groups (e.g. the Survivors' Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP)or The Linkup). Donate what you can afford to their survivors' funds.
   
   
8. If you see a victim speak, tell him or her that you admire their courage and are praying for them.
   
   
9. Read VOTF newsletters. Distribute them. Find three others to join VOTF if they support the organization's mission and goals.
   
   
10. Get the phone number or address of your Bishop's office (www.usccb.org) and call or write him explaining how you feel.
    
    
11. Contact or write your state Attorney General and insist that any and all cases of sex abuse by priests be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Insist that your state not exempt the Roman Catholic Church from reporting responsibility in sex abuse cases. (This had been the case in Boston, MA, and was only recently changed, partially because of public outrage).
    
    
12. Ask a child between grades 4 and 12 what they think of the crisis and LISTEN to them.
    
    
13. Write or call the U.S. Bishops office (202-541-3000), and insist that they have a national policy for sex abuse reporting and monitoring which includes a laity oversight board. Insist that they honestly and consistently implement their own Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which they developed in Dallas in June, 2002.
    
    
14. Write a personal note on why you stay in the Church and why you continue to believe. Share it with a friend or with VOTF (contact@votf.org).
    
    
15. Write a Letter to the Editor (or call your major newspaper) explaining how you feel about the scandal.