MEDIA ALERT

Voice of the Faithful President and Co-Founder to Speak in Brooklyn

WHO: Dr. James Post, President and Co-founder of Voice of the Faithful

WHAT: Will address VOTF members from the Diocese of Brooklyn (Brooklyn and Queens) as well as additional concerned Catholics via his speech entitled "VOTF: Keeping the Faith, Changing the Church".

WHEN: Wednesday, February 12th, 7:30 PM

WHERE: St. Francis College, 182 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, in the Founders Auditorium.

WHY: The news regarding abuse of children by priests, including the conviction last week of Fr. Nelson in Brooklyn and the new revelations from the Diocese of Rockville Center (Long Island), clearly call for the laity to become actively involved in the Catholic Church. Jim Post will detail VOTF's past activities and future initiatives specifically calling for the Church to place the pastoral needs of sexually abused victims and their families above protecting the reputation of the Catholic Church. Dr. Post will also highlight the banning of laity from their Churches as an "affront to Catholics everywhere."

HOW: Dr. Post will deliver a speech approximately 45 minutes in length, followed by a question and answer period. Members of the press are welcome to attend.

Additional Information
VOTF Affiliates in Brooklyn and Queens now claim 350-plus members from more than 25 parishes, despite the fact that Bishop Daily's October 25, 2002, banning of VOTF meetings on Diocesan property remains in effect. In conjunction with Diocese discussions to lift these bans, VOTF members are also actively working to support the organization's three goals locally. These goals are to support victims/survivors of clergy sexual abuse, support priests of integrity, and to shape structural change within the Church. The Diocese of Brooklyn, which includes the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, is one of nation's largest diocese and home to 1.8 million Catholics. The banning of Catholics from Church property in Brooklyn, NY, Long Island, NY, Portland ME, Bridgeport, CT, Newark, NJ, Camden, NJ, Baker, OR, and Boston, MA is divisive and an affront to Catholics everywhere.

Voice of the Faithful (www.votf.org) is a Newton, Mass.-based, worldwide organization of mainstream lay Catholics who support the teachings of the Church and who formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group's mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support victim/survivors of abuse, to support priests of integrity, and to shape structural change within the Catholic Church in harmony and accordance with the teachings of Vatican II. VOTF's supporting membership exceeds 25,000 registered individuals from more than 40 U.S. states and 21 countries.