Contact: Suzanne Morse 617-680-2131, smorse@votf.org

For Immediate Release

Voice of the Faithful Commends Archdiocese of Boston Decision to Reverse Closing

Organization Calls for Re-examination of Reconfiguration Process, Financial Disclosure

December 16, 2004 – Newton, Mass. – Boston-area leaders of Voice of the Faithful are commending the decision by the archdiocese of Boston to reverse the closing of one parish – Blessed Kateri Tekawitha Parish in Plymouth, Mass. – and to ask four parishes in Newton, Mass. - St. Bernard, Corpus Christi, Mary Immaculate of Lourdes and St. Philip Neri - to re-evaluate and to provide recommendations for reconfiguration. Parishioners at St. Bernard’s have been hosting an ongoing vigil since October. The organization believes that lay Catholics must have an on-going role in the decision-making processes of the archdiocese and that, to fully participate in these processes, parishioners must have access to financial information and other archdiocesan resources.

“It is very encouraging to see progress on behalf of the archdiocese,” said Sheila Connors Grove, a member of Voice of the Faithful Boston Council. “It is an indication that the archdiocese is beginning to listen to the people in the pews who are most affected by these decisions. Archbishop O’Malley’s action is another step in the right direction, and he deserves credit. We are also encouraged by the work of the Reconfiguration Review Committee, who we know has taken the time to listen to the experiences and concerns of closing parishes, and believe have made an effort to convey that information to the archdiocese.”

The movement of lay Catholics is urging the archdiocese to re-examine the reconfiguration process, and to include lay Catholics in that inquiry in a meaningful and systematic manner. Additionally, members are calling on Archbishop Sean O’Malley and the archdiocese to provide disclosure of the financial health of the archdiocese.

“Members of all parishes in the archdiocese of Boston, and the institutional Church have to work together to ensure that the resolution of reconfiguration benefits all Catholics,” said Jeannine Driscoll, a member of Voice of the Faithful and parishioner at St. Anselm’s in Sudbury, Mass., a participant in the vigil movement “Any re-examination of the process should not follow the model established earlier this year, which pitted parish against parish, but should instead include a comprehensive study of the impact of reconfiguration on all parishes. Catholics must have a broad perspective and must be treated with justice as we go through these times of turmoil. We hope that the movement shown by the archdiocese will extend to this kind of fair re-examination.”

“Voice of the Faithful has consistently called for financial transparency from the archdiocese of Boston,” said Suzanne Morse, Communications Manager for Voice of the Faithful. “We feel that it is impossible to understand how we will create a vibrant and healthy archdiocese without that critical information. Archbishop O’Malley has begun to provide some financial disclosure in recent weeks, and we hope that the financial planning process he announced recently will yield even more. This kind of knowledge is crucial for lay Catholics, especially those in parishes marked for closure, to make informed decisions about the future of their faith communities.”

//end

About Voice of the Faithful: Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) is a worldwide movement of concerned mainstream Catholics 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, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Catholic Church in full accordance and harmony with Church teaching. VOTF’s supporting membership exceeds 30,000 registered persons from 50 U.S. states, 39 countries and 210 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.