I thought all the candidates gave good answers on the Q&A site, which was very helpful. God has blessed us through your dedication and hard work. Thank you.
 

VOF is most effective when it prioritizes and simplifies its goals. If it tries to be speak for all who have issues with the present Church governance stucture it will dilute its effectiveness. Continued focus on Child Abuse, Lack of Tranparency in Governance, amd Lack of Oversight for the Use of Funds by Pastors and Bishops are the core issues that brought VOF together. Stay with those issues, don't dilute the message.

 

There's much work to be done to reform our Church. Please, let's move as aggressively and swiftly as possible.

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I appreciate Gaile Pohlhaus' comments re: VOTF --- that it is still an organization that works from the ground up, and that tendencies towards corporativeness be avoided. The many meetings of boards, committees, etc., can kill the spirit. Although the media attention of 2002 and 2003 has faded, the clergy sex abuse scandal doesn't go away (look at the situation in Ireland today or the seven bankruptcies of American Catholic dioceses in the U.S.). It may be in the back pages rather than the front pages, but it is there nevertheless, crippling the Church's effectiveness. So Voice of the Faithful is needed as much as ever. Ordinary Catholic working through VOTF and its affiliates can and should continue the effort to have greater lay participation in church governance.

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Thank you to all the candidates willing to give their time to this important project. And to all the election workers preparing for it.

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I appreciated the video interviews of the candidates because I don't personally know any of them. I now have a sense of who our national VOTF leaders are. The videos were quite jumpy, but I'm grateful to have this connection to the candidates.
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Good systemn I was able to vote from my husband's computer.

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Prayers and much luck in 2010!
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Thank you for the reminder emails.
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Not having a choice of candidates is a downer.
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I am pleased and proud that people are still energetic and positive about VOTF.
My husband and I started an Affiliate and we try to remain somewhat active, but I do admire these folks who run and spend so much of their time for the rest of us.
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Voting process was great.
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There is not an active group in my area but would like to be kept informed on what is going on.

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Congratulations to the Elections Committee for such a professional job to ensure knowledge about the candidates, reminders about the elections window, and security and confirmation of the vote. WELL DONE!!!

Keep up the good work!
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good luck - keep up the good work!
 

Thanks for the opportunity to vote. This would make a good system to elect bishops!

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Thank you for making this possible.
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My love and prayers are with you
You are the saints of this era
God bless you
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God bless you all. You are doing God's work
As St Francis sought to reform the Church of the 13th century-you are called to lead the reform of the 21st century
 

I had difficulty voting because the ballot sheets on the computer screen were so large that is was difficult to scroll down to the bottom of the page.
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Hi,

It's time to start active protesting as the church has intentionally hidden and stopped actions taken by Bishops, especially Ireland's even our Tom Doyle, to changes policies and procedures. That's complete disregard for Our Children!

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great job on the election!
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greatly appreciated the video/information provided by each candidate. Many thanks to each candidate for their efforts. You remain in our prayers, with love.
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Thank you for running in this time when VOTF is more needed than ever, but when active support for VOTF is lagging in the apparent absence of daily scandals. The problems have not gone away, and we still have the structure that enables them to continue. Reform of such a vast institution, which claims support from God for all its actions, is a long process, but we have become used to instant results.
 

 

God bless those willing to do the hard work of keeping VOTF going, especially in providing an action plan for members.
 

Well organized and effective ballot. Many thanks to all the candidates who have put themselves forward to serve.
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Thank you for the opportunity to vote.

Nice job
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I sometimes feel we can spend a great deal of time and money promoting various ideas for change, but unless we have a pope open to change we are banging our heads against the wall.

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Thank you for all you do in keeping the faith and changing the church so that it will be the best it can be for everyone.
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The bishops have not been held accountable for the injustice that were crimes against our children. Until more of them are asked to resign and are replaced with good people the church will continue to deteriorate, and at the present time has no credibility at all. The Irish church is holding them accountable and getting them to resign.
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Kudos and congrats to the VOTF staff putting together this electoral website. I just received my registration code in today's mail and was able to sign on immediately. It was clean, clear, efficient and user friendly. Great job guys!
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Please, everybody, speak up for the full humanity and full participation of women in the church and in the world. The time for hanging back on that issue and 'playing it safe' to win ecclesial brownie points is long gone.
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This was a well-conducted and organized election campaign. The advertising of the campaign was excellent and the statements by the candidates were helpful. Kudos to whoever designed the ballot with the prompts, etc. Well done.

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Many blessings for our organization with its holy work. Many thanks to our caring, dedicated leaders and candidates for office. Thanks to VOTF leaders for continuing to keep this group vibrant and bringing us through these difficult financial times. Keep up the great job!
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I have been waiting 85 years to see this flicker of hope in OUR Church. Thanks to all of you for your continuing efforts for all of us!!
 

The whole process was well done. Thank you all for running!
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Thank you for using this process for voting The reminder postcard and the website made casting my ballot a matter I could do right away, rather than having things get lost on the paperwork pile until after the deadlines!
 

I am happy to participate in these elections which will ensure that the membership chose their leaders freely and conscious of what they were doing.
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good, straightforward process. thanks!
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Great and easy voting procedure. I am impressed. Thank you for the opportunity to view the video statements and questions of the candidates.
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Very user friendly ballot.

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I am deeply concerned by the lack of choice in this election. I would think that in a healthy organization of this size there would have been more candidates willing to run.

I am beginning to think that VOTF did not, in fact, survive the results and the controversy sparked by our previous electioneering methods two years ago where database theft took place. Our inability to address the theft in a timely manner may well have killed Voice of the Faithful.

That inability was not the fault so much of the National Representative Council, as so many would have us believe. Rather I do believe that the major blame rests with an ineffectual Board of Directors, and two members of the NRC Steering Committee who continuously blocked NRC members from being able to vote on the issue.

Look at VOTF today, where are we now?

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Extremely well done ballot--easy to check statements and cast votes. Congratulations.
 

thanks for all you are trying to do.
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God Speed & Thanks to all!
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A note of thanks to all of the candidates and to everyone who has worked so hard to make this process possible.
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Great job. It works like a charm.
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Keep fighting the good fight!

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So glad to be in range of internet access here in Jolly Harbor, Antigua.
I cast my ballot! Blessings on all the candidates. I'm grateful for their
willingness to work for our mission and goals.
and blessings on Alice Campanella and all those in the national office.
"we couldn't do this without you".
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Nice format.
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