Summer Blessings

Theresa Ann Cooney returns to Georgetown University shortly, after a summer Communications internship in the VOTF office. For all that Theresa brought to the work we share, VOTF is grateful and includes her on our short list of "gifts received."

When I first began working for Voice of the Faithful's national office in Newton early this summer, I thought that I knew what to expect. I have followed this organization since its conception in the wake of the Church scandals in Boston when I was a senior in a local Catholic school. At Georgetown University, where I now study as a theology major, I spent much of the last two years discussing the Catholic Church's place in society. Voice of the Faithful was brought up frequently in my classes as an example of a lay organization seeking to handle the challenges arising in the institutional Church. Additionally, I work during the school year at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate in Washington, DC, an organization developed to conduct sociological research dealing with Catholicism in America. When I told my supervisor at CARA about my plans to intern for Voice of the Faithful over the summer, I was a little taken aback when she told me that I might be surprised to see how different it would be to work for an energetic, grassroots type of non-profit organization. She told me to be ready for a fast-paced environment and that I should be excited to work for a group of people so dedicated to their work and mission. She could not have been more right.

From the moment I came to the office on my first day, what has consistently amazed me the most about Voice of the Faithful is the people who work here, both those who are in the office daily, as well as all of the consultants, affiliates and members who I have been privileged to meet or correspond with. Their level of dedication to reform, compassion for both survivors and priests, and authentic love of God and of the faith has been inspiring to me. While at Voice this summer, I have been working in the Communications Department, which has allowed me to learn firsthand so much about the inner workings of a non-profit, from making media calls to responding to letters to doing on-line research finding numbers, figures and names. I have also been able to flex my theological muscles here at VOTF; for various purposes I have been asked to summarize papal encyclicals, find Biblical passages and review Vatican documents.

One of the most enriching, yet at times distressing, parts of my job has been to run the daily e-mail news service, VOTF Crisis News, in which I compile and send out articles from worldwide news sources dealing with the sexual abuse crisis. Although reading all of this news every day has been disheartening at times, the benefits of being well informed on the current situation in the Church far outweigh the drawbacks, and it has been a blessing for me to have had the opportunity to share this information with others. In fact, the entire experience of interning for Voice of the Faithful has been quite the blessing. It is rare that a college student is given a chance to have a job that allows for growth in both knowledge and faith. It is even more rare to be privileged to work and interact with such a remarkable group of people at such a unique moment in the history of our Church. I hope to continue promoting Voice of the Faithful's work when I go back to Georgetown this fall, and will certainly pray for all of you and the wonderful work that you do. God Bless!

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