VOTF At Work in the World

USCCB to meet November 14-17, 2005 as will the VOTF National Representative Council (NRC) November 12-13. Watch the USCCB site for details on the agenda for the bishops’ meeting and check for what National Catholic Reporter John Allen gleaned from talks with past USCCB presidents Archbishops Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Joseph Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston.

While the bishops may be narrowing their focus, VOTF Council representatives are sharpening their own focus on the resolutions that emerged from the VOTF Indianapolis Convocation in July. Frank Douglas, NRC Steering Committee member, reports below.

National Representative Council reports from the NRC Steering Committee submitted by Frank Douglas -- August 8, 2005 and August 23, 2005

August 8, 2005 Report:
To meet the communications and administrative requirements for 25 elected representatives throughout the country, the Steering Committee (SC) of the National Representative Council (NRC) has set up an Internet-based infrastructure. The central component of that infrastructure is a Yahoogroup listserv. This e-mail-based group-communications tool provides the capabilities needed for a geographically disbursed council to easily exchange messages among members, to archive messages, to post computer files, to maintain databases, and, perhaps most important, to vote online so that your representatives can conduct Council business without meeting face-to-face.

So far, we have conducted three polls.

In the first poll, the NRC decided that it will hold its next meeting the weekend of Nov. 12-13, 2005, in the Washington, D.C., area. In the second and third polls, to enhance communications among VOTF decision-makers, the NRC decided to invite the Trustees, the officers, and the heads of the six VOTF national working groups to join the NRC listserv.

Council members are now discussing and soon will be voting on five basic SC-drafted procedures needed to do its work: election and responsibilities of NRC members; voting processes; consultation and consent on proposed substantive matters such as policy statements and associated action plans; implementing policies and action plans; and recordkeeping.

As VOTF members ponder and discuss the nine draft July Indianapolis convocation resolutions (also called findings and recommendations), the SC participated in its first conference call with the Convocation Implementation Team (CIT), headed by President Jim Post. The CIT will coordinate the integration and synthesis of comments, including suggested priorities, from VOTF affiliates and regions and from the NRC, on the findings and recommendations from Indy.

The NRC has initiated preliminary discussion on what our strategic focus should be in three designated areas of lay accountability, financial accountability, and bishops' accountability. Educating the laity for action and financial accountability have been other recent topics of discussion.

The NRC's Bylaws Committee has been representing the Council in the ongoing process of amending VOTF's official bylaws. The Committee sent comments to the VOTF Board of Trustees on the proposals for amending the Bylaws distributed by Board Chairman David Castaldi at the July Convocation. The Committee also sent comments on the proposal for amending the Bylaws regarding Working Groups, recently sent to the Committee by David Castaldi for comment. The committee consists of three NRC members: Bill Culleton from Philadelphia (Region 3-PA, NJ), Bob Kaintz from St. Louis (Region 9-IA, KS, MO, NB), and Genny O'Toole from Evanston, IL, (Region 7-IL, IN, WI).

August 23, 2005 Report:

  1. The Convocation Implementation Team (CIT), in partnership with the members of the Council Steering Committee (SC), has defined the process for narrowing down and prioritizing the nine Indianapolis draft resolutions by affiliates and non-affiliated members. Mary Pat Fox, Region 2 (NY), the Council's representative on the CIT, has forwarded the definition of the process to all affiliates and Council members. The nine draft resolutions will be initially narrowed down to three by early October in accordance with criteria defined in the memos that clarify the process. All VOTF affiliates and members will be involved in a truly grassroots-driven, democratic decision-making process.

  2. The SC continued to set up databases and post files on the Council's listserv Website needed to conduct Council business.

  3. Council members passed two procedures on Voting and Recordkeeping. (This was a substantive matter requiring approval by two-thirds of the Representatives voting.) Council members are now discussing Procedure III, Consultation and Consent on Proposed Substantive Matters, and Procedure IV, Implementing Policies and Action Plans, prior to a vote on them.

  4. VOTF President Jim Post has asked Council members to provide recommendations and ideas to Ray Joyce and VOTF Treasurer, Julie Rafferty, of the Development Committee, about executing a fund-raising strategy that can meet VOTF's many needs.

  5. Planning for, and discussion about the logistical details of the Council meeting in November in the Washington, D.C., area continued via the Council listserv and SC communications with Evelyn Mercantini, Representative from Region 4 (DC, DE, MD, VA). Evelyn is the Chair of the Site Preparation Committee.

VOTF Louisville Area, KY – Vince Grenough reports some good news:

Last week, three of us Voice of the Faithful members met with Dr. Brian Reynolds at the Louisville archdiocesan Chancery Office. Brian is the Chancellor for the archdiocese and the Chief Operations Officer. Jim Williams, who arranged this meeting, Jack Avery and I were the three members of VOTF.

It is my opinion that this dialogue was a good one. It allowed each of us to share our hopes and concerns for the healing of our Church. We all agreed to meet again in a month to continue listening to one another. It is our wish to be transparent with our Church leaders and to collaborate with them whenever possible. Not very many diocesan bishops or officers welcome members of Voice of the Faithful to come and talk, because of misunderstandings or mistrust. We, in Louisville, are happy to be an exception to that unfortunate rule.

Boston SCHOOL Closings beg larger questions

From Mike Gustin, Chair of the Boston Council Steering Committee:

The abrupt closing of the Little Flower elementary school in Somerville, coming within a week of the closing of St. Anthony’s school in Allston, and so quickly on the heels of the nighttime lockout at Our Lady of the Presentation in Brighton, begs a number of questions.

How can the leadership of the Archdiocese be so insensitive to the parents and children enrolled in its own parochial schools? How could the decisions on St. Anthony’s and Little Flower be made only two weeks before school begins? Do church leaders really believe it’s reasonable to expect little children, first, second, and third graders to travel from Brighton, Allston, and Somerville to Medford, Malden, and Everett to attend parochial elementary schools? What about the devoted teachers who are told two weeks before school begins that they have no jobs? Is anyone in the chancery listening and, if so, what are they learning? Is there no compassion?

Clearly, there needs to be put in place a broad and responsive structure as Rev. O'Keefe, dean of the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, notes, ''As long as the structure remains the way it is, this is going to happen."

Boston Voice of the Faithful is ready to work with Church leaders to effect the structural changes necessary for a much more compassionate, organized, and lay-involved process.

Read more:

The National Catholic Reporter's August 26th issue cover story, “Digging In To Stay and Pray” , is about Boston and so is the editorial, “The courage to buck the culture”.

Weeks before the first day of school, the Archdiocese of Boston closed two more schools. See the Boston Globe and Boston Herald.

Washington Post story on lessons learned in Boston. More coverage at the Boston Globe.

Follow coverage on the Vatican decision against Boston’s archdiocesan claim to funds from the sale of parishes. Check out the Boston Herald.

Elsewhere, the Buffalo News quoted Bishop Edward Kmiec of the Buffalo, NY diocese as saying that the effort in that diocese is a “grassroots endeavor.” He has assembled “… a 24-member strategic planning commission of clergy, religious brothers and sisters and parishioners to draft a mission statement and provide direction for the planning process. The first meeting is scheduled Aug. 25 and 26 at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.” Interesting to VOTFers, the meeting is not open to the public. Oh, well. To follow this diocese’s reconfiguration process, click here.

Walsh legislation introduced in Boston, MA would require churches to open their books. What evolves in Boston is expected to have a broad ripple effect across the country.

From John Hynes, VOTF Boston Area Council:

By any measure, we would have to regard last week's response to the Voice of the Faithful's call for action on behalf of Senator Marian Walsh's proposed legislation as a huge success.

Last week's response was all about Massachusetts VOTF members doing for others:

  • for clergy and other parish staff members whose pension benefits have been misused;

  • for parishioners whose churches have been unfairly closed, and/or whose contributions have been misappropriated;

  • and for all those generous citizens of Massachusetts, who have a right to know a) how their funds are being spent and b) that all appeals for funds in this Commonwealth are truthful and accurate.

This hearing was just the first step in what is a marathon-like process. Within the next month or so, we need to convince the Judiciary Committee to vote S1074 out of committee to the full Senate. Eventually, we need to convince the entire legislature that they should pass this bill. Some of you will be able to help with one phase of this effort; others will be able to do more. As a minimum, we are hoping that you will all contact your Senator and Representative ASAP and ask them to support Senate Bill 1074.

For more information on this bill click here.

For legislator contact info click here.

Action is needed NOW. The Chancery's strategy is to try and delay this process as long as they can and, if possible, to see to it that this proposed legislation is buried in committee. YOU can help prevent that from happening by contacting you legislators NOW.

We will be writing to you again shortly with some very specific ideas for additional actions.

For all that you do, for all that we will do together, we thank you.

Read more: click here.



In the Vineyard
August 25, 2005
Volume 4, Issue 9
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Page One

VOTF At Work in the World

Commentary [What do you think? Respond to pthorp.ed@votf.org] VOTF members, attorneys Bob Morris and Sharon Harrington, consider the ramifications of legislation that would require a church to open its books.


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