Dear Friends,

Advent has been a time of preparation for the new beginning that is Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Our VOTF Advent prayer called on God to help us bring forth hearts filled with peace, healing, unification and gratitude. I know I am grateful for the contribution each of you has made in supporting Voice of the Faithful with your prayers, your actions, and your treasures. 

We still have much work to do in bringing about healing for our Church and for survivors of clergy sexual abuse.  And though peace and unification sound like lofty goals, we each have control over whether we can have peace in our hearts and whether we are united with our brethren in the work we do.

As we move from Advent to this time of new beginnings – in the Church with Christmas, and in our secular world with the New Year approaching – it is a good time to begin anew and recommit ourselves to the work we are doing in Voice of the Faithful.  I call on each of us to recommit to be Spirit-led as we work for the laity to have a voice in the governance and guidance of our church, as we support survivors and priests of integrity and as we work for structural change within our church.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends. May the Blessings of Christmas be yours.

Peace,

Mary Pat