AFFILIATE NEWS

VOTF CENTRAL

VOTF Indianapolis, IN
Submitted by Mary Heins

Local grants: Thanks to the work of Jay Carrigan, VOTF Indianapolis received a grant this January of $1000 from the Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis. This group gives money to local churches that sponsor special programs designed to benefit the people in a particular parish or church. The pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas parish Fr. Bill Munshower wrote a letter stating that VOTF Indianapolis hosted speakers or programs beneficial to the parish. This money helped us bring David Clohessy, SNAP, (Kris Ward and Ann Carroll were here as well, with David) in October, and Leonard Swidler, ARCC, November, 2004.

Our next speakers' event will feature representatives from 4 traditions to speak on their manner of church governance and how well it functions.

The steering committee/officers (Ken Sauer, Mary Heins, and Millie Brady) and some members are looking forward to meeting with Indianapolis deanery priests on March 2 to acquaint them with VOTF's goals, encourage them to tell parishioners about Voice of the Faithful, tell them about the convention, and establish friendly relationships. Again, this is being done through consultation with Fr. Bill Munshower, pastor of St. Thomas parish, who has been supportive of us. [NOTE: Mary Heins is on the convention committee for the Indianapolis July 9/10 VOTF convention. Ken Sauer, also from Indianapolis VOTF, is one of three convention chairs alongside VOTF vice president Kris Ward (OH) and Bob Morris (MA)]

VOTF St. Christopher's Cleveland, OH
Submitted by Fred McGunagle

Well before the starting time, people occupied all 100 chairs. By the time Father Donald Cozzens began to speak, another 70 were standing in the back. Attendees were not disappointed.

"It's our responsibility," Cozzens said, "to be adult Catholics, because we love the church and we're trying to live by the gospel; we honor our consciences and we know how to think. The church means too much to us and to those who are going to come after us for us to keep silent."

Referring to the Latin word adsum - "I am here" - with which priests used to respond at their ordination, he said: "The laity and the clergy, need to say together, 'Adsum. We are here. We love the church, but we're going to insist on adult dialogue.'"

Cozzens spoke at the Jan. 27 meeting of the St. Christopher (Cleveland) Parish Voice. His subject was Faith That Dares to Speak, the title of his latest book. He paid tribute to the work of VOTF in insisting on accountability and transparency, but warned that it and similar groups face an obstacle.

"The Catholic Church, I have been arguing, in terms of its structure, is the last feudal structure in the West. We can understand the bishop of Rome, the Pope, as a sovereign - as some would say, an absolute monarch. The Pope appoints a bishop to a diocese in very much the same way that a king would appoint someone to a benefice a few centuries ago. And then the bishop - the vassal to the Pope - subdivides the diocese into parishes, and he appoints priests as pastors and the pastors become vassals to the bishop.

"In a feudal structure, there isn't a regard for free flow of information. The serfs are expected to trust their vassal and the lord of the manor is expected to trust the king. When it comes to listening to the serfs, it's almost unimaginable."

The feudal system has served the church well for 1,000 years, Cozzens said. However, "A feudal system works well when the serfs are uneducated. Today, we priests are often preaching to an assembly on Sunday who know as much, if not more, theology and sacred scripture than we do."

Cozzens is a former Cleveland Diocese vicar of clergy and president-rector of St. Mary Seminary. He is now writer in residence at John Carroll. Tonight he was revisiting his first parish.

He told the audience: "Being a Catholic in 1965 when I was assigned to St. Christopher Parish could be pretty much summed up this way: 'Believe. Behave. Be saved.' It was that simple: If you believe the church's doctrine and moral teachings and follow the church's moral and ethical pronouncements, you can face death with a sure and certain hope of salvation."

"No doubt about it, faithful living and right living are fundamental to being a disciple of Jesus the Christ. But what really is at the heart of right living? We embrace the gospel, we embrace the teachings of our church, but we have also heard from the Great Council that we need to understand the richness of the gospel in history. And the Spirit continues to lead us deeper into understanding what gospel fidelity is all about."

Cozzens continued, "Once people are educated, they simply want a compelling explanation for what it is that the church is teaching. The problem we are faced with today is not theological, it is structural. Did Vatican II really mean what it said - that all of us are full, equal adult members of the church? For a long time you and I have been programmed to 'Believe, behave and be saved.'"

It was that culture, that "climate of secrecy," he said, that trapped so many bishops in the clergy abuse scandal - "I'm afraid they were concerned that the church's teaching authority could be weakened if these problems got out. Most of the bishops were caught in a structure that co-opted them. They were part of a structure that operated that way."

He quoted Thomas P. O'Neill Jr., former Massachusetts attorney general, at a Voice of the Faithful panel: "These bishops look at clergy sex abuse as a public relations problem, and they want to get back to the way things were as quickly as possible. They want to get back to normal."

But, Cozzens asked, "What if normal is the problem? What if the structure is the problem?" (Cozzens can be reached at dcozzens@jcu.edu)

VOTF SOUTH

VOTF Palm Beach County, FL
Submitted by Merry O'Donnell

The Palm Beach County Affiliate was born on April 7, 2003, with Merry O'Donnell as its first president. What I recall best about that first meeting was the number of clergy present who wanted to be anonymous - there were two Armed Forces chaplains and a couple of women religious. Meanwhile, a Jesuit friend in PA congratulated us for our efforts with VOTF because, he said, we as laity can do things that the clergy cannot do. Let's never forget our responsibility.

VOTF SW Florida
Submitted by Peg Clark

Our beginnings: What was soon to become the Naples, FL affiliate of VOTF was founded by Peg Clark originally as an Ad Hoc Group of Catholic, all of whom felt "I have to do something, and I must do it now." The group formed in late January of 2002 immediately after the breaking news of the sex abuse of clergy in Boston.

We learned of the work of VOTF soon after, and realized that VOTF 's goals and mission were in perfect sync with what we were trying to organize on our own. We affiliated with national VOTF in September of 2002 and took the name Voice of the Faithful of Southwest Florida.

We have a roster of nearly 200 names. Many are seasonal residents who join VOTF of SWFL when they are in residence during the winter. Our seasonal guests are most welcome; in fact, they form the backbone of our affiliate.

In the past two years, two additional VOTF affiliates have were formed in our diocese; one in Fort Myers and another in Venice, FL.

Our affiliate is most grateful to VOTF National for the outstanding leadership that has governed the organization. We are proud of our affiliation with all the affiliates in U.S. and globally.

Jim Post, president of VOTF National, will address our general membership on Tuesday, March 29th, 2005. Members and non-members are invited to attend the presentation in the Parish Life Center of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at 1:00 to 3:00 PM.

The Parish Life Center is located immediately behind the church at 625 111th Avenue North, Naples, FL.

VOTF of SWFL's Speakers Forum will present Fr. Thomas Doyle, J.C.D., as their annual nationally known guest speaker on March 8, 2005 at 7:00 PM in the Ballroom of the Parish Life Center of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church at 625 111th Avenue North, Naples, FL. For more information, please e-mail VOTFofSWFL@aol.com or visit us at our web site.

VOTF Baton Rouge, LA
Submitted by Billie Bourgeois

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana affiliate has adopted the week of June 11 as "Voice Day." We celebrated our first year June 2004 with a Eucharistic celebration in the chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Baton Rouge. We are planning our second anniversary celebration for June, as well as a Healing Eucharist for our diocese during Lent.

We are blessed to welcome new leadership in our affiliate. Our new coordinator is Gerry Stark, who will now facilitate the meetings beginning in February.

VOTF EAST

VOTF Brooklyn, NY
Submitted by Ed and Anne Wilson

Saturday, July 20, 2002 ten of us from downtown Brooklyn attended the VOTF conference in Boston. It proved an exhilarating, life-changing experience. After several weeks of attending meetings at St. Francis Xavier in NYC we decided to form our own affiliate in Brooklyn.

Before we could do so, on Friday October 25, 2002 at 5 pm by fax to each parish, Bishop Thomas V. Daily banned VOTF from any use of diocesan or parish property on the ground that we were likely to be 'divisive.' On Tuesday, October 29, 2002 we officially formed our affiliate and were invited to meet at St. Francis College by Dr. Frank Macchiarola, president.

On Monday January 6, 2003, we held a well-publicized vigil outside St. James Cathedral, dramatizing the gifts we offer to the church that were being refused by the bishop.

In late January, 2003, Brooklyn VOTF was invited to, and did, enter into dialogue with a diocesan panel leading to a lifting of the ban on April 29. Dialogue has continued with various diocesan officials.

Also, in March of 2003 a group of VOTF people from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut met at a SurvivorsFirst conference in Greenwich, CT. This led to the formation of the Tri-State regional group from the diocese of Bridgeport, CT, the archdiocese of NY, the dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Center, NY, and four dioceses in northern NJ, including the archdiocese of Newark and the dioceses of Patterson, Metuchen and Trenton, NJ. This regional grouping has been meeting regularly ever since. It conducted a major conference at Fordham University on October 25, 2003 and a forum regarding the Dallas norms (and the audits called for) at St. Paul's Church on May 22, 2004. We continue to meet and discuss our diverse problems and diverse bishops vis a vis our three VOTF goals.

CURRENT: On January 18, at St. Francis College, Brooklyn Hts., NY, our affiliate met to discuss the Brooklyn Diocese Review Board that investigates allegations of sexual abuse. Among our speakers were Pamela Hayes, former Assistant DA, and Chief of Brooklyn Sex Crimes Unit. Hayes served on the US Bishops' Review Board from its inception in 2002 through 11/2004. We also heard from Professor Bernard Helldorfer who heads the Brooklyn Diocesan Review Board. He is Professor and Director of the Legal Studies Program, Div. of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies at St. John's University, Queens, NY.

Hayes' powerful talk rested on a clear conviction - "This is our church and we are needed to change it. Without us there will not be change." Helldorfer said that thus far, the Review Board found 15 of 18 allegations credible, and in each case, the diocese followed the Board's recommendations.

During the Q & A time, it was noted that a phone number had been distributed to parishioners for reporting allegations of sexual abuse. Greg Valvo, co-director of SNAP, asked if the people receiving calls were sexual abuse victims or professional counselors. Helldorfer acknowledged that the person receiving the calls is an attorney. While the Board did recommend that a trained professional take these calls, the diocese did not comply.

Both the Brooklyn Heights Courier and the Brooklyn diocesan newspaper The Tablet provided exceptionally good coverage of the evening.

(Photo credits Phil Gilson)

VOTF Natick, MA
Submitted by Donna Manganaro

The Natick Parish Voice members started meeting in private homes in March of 2002. We met every few weeks until we officially joined VOTF July of 2002.

We are currently planning an anniversary celebration that will include a panel discussion between priests and laity on Monday March 14 at the Natick Library. The invitations to priests, including the Natick pastors who will not allow VOTF to meet on Church property, will go out shortly. (We just like them to know we're still here!) Our group is hoping to welcome two or three priests and many attendees.

What I value most about VOTF goes back to our early meetings when we'd come and see people from our parish that we'd never seen before - every one of them with clear bright eyes that had the Spirit looking back at you. Then came the sharing of stories that personified the Presence. We at VOTF are a kindred spirit and these great moments have been repeated for me hundreds of times over the past three years.

VOTF Weymouth, MA
Submitted by Sharon Harrington

Our group sponsored a presentation by Fr. Joseph Towle, MM, who spoke of his 30 years of experiences as a Maryknoll Missionary, including service to Central and South American Catholics. Members and guests found his talk on "Lay Led Parishes" and Base Christian Communities empowering and enlightening. On February 8th, we will welcome local survivor Jeanne Cratty, who will share ways that we can support survivors more effectively. All meetings are in St. Albert the Great Parish Hall.

St. Albert the Great/Weymouth, MA VOTF first met July 10, 2002 in our church hall, as an outgrowth of Hingham, MA's VOTF. I feel that the best moments in VOTF have been those spent in the support given to parishioners who want to become more informed and active in their faith by supporting justice for survivors, by supporting priests who are faithful to their consciences rather than their careers, and by helping to change the Church to include the wisdom of laypeople.

VOTF Seacoast, MA
Submitted by Mo Donovan

The VOTF Affiliates of North Shore, Lynn and Seacoast(MA) for the last two years have been collaborating with Boston College Dept. of Theology in a program of Faith Formation. Six times a year, twice hosted by each affiliate, theologians from BC address certain issues. Attendees number an average of 80 for each session.

Remaining in the second annual "Adult Education and Faith Formation Program: 2004-2005 of Lynn, North Shore and Seacoast Affiliates," which began in September, are the following opportunities:

February 13: 2005 (Topsfield; St. Rose of Lima Parish Hall): Faith Formation: Fostering Adult Faith in Conversation. Jane Regan, Ph.D. (Boston College, Department of Theology).

February 20: 2005 (Topsfield, St. Rose of Lima Parish Hall): The Parish as Learning Community. Jane Regan, Ph.D. (Boston College, Department of Theology).

April 3: 2005 (Lynn; St. Pius V, Lower Church Hall): We Believe in One God: Jews, Christians, Muslims as Brothers and Sister in Faith: Our Common Heritages and Differences. Padraic O'Hare, Ph.D. (Merrimack College).

April 10: 2005 (Lynn; St. Mary's Parish, Cardinal Cushing Center): Christian Ecumenical Dialogue: Progress Since Vatican II In Creating Closer Ties Between the Christian Denominations. Padraic O'Hare, Ph.D. (Merrimack College).

For further information, please email Jim Callahan at jcall2@comcast.net; Vince Guerra at vfgmd@aol.com; Mary Fitzsimmons at mpfitzsimmons@comcast.net; or Jack Whelan at whelanj@lynnschools.org).

VOTF Lynn, MA
Submitted by Jack Whelan

The Lynn Area Affiliate began to meet in early April of 2002, when several parishioners from St. Pius V began to meet with Sr. Lorraine and talk about what was going on in Wellesley and why. It was just a small group, but we were very concerned about our Church. We soon found that many other people were thinking as we were thinking. By mid May, we needed to move our meetings over to the lower church, because more people wanted to attend.

I don't think that I can tell you about any one point in VOTF that I would call the best. I think there has been more growth than we might notice: parishioners taking responsibility for some of the things in our parish that we would not be doing a few short years ago; liturgies that we are writing; establishing a parish safety committee and reviewing all of our facilities; struggling with our parish council and the relationships that we all share with clergy, religious and laity and, above all, celebrating in prayer who we are. These are the "high points" I think of when I think of VOTF.

Recently, we began interviewing each and every priest and parish council in the area to build a platform where we can all speak openly and honestly - about their understanding of VOTF and ours. Our outreach includes Bishop Erwin.

Our affiliate represents a number of parishes with a wide variety of opinions, both among the clergy and the laity as to what VOTF really stands for. The third goal, structural change, is the most frightening to both groups, because implicit in the definition of change is a shift in power, and in responsibility. Even those priests who have shown us nothing but support in our three years of existence are worried about the shift that this kind of change could mean. The leadership in our various parishes comes from really good people who are struggling with the concept of change in our Church. Our greatest tool remains that of education.

To me, this is the truly remarkable gift that VOTF has delivered. In three short years, a large group of the laity has been able to form a vision and begin the process of making that vision into a reality.

VOTF Winchester Area, MA
Submitted by Bob Morris

The highlight for our group this month was a talk on January 10 by Deacon Joe Ramrath of St. Anselm's Parish in Sudbury. The parishioners at St. Anselm's have been conducting a round-the-clock vigil at St. Anselm's since its official "closing" by the Archdiocese of Boston in September 2004. Deacon Joe described for our group the history of the parish, the tortured path to the decision issued in May 2004 to close the parish, and the courageous stance taken by the parishioners since that time. Our group is proud to support St. Anselm's and all the other parishes in vigil in the Archdiocese.

In addition, on January 3, our small-group faith sharing series continued. This series of monthly gatherings is fast becoming a popular supplement to our weekly meetings.

BEGINNINGS: Our first meeting was on Monday, May 13, 2002. While we have been fortunate to have a number of distinguished guest speakers (John Allen, Kathleen McChesney, Fr. Donald Cozzens, to name but a few), the most powerful experience for this writer has been how this disparate group of persons from different parishes has come together as a community, week after week since 2002, committed to VOTF's three goals, and to strengthening and renewing the Church.

Joe Ramrath/photo credit Nelson Bolen

VOTF Montgomery County, MD
Submitted by Judy Miller

Our first exploratory meeting was held on October 17, 2002 and our first meeting after our decision to become an official affiliate was held on December 12, 2002.

• Our best moments: Collaborating with SNAP (beginning in May, 2004) to facilitate a monthly support group for survivors at the Gaithersburg, MD library and hearing from a survivor that they had been praying for help to come to Montgomery County and our group was an answer to that prayer.

• Joining with other affiliates in the area and pulling off our very successful symposium "Are the Wounds Healing?" on November 14, 2004, despite the many obstacles that were placed in our way. Maybe it said, "Look at us. We're here to stay!"

VOTF Metuchen, NJ
Submitted by Kevin Gilmartin

Our first meeting was Thursday, April 29, 2004. It was an exploratory meeting to determine if there was an interest. There was. We have over 50 active participants from St. Matthias parish and other parishes across the Metuchen diocese. We have established a Speakers Forum to help us grow in our knowledge of our Church and its history. We are doing our best to continue our growth in numbers.

EVENTS, ETC./ East Region

****from Dan Dick, Worcester, MA - a reminder to check the College of the Holy Cross Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture, Worcester, MA 508-793-3869 for a wide range of lectures and workshops open to the public. Saturday, April 2, 2005, Alice Hayes, former President of the University of San Diego and former National Review Board member will present"Reflections on the Abuse Crisis: How Can the Laity Be Part of the Solution?" 10 a.m., Rehm Library. Click here for more information.

****Boston College's Church in the 21st Century will host "The Second Annual Conference on Understanding the Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis" for mental health professionals, parish administrative staff and religious education directors on Fr. March 11, 2005. Call 617-552-4038 or contact lynchv@bc.edu

• Some of the Spring lineup in this program: April 6, "Race and American Catholicism"; May 5, "The Loss of Effective Authority: A Crisis in Trust and Credibility"(sponsored by the Lonergan Workshop, call 617-552-8095); June 15-18, "The Roman Catholic Priesthood in the 21st Century." Call 617-552-0470 or go to www.bc.edu/church21

**** PRIEST + SURVIVOR + WHISTLE BLOWER = CANNED!!!
Thursday, February 17, 7:00-9:00 pm, Philbin Hall, St. John's School, Wellesley

VOTF West Suburban Affiliate General Meeting at St. John the Evangelist Church, Wellesley, MA looks forward to our guest speaker Father Robert M. Hoatson who will share his thoughts and experiences of today's Church as a former Irish Christian Brother and now a Catholic priest. He has testified before the NY State Legislature about the horrors of clergy sexual abuse. He is co-founder with Father Doyle of the Millstone Project - a national effort addressing accountability in the Catholic Church. Fr. Hoatson is himself a survivor of sexual abuse while a member of the Irish Christian Brothers.

All Are Welcome! For information contact Julie McConville at jfmcconville@comcast.net or call the VOTF office: 617-558-5252

VOTF WEST

VOTF East Bay, CA
Submitted by Peter Davey

VOTF East Bay, California, was born on February 10th, 2003, at St. Augustine's, Pleasanton. Two of our "Best Moments" remain the Priests' Panel held in June 2004 and Tom Doyle's presentation on Oct 13, 2004.

Other memorable moments come to mind. In June 2003, Sally Vance Trembath, theologian from University of San Francisco, conducted a workshop on documents of Vatican II. In March of 2004, VOTF Northern California, was part of a weekend gathering sponsored by University of San Francisco entitled " Imaging the Future Church." Jim Post was among the guest speakers along with Robert Blair Kaiser; M. Shawn Copeland; Fr. Donald Cozzens; Leonard Swidler; Sally Vance Trembath; and Mary Ann Hinsdale, IHM.

VOTF On the Road - Mark and Kathy Mullaney recalled the following when traveling "overseas and down under."

We remember when we were just north of Sydney, Australia in July of 2003 giving a VOTF presentation to some of the congregation in a church we visited. Kathy and I were asked about a comparison of the church abuse in USA and Australia. I mentioned that I was struck by the similarity of the response in both countries, almost as if it were being directed by the Vatican! Although I said it, it was no less a revelation to me than to these parishioners among whom there were a number of academics and theologians. All agreed. In VOTF, we often speak of ourselves as "Spirit-driven" - this moment in Australia was a powerful testament to that Presence.

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