NATIONAL NEWS

• Update/press release on VOTF response to USCCB proposed Charter and Norms revisions; bishops' workbook/VOTF proposed revisions; correspondence with Abp. Harry Flynn. Read more.

• Indianapolis convention update: We are SO on our way!!!! Ann Carroll (MA) has been steering the convention research and committee assembly.

  • The convention committee speaks weekly via conference call and are now building the various committees needed to make this convention a new day for VOTF AND our Church. The Convention Committee tri-chairs are VOTF vice-president Kris Ward (OH), Ken Sauer (IN), and Bob Morris (MA). Members are:
    Bill Casey - Northern VA
    Sr. Betsy Conway - Boston, MA
    Ed Gleason - San Francisco, CA
    Mary Heins - Indianapolis, IN
    Evelyn Mercantini - Northern VA
    Bob Morris - Boston, MA (chair)
    Sheila Peiffer - Albany, NY
    Gaile Pohlhaus - Philadelphia, PA
    Ken Sauer - Indianapolis, IN (chair)
    Peggie Thorp - Boston, MA
    Kris Ward - Dayton, OH (chair)

  • Suzanne Morse in Communications and Rick White, VOTF interim Executive Director, as well as the entire National office will also be "in and out" of committee deliberations as their respective skills are needed.

  • Sheila Peiffer submits the following Convention Alert: VOTF Affiliates, working groups and committees are encouraged to participate in the 2005 VOTF Convention by sharing "best practices" or any effective strategies or programs used in their respective groups. These would make an excellent working session at the convention. Please submit proposals to "Program Committee" c/o Gaile Pohlhaus at Gaile.pohlhaus@villanova.edu by March 1st.

  • Volunteers to help out in any way with the convention planning are more than welcome! Just send an e-mail to one of the convention co-chairs: Bob Morris, rmorrisvotf@aol.com; Ken Sauer, kensauer@sbcglobal.net; Kris Ward, kristineward@hotmail.com). Please indicate in your e-mail the area(s) in which you would like to help.

• Parish Voice - Mary Pat Fox, Mary Ann Keyes and Suzy Nauman from the MA NY Hands MA NY Hearts leadership development team presented to a group from the Archdiocese of NY, as well as a few members from the dioceses of Brooklyn and Bridgeport, CT on Saturday, January 22nd at St. Ignatius of Loyola in NYC. The leadership training, with spiritual grounding at its core, focused on the selection of a problem and an issue for action. The impending blizzard added to the excitement of the day, and we are grateful to all of the participants who showed up. It was an excellent adventure for Suzy and Mary Ann who traveled by train back to Boston as the snows fell and the wind blew! The following week, on Saturday, January 29th, at St. John the Evangelist in Wellesley, the MA NY Hands team offered organizing and leadership training to those who had signed up at the New England conference in November. There were members from NH, ME, the diocese of Springfield, MA as well as many from the Boston area. Members of the VOTF office staff, heads of national working groups and Gaile Pohlhaus, our new national secretary, attended as well. The team consisted of Ben D'Aprile, Mary Pat Fox, Mary Ann Keyes, Donna Manganaro and Suzy Nauman. We are happy to report that the only winds blowing that day were those of the Spirit. We were pleased with the enthusiasm and participation in both trainings. Both groups left with a sense of purpose and tools in hand aimed at bringing new energy and focus to the affiliates.

• Media alert: John Allen's column "Word from Rome" in the 1/28/05 issue of National Catholic Reporter is worth reading on the subject of the Charter and Norms, particularly with regard to the impending expiration (after two years, as originally stated) of the Charter for the Protection of Children and the "mixed commission" of Vatican officials and American bishops meeting in Rome through Feb. 1 to discuss the Norms put in place by the USCCB to protect children - watch Allen's column for coverage of that meeting's outcome. Also:

  • Read "Parishioners defy archbishop" by Geri Dreiling in the current NCR - here's the story of entire parish voting against the transfer of money and property to the St. Louis archdiocese, in defiance of the Archbishop Raymond Burke. Click Here

  • Financial responsibility is also the focus of the annual survey of Catholic donor attitudes sponsored by (remember this - you will hear about this group again) FADICA* - Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities. Good coverage provided by NCR's Dennis Coday. Go to NCR. A copy of the Catholic Donor Attitude Survey is available here or you can download it by clicking here.

  • FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, Inc.) is a consortium of private charitable foundations and individual donors who share an interest in religious philanthropy. The organization was formed in 1976 and functions primarily as a learning and leadership forum for its members. FADICA enables its members to track trends and research of significance to faith-based philanthropy, to interact with religious leaders, to help solve problems, and to mentor the next generation of foundation trustees.

*****Bishopaccountability.org publishes a regular update - "The Monitor" - sent out by our one-and-only Paul Baier. It is a concise, well-written update. Check it out at bishopaccountability.org or write to staff@bishop-accountability.org or call 781-910-5467.

****The much beleaguered head of the controversial Legionaries of Christ Fr. Marcial Maciel is stepping down. John Allen, Jr. comments in www.ncronline.org (go to "The Word from Rome") in his 1/28/05 column on this subject and his 2/7/05 follow-up. The latter covers the potential impact of Maciel stepping down on the Vatican investigation of sex abuse charges against him. c

**** From VOTF Protecting Our Children - The Massachusetts Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Partnership is now accepting registrations for our March 2nd conference, "Taking Action to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse: Strategies for Your Community." To register on-line, please go to and distribute this information far and wide - we anticipate a great turnout and lots of dialogue. Questions and comments can be directed to alma@masskids.org. The deadline for registration is Feb. 18. Workshops titles:

The Enough Abuse Campaign: Organizing a Movement to End Child Sexual Abuse
Child Sexual Abuse: Prevention Strategies for Your Family & Community
Talking to Kids about Sexuality: Communication Strategies for Parents
The Prevention of Sexually Abusive Behaviors in Childhood & Adolescence
Sex Offender Management, Victim Advocacy & Prevention: Collaborations for Change
Preventing Child Sexual Abuse within Organizations
Deflecting Deception
Race, Prevention & Child Sexual Abuse
So Sexy, So Soon: The Sexualization of Childhood & What We Can Do About It
Speaking About the Unthinkable: The Use of Metaphor for Talking about Child Sexual Abuse
Using Poetry & Art to Explore Barriers to Prevention
When There Is No Evidence To Report: An Opportunity for Prevention

*****January 2005 National Representative Council highlights:

• VOTF V-P Kris Ward reported on the work of the VOTF national Task Force working on the Bishops' Charter Review. The deadline for comment on proposed Charter revision being 1/15, the Task Force submitted VOTF comments on 1/14 to Bishop Harry Flynn of the USCCB subcommittee on sexual abuse. [Subsequently, Bishop Flynn acknowledged receipt of VOTF edits and VOTF issued a press release on 1/31 LINK]

• Ron DuBois, Council Steering Committee rep. offered a brief explanation of the proposal being presented by the Representative Council Steering Committee for restructuring of the Council, asking that evaluation of the proposal be done in terms of the fundamental values of VOTF based on the vision of the Church as we want it to be, incorporating values of transparency and representation. The Steering Committee supports elected regional representatives with voting privileges.

• John Ryan, chair of the revitalized VOTF Governance Committee, in presenting the restructuring proposal of his committee, said he realizes the need to create an infrastructure relating to individual dioceses, to speak as one voice to its Bishop. While Ryan noted areas of convergence between the Steering and Governance committees, he said the consensus favored a flexible regional approach to representation, which might be addressed by a created implementation team. Ryan passed out the GC alternate proposal before the meeting. The Governance Committee supports voting privileges for the VOTF president and vice president.

• The question of allowing two officers to vote on the Representative Council was discussed on the Council listserve by Council membership and came to an electronic vote on Feb. 5. Additional discussion on the full Steering Committee recommendation is under way.

• Margaret Roylance presented a status report on the Structural Change Working Group. "We need to make a splash - create new initiatives," said Roylance. She mentioned study of new ministry models, the role of the faithful in pastoral selection, and rights of the faithful under Canon Law. She noted that structural change productions like the Church structure "Primer" have not been distributed to full effect yet. The second edition will be on the website in March, 2005.

  • Roylance suggested the need to increase visibility of Parish Safety Committee information and the Survey of Parish Councils in VOTF national. She said previous projects should be "rolled out." Roylance distributed a resolution to be presented at the next Council meeting in response to September's Holy See statement concerning collaborative governance.

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