Voice of the Faithful - In the Vineyard

[I hope others will send their own vignettes to pthorp.ed@votf.org for possible inclusion in an upcoming issue of In the Vineyard. Please note that any addresses/talks mentioned here will be, or are, on our web site and Resurrection Tapes has both audio and video tapes and CDs available at www.resurrectiontapes.com. Their e-mail is resurrection@usfamily.net]

I may forget this and that moment of our convocation weekend but some moments loom too large to be threatened by erosion.

The weekend was framed by prayer, song and S/spirit and reinforced the power of faith shared and celebrated. I don’t believe we can or will accomplish anything without the gift of this awareness. We need to need liturgy and, apparently, we do. Always, it seems to me, it’s our celebration of Eucharist that is the highlight of our gatherings.

On Friday, I sat in on the first meeting of our new National Representative Council and left with an abiding sense of promise for the work of reform. Frank Douglas (AZ) has submitted a report on the meeting, click here to read.

Saturday began on a high note with the keynote address from Francine Cardman – “Re-membering Church.” Many recalled that Francine, a professor at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Weston, MA, brought us to our feet in 2002 when she called on attendees at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA to “pay attention to how you listen.” Here we were again, back on our feet in Indianapolis, because we are listening while we “re-member.”

It was a tad alarming to me that so many attendees had never heard of some of the working groups but encouraging that our panelists’ recaps of three years of work inspired everyone present. Their exhibit hall tables were busy all weekend with inquiries and messages of thanks.
Jim Post’s talk was titled “VOTF at the Crossroads: Where Are We Going?” By all accounts, we are going to keep working and then some! Jim reminded us that we couldn’t have imagined in 2002 a VOTF crowd of over 500 people gathered in Indianapolis – “the capital city of our geographic crossroads” – to help us chart the next three years.
The accountability panel laid the groundwork for the afternoon breakout sessions by making the case for “accountability now”: Justice Anne Burke spoke frankly about the vigilance needed to ensure accountability among bishops; David Castaldi’s informative and compelling facts and figures were new to many – attendees felt better able to address the issue of financial accountability in their breakout sessions; and Paul Lakeland placed an engaged, active laity at the heart of a new day in the Church.
After eight packed and productive breakouts, it was time for Mass. Throughout the Mass, readers, singers, musicians, dancers, banner carriers, and additional ministers, displayed the heart of the keynote address that reminded us of our communal roots. Gaile Pohlhaus’ theological reflection, delivered just before the recessional, capped the place of our gifts as laity.

Then came a particular moment that embraced all of us with symbolic resonance – Fr. Munshower and Gaile Pohlhaus swaying on the altar to “We Are Called.” As the choir and congregation broke into the first verse with “Come! Live in the light!” Gaile and Fr. Munshower left the stage hand in hand down the aisle, all attendees on our feet and applauding. Here were the people of God, clergy and lay, walking together – and joyful in each other. It occurred to me later that this is not supposed to be a metaphor.

On Sunday morning Msgr. Lawrence Breslin looked frail as he moved from his wheelchair to the stage, and rose to mount the steps to the podium with cane in hand. But his thoughtful acceptance of the 2005 Priest of Integrity Award reminded all of us that our faith and its message are ageless. At a time in the Church when priests are accused or suspect, and when priests are leaving their ministry or incapacitated within it, here was a priest who spoke for the best of the priesthood both past and present. I have often considered this award as more of a pick-me-up for all faithful priests but the award is really about much more than that – the award allows the whole community, clergy and laity, to say with Donald Cozzens, “Ad sum.” In a way, we re-claim as we “re-member” the best of Christ’s promise for us and in us.

As I said at the conclusion of the all-volunteer Working Group panel on Saturday morning – “LOOK what they have done!!!”

Convocation Notes: The Laity Have Spoken