EVENTS, ETC.

East - South - Central - West

****From the VOTF office: VOTF National office continues to fill orders for Keep the Faith, Change the Church. Don’t miss this story – it’s about all of us (that’s you, too). You can order your copy on line or call the office at 617-558-5252 and place an order. The cost is $24.95 for an unsigned copy and $50 for a signed copy. If you wish to order ten or more books to be mailed to the same address, we are offering a special price of $19.95 per book. Rose Walsh is handling the sale of this book and can be contacted at the Newton office by phone (above) or online at rwalsh@votf.org.

**** Convention Planners Needed! We are seeking volunteers to serve on a VOTF Convention Planning Committee. In Phase 1, members will formulate a recommendation for the date and site of VOTF's 2005 International Convention. We are seeking representatives from across the US. (and internationally) to serve on this committee.

Beginning in June, committee members will "meet" via conference call approximately twice per month (likely the second and fourth Tuesday or Wednesday of each month). Between calls, committee members will conduct independent research and complete other assigned tasks. Travel to potential convention sites is not anticipated. The anticipated workload is two-three hours per week, for two-three months.

While not required, it is desirable that committee members continue their involvement in convention planning after the work of the exploratory phase is completed. Above average knowledge of VOTF and membership in a Parish Voice affiliate are also desired, but not required.

This will be an exciting endeavor! If you are interested in serving on this committee please contact Ann Carroll (VOTF Treasurer) at anncarrollvotf@yahoo.com

**** Mary Ann Keyes encourages a look at “The Catholic church loses a visionary” a National Catholic Reporter editorial on the death of Bishop Untener of Michigan. It appeared in the April 9, 2004 edition. Go to www.natcath.org. While you’re there, be sure to read John Allen’s “Word from Rome” columns, especially those of 4/23 and 4/30.

EAST REGION

**** Suzanne Morse, VOTF Communications Manager reports: On Monday, April 26, 2004, members of Voice of the Faithful met with Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin to discuss the parish closings in the archdiocese of Boston. Secretary Galvin provided Executive Director Steve Krueger, VOTF-Boston Steering Committee Chair John Hynes, and Communications Manager Suzanne Morse insight and information into the archdiocese’s history with civic authorities. Importantly, he asked essential questions about financial transparency and the future of the archdiocese. Secretary Galvin was forthcoming, honest, open, and helpful, and Voice of the Faithful-Boston looks forward to working with him in the future.[Keep an eye on the VOTF Web site for ongoing coverage of VOTF on the Hill]

**** On May 13, (TONIGHT!!!!) Seacoast VOTF will host VOTF president Jim Post at Sacred Heart Church (lower hall) of Holy Family Parish, Amesbury, MA, on "Being Catholic in a Time of Crisis" from 7-8:30 pm. Please check the VOTF website for additional details. On June 3, Jim will speak on "What Is the Future of the Catholic Church?" at the Wellesley Free Library, 7:30 pm, hosted by St. Paul Wellesley Parish Voice.

****VOTF MEMBERS, Parishioners! All five regions of RCAB are invited to participate in a discussion "Reclaiming and Rebuilding Our Parishes" on Tuesday, May 18 from 7:30-8:30pm at St. John the Evangelist, Philbin Hall (school) Wellesley, MA. For more information on topics or to share any ideas, questions, etc., email Julie and Frank McConville at jfmcconville@comcast.net.

**** On May 22, tri-state VOTF (NY, NJ and CT) hosts a call "A Call to the Bishops: Preserve the National Review Board and Build Trust in the Church" with speakers Illinois Justice Anne Burke, the interim chair of the USCCB National Review Board; Rev. Joseph A. O'Hare, S.J., President emeritus, Fordham University and Associate editor, America magazine; and New York attorney Pamela D. Hayes, member of the National Review Board. This Forum for Education and Action on Recommendations from the Lay National Review Board; Changing Institutional Culture in the Church; Questions and Reflections; and Addressing the Bishops will take place on Saturday, May 22, 2004 1-4 pm in the auditorium of St. Paul the Apostle Church, Ninth Avenue at W. 60th St., New York City, NY. Your voluntary contribution of $20, or whatever you can offer, will be gratefully accepted at the door. Coffee/tea included. If you need to know why you shouldn't miss this VOTF Tri-State Forum read the Peoria, Il report in Affiliate News and then check out the Tri-State Forum press release on our web site at www.votf.org.

**** Sunday, May 23 - Our Catholic Community in Boston has been fractured once again. This time, it's the archdiocesan parish closing process. The Voice of the Faithful - Boston Council invites all Catholics to a vigil at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday, May 23, 2004 at 12 noon. Contact Mike Gustin at WestfordChelmsfordVOTF@yahoo.com.

**** The VOTF Affiliate at the Paulist Center continues its series of video presentations and discussion on Vatican II using the video "The Faithful Revolution," produced by Thomas More Resources for Christian Living. These gatherings are held in the 3rd floor Library of the Paulist Center, 5 Park St., Boston, Mass. at 7 pm. The two remaining sessions are May 25 and June 15. All are welcome. The full series content follows:

• Part 1: Genius of the Heart - April 27th Bringing us back to those heady days when Pope John XXIII called the second Vatican Council and the first session of the Council
• Part 2: Human Dignity - May 11th Recalling the role of Pope Paul VI in continuing the Council after the death of John XXIII, it places emphasis on religious freedom, the Church in Latin American and Africa and inter-religious dialog
• Part 3: A World Transformed - May 25th Centering on the emerging role of the laity and the dramatic changes in the world taking place in the latter half of the 1960s
• Part 4: The Dynamics of Hope - June 15th Addresses the implementation of Vatican II with special emphasis on social justice, collegiality and dialog within the Church

Discussion Leader: Ron DuBois, MTh, PhD, Paulist Center Community Member. Handouts with relevant quotations from Vatican II documents will be provided. Optional background reading: Vatican Council II, edited by Austin P. Flannery; Vatican Council II, by Xavier Rynne (pen name for Fr. Francis Xavier Murphy) - an informative journalistic account that appeared in the New Yorker magazine while the Council was in session.

****On Saturday, June 5, 2004. SNAP and NJ Voice of the Faithful will present "Psychological Impact of Clergy Sexual Abuse: Healing Body, Mind and Spirit." This is an educational program designed for survivors of abuse, their family members, legal and health care professionals, clergy members, church employees and volunteers, and concerned members of the community. The program will be held at Overlook Hospital, Summit, NJ, from 9 am to 12 noon. Registration begins at 8:30 am. The cost is $10 per person and advance registration is suggested. However, tickets may be purchased at the door - no one will be turned away. Go to www.votfnj.org or email the NJ affiliate at info@votfnj.org.

**** June 9-27 "Sin: A Cardinal Deposed" coming to the Regent Theatre, Arlington, MA. See details and ticket information at www.acardinaldeposed.com.

****VOTF will be at the sixth annual Common Ground Initiative lecture, to be delivered on June 25, 2004 by National Catholic Reporter's Rome correspondent and CNN Vatican analyst John Allen speaking on "Common Ground in a Global Key: International Lessons in Catholic Dialogue." The respondent will be Mary Ann Glendon, professor of law at Harvard Law School. Glendon was recently appointed by the Pope to head the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The lecture will be delivered on Friday, June 25th at 8:00 pm at Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. The Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Award will be presented to theologian and author Dolores Leckey. The lecture is free and open to the public. Read more at www.nplc.org.

****Update on Boston College Initiative "Church in the 21st Century" If you've been unable to get to these lectures and workshops, you can access many papers, reading lists and panel discussion summaries on the Boston College website at www.bc.edu/Church21. Also, the free periodical Resources is available for the asking at the same Web address. Resources reprints articles and presentations on the current crisis in the Catholic Church and the path to renewal.

The Church in the 21st Century-Beyond June 2004 When the Church in the 21st Century Initiative was announced in May 2002, it was intended to be a two-year project ending in June 2004. The C21 Advisory Committee has recommended that the project be continued beyond that date. A Fall 2004 event is being planned that will announce how the Church in the 21st Century Initiative will continued with a view to becoming a permanent part of Boston College's service to the Church. In addition, a conference on handing on the faith and a conference on the priesthood have been scheduled for the 2004-05 academic year.

CENTRAL REGION

**** Chicago, Il Bishop John Gorman will preside and present the homily at Saints Faith, Hope and Charity Church, Winnetka, 11:30 Mass, Sunday, May 16. Please join us in this Eucharistic Mass of Healing and Renewal to pray for the survivors of clergy sexual abuse and all those affected by sexual abuse. After Mass, attendees are welcome to hear remarks by Justice Anne Burke interim chair of the National Review Board. This reception is hosted by Voice of the Faithful. For more information, please call 847-446-7646.

WEST REGION

****May 14 at Santa Clara University - Conference, Santa Clara, CA, on "Sin against the innocents: Sexual abuse by priests and the role of the Catholic Church" will focus on lessons learned from the sex abuse crisis in the Church. The day-long conference will also launch a multi-discipline book by the same name. Parish Voice chair Mary Ann Keyes plans to meet other California VOTF members at the conference. Mary Ann is visiting the west coast to celebrate a grandchild's baptism. For more information on the Santa Clara conference go to www.scu.edu and also watch the June Vineyard for a hoped-for recap.

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