In the Vineyard
November 3, 2005
Volume 4, Issue 15

"Hope has two lovely daughters: anger and courage. Anger at what's wrong; courage to set it right." St. Augustine’s adage as quoted by Richard Taylor in this issue’s Book Review

This issue of In the Vineyard begins our fourth year of e-gathering and using our voices on behalf of our Church. Our Vineyard archives hold 1000 pages of your words and your work; published monthly since October 2002, this newsletter is now a bi-monthly. Thank you for keeping up this vital conversation! We look forward with ever-increasing hope to continuing what we started in 2002.

VOTF at Work in the World

Ireland’s Ferns Inquiry report stuns many – An eerie uniformity prevails in the recently released text of the first Irish government inquiry into clergy sexual abuse of children. Remove the place names surrounding events in the Diocese of Ferns and one could be reading about any American Catholic scenario of sexual abuse by clergy and corrective efforts that fall well short of genuine concern for children.

  • The VOTF web site has links to the Executive Summary, as well as the full report; also on the VOTF web site, VOTF Ireland coordinator Sean O’Conaill explains the history of Ireland’s Stewardship Trust. “Although it was set up in 1996, most Catholics were unaware of the Stewardship Trust fund until 2003. In Feb 2003 the Irish Times reported that most Catholic dioceses in Ireland had taken out insurance in 1987 against liability for clerical child sexual abuse, and that the Stewardship Trust fund had emerged out of the collapse of that insurance cover in 1996.”

Making the case for vigilance: An astounding chronology of events about a Worcester, MA priest is finally publicized. Thanks are due VOTF Worcester’s Daniel Dick, who has been doggedly pursuing the story of a Worcester diocese priest apprehended for alleged lewd conduct while in Las Vegas a year ago. All relevant data have finally made it to the public eye – and Bishop McManus. See Vigilance at Work

  • SNAP is pulling out all the stops in Ohio as Senate Bill 17 approaches a hearing on November 10. Their work is a model for affiliates everywhere. See Vigilance At Work

Score 1 for Chicago Archdiocese – NRC rep from Region 13 Frank Douglas points to the Archdiocese of Chicago for a positive step toward financial accountability. The Archdiocese has established a financial misconduct hotline administered by a third party. For details, go to Archdiocese web site.

Witness in Washington – Both the USCCB and VOTF National will be present in and around Washington, DC this month. The VOTF National Representative Council (do you know who your representative is? Click here.) will be holding their second meeting (after hundreds of e-hours since their last meeting in July); and VOTF’s executive director Ray Joyce and interim communications manager John Moynihan will be available alongside VOTF regional representatives, SNAP and others for witness at the USCCB annual Fall meeting Nov. 14-17. See what to expect under VOTF Witness in Washington, DC.

  • Bishops to consider lay ecclesial roles (that’s most of VOTF, according to the recently released VOTF Study) during November meeting. Read more.
  • For an overview of the meeting’s agenda, click here.

The October 23 presentation by the Boston College Church in the 21st Century Center, “Voice of the Faithful: Findings from a Study of a Social Movement within the Catholic Church,” drew 400 attendees to a four-hour symposium with three pairs of academic analysts from four colleges and universities, as well as the research team of Drs. D’Antonio and Pogorelc.

VOTF president Jim Post comments on the significance of the report. (The Study summary will be posted shortly on our web site at www.votf.org.) Let us know what you think at pthorp.ed@votf.org)

VOTF national officer elections to be held in late winter. See Report from VOTF Board of Trustees.

VOTF continues to “go out from here,” as Christ asked of His followers.

  • Update from Ohio on Senate Bill 17 in Affiliate Updates; also, SNAP is promoting a November 9 event sponsored by the Ohio Coalition on Sexual Assault, SNAP and VOTF in support of SB 17 (see Vigilance at Work). Meanwhile, all six area dioceses are lobbying against its passage.
  • A public forum was organized in Philadelphia to address concerns and actions around a grand jury’s scathing conclusions about the Philadelphia archdiocese’s handling of sexual abusers – go to www.votfgp.org for coverage. In addition: The Philladelphia Daily News (subscription required) and The PhillyBurbs.com offer additional coverage.
  • In the 10/28 issue of NCR, Maureen Paul Turlish, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and a member of Voice of the Faithful, wrote of the crisis of confidence in the Philadelphia archdiocese. Also, read, “Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham has responded to attacks on her credibility by calling on the Philadelphia archdiocese to release 45,000 pages of secret church records that document sexual abuse of hundreds of children”
  • Boston parishioners continue to develop and act on steps to address the forced resignation of their pastor – go to Ourladysfriends.org; Abp. O’Malley promises transparency and full disclosure of diocesan finances; Remember the RCAB Parish Reconfiguration Oversight Fund? VOTF Board of Trustees Chair David Castaldi, appointed by Archbishop O’Malley to direct this effort, provides an update. See RCAB News
  • Whose church is this, anyway? The “jury is out” in Oregon. Read more.
  • Archdiocese of Hartford, CT will pay $22 million in abuse case settlement. Click here.

Los Angeles: From a National Catholic Reporter (NCR) editorial: “With the release Oct. 12 of a 155-page report describing decades of sexual abuse by clergy in the Los Angeles archdiocese, there now exists compelling and preponderant evidence that at least three living cardinals of the Catholic church in the United States have been complicit in what any reasonable observer would term criminal activity.”

Survivor Support: Get a jump start on your Christmas Cards AND support survivors. VOTF Winchester Area is back with VOTF Christmas cards, designed by their own members. All proceeds benefit abuse survivors. You can view the cards, and print out an order form by visiting their web site. For more information, contact Bob Morris at rmorrisvotf@aol.com.

  • Prolific author of books and articles, the one-time Roman Catholic priest A. W. Richard Sipe has important reading for survivors, their families and friends, and all who support the survivor community. Read “UNSPEAKABLE DAMAGE, The Effects of Clergy Sexual Abuse” at www.richardsipe.com.

BOOK Watch:
Interview with VOTF Phila. member Richard Taylor, author of a forthcoming book Love in Action. Dick’s book is available in manuscript form for $10 sent with your mailing address to Richard Taylor, 609 East Allens La., Phila., PA 19119. Dick is distributing his text in this way to get feedback prior to seeking a publisher in 2006.

Review of The Priesthood of the Faithful – Key to a Living Church by Fr. Paul J. Philibert. If there is such a thing as a “feel good” book at this time of crisis in our Church, Fr. Philibert has written it.

Site-Seeing – This sentence jumped off the page when visiting a new find by VOTF member Sr. Betsy Conway – “Staying with powerlessness in the face of societal or ecclesial impasse is not an easy task. Our Western minds want to move toward fixing it; getting the strategy right; bringing closure to the problem as quickly as possible. But engaging impasse invites us to stay with it.” Engaging impasse? Click here.

Letters to the Editor: We could fill at least a dozen pages with letters of support, prayer and gratitude from correspondents on the priests’ messages published in the last issue of In the Vineyard. We include only a few with thanks to all. Please send your comments and/or inquiries to pthorp.ed@votf.org.

QUOTE for our time: “The faith is strong in the ranks of the priests and parishioners in our Church; a serious problem continues in its upper echelons.” Msgr. Harry J. Byrne, Bronx, NY, commenting in a letter to the editor following the release of Los Angeles documents on clergy sexual abuse in that diocese.

NEXT issue of In the Vineyard: November 17.

REPORT from VOTF Board of Trustees – Next VOTF officer elections

VOTF’s election of national officers will be held in late winter. The Board of Trustees has announced that the election of national officers (president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary) will take place in February 2006. The Board approved moving the election from the end of the year to February because of the high level of activity in the national office at the end of the year. The Board also believes that the organization will benefit from increasing the term of office for officers from one year to two years.

Two committees have been formed to implement the election process. The Nominations committee will receive and review all nominations. The Elections Committee will oversee voting procedures and the accuracy of results. The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Elia Marnik (MA), who served on last year’s Nominations Committee, has agreed to chair the new Nominations Committee. The Board is pleased to announce that Bill Casey (VA) has agreed to chair the Elections Committee.

Nominations for the national officer positions will be open from November 15 until December 15, 2005. More information about how and to whom nominations should be submitted will be forthcoming from the Nominations Committee, as well as information about the nominations process, including job descriptions and key dates. These will be posted on our website at www.votf.org

Candidates will be interviewed by the nominations committee and the election slate finalized by January 15, 2006. Voting will take place on yet-to-be-specified dates in February 2006. The Board has accepted the recommendation that all voting be conducted on-line. Provisions will be made by the elections committee to ensure appropriate voting procedures.

Vigilance at Work

VOTF member Dan Dick has been pursuing the facts of this story for months, even providing the Vineyard with a copy of the Worcester diocese Code of Conduct and following up with Church and civil authorities until the “lights went on.” Here is another astounding chronology of events about a Worcester, MA priest apprehended for alleged lewd conduct while in Las Vegas a year ago. All relevant data have finally made it to the public eye – and Bishop McManus. Once again, the most stunning detail of this episode is the bishop’s handling of information he had last winter. Go to Worcestervoice.com (this is not a VOTF site). Kathleen Shaw has been covering the story for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette at www.telegram.com (subscription required). The Boston Globe .

In Ohio, SNAP’s model for grassroots organizing is an inspiration. A letter was distributed recently literally inviting one and all, excerpted below.

NOVEMBER 9, 2005 EVENT – 3 Important Events (with a pizza supper in the middle)

Time: 2:00 – 4:00 Victims Speak Out (explanation below); 4:00 – 5:00 Go to House of Representatives Members Offices and drop off flyers; 6:30 – 7:30 Candle Light Vigil

FYI: In between events we will meet over Pizza (everyone buys their own drinks – canteen machines, we’ll provide the pizza & salad). Anyone else want to bring brownies or cookies?

Why: The Senate Bill that helps keep kids safe in Ohio and helps victims heal (Senate Bill 17) passed unanimously in the Senate in March. Since then the bill has been stalled in the House of Representatives. The bottom line is that we have been unable to get the chance to bring victim testimony to the House of Representatives.

On Nov 10 the House Judiciary Committee will hear testimony on Senate Bill 17 but they refuse to hear from victims on that day. They claim they will only hear testimony regarding the Constitutionality of the Bill. We know that unless the legislators hear voices and experiences of the victims they won’t vote for the Bill.

Since they won’t allow us to speak to the Committee at their hearings we plan to hold our own hearings. We will invite all the Representatives and Senators and their staffs to come to hear the victims. We’re also inviting all the press so we can publicize that the Representatives aren’t taking victims’ testimony.

The event will be sponsored by the Ohio Coalition On Sexual Assault, SNAP, and VOTF. Any one who has been sexually assaulted or cares about victims will be permitted to speak at the event: this includes survivors, victims, family members, friends, supporters, educators, therapists, doctors, nurses, social workers, etc.

It is extremely possible that at the hearing on Thu Nov 10, the legislators could decide amongst themselves to amend the Bill to make it “constitutional” and take out the only part of the bill that will help victims and kids (the window). But it will be extremely difficult for them to do that if we are successful in getting loads of folks in Columbus and getting some of the victims’ stories on the news the evening before and in the paper the morning of the hearing.

Please consider calling every legislator starting with Speaker Jon Husted and letting them know we need their support on SB17.

(If you are able to stay over in Columbus until Nov 10 please plan to do so. We will silently sit in the chambers while the Judiciary Committee listens to the testimony on SB 17. Hearing will take place at 9:00 or 9:30 in the a.m. and probably – no guarantees here – be over before noon. (Professor Marci Hamilton will be providing testimony for SNAP.) Please keep in mind though that it is far more important for you to be there on Nov 9 than to attend this hearing. If you can only come one day, please make it on Nov 9.)

We are holding the “Victims Speak Out” at 2:00 p.m. in the hopes that some of you who have less than 2 hours to drive will be able to take just the afternoon off from your jobs and still get to Columbus in time. But if you can’t take off from work, please come when you get off. The Candlelight Vigil will end by 7:45 p.m. so that everyone who needs to drive home that evening can do so and still get home before 10 or 11 p.m.

We’ll send more details soon.

Christy Miller, SNAP Cincinnati Co-Leader, 513 383 2198
Claudia Vercellotti, SNAP Toledo Leader, 419 810 5375 day of event call 419 350-9234
Susan, SNAP Cleveland Leader, 216 210 1243
Barbara Blaine, SNAP President, 312 399 4747
David Clohessy, SNAP National Director, 314 566 9790

Interview with Richard Taylor

There is a growing perception that fear has taken hold among laity and that Catholics are, generally speaking, fearful of repercussions – either spiritual or practical – and therefore are reluctant to seek reform in a pro-active manner. Do you think Catholics suffer more from fear or uncertainty/ignorance about their role in the governance and guidance of the Church?

In the past, when it came to speaking up in a way that challenged the Church, fear certainly was the predominant emotion. People feared repercussions, for themselves and their parishes. What I’m hearing more now, however, is not fear, but anger, outrage and grief. Because the bishops have been so complicit in covering up the abuse, they have lost a lot of the credibility they had formerly. People’s anger and their abhorrence of what so many bishops did is pushing them to be willing to speak and act in ways they wouldn’t have in the past. They’re starting to live out St. Augustine’s adage, “Hope has two lovely daughters: anger and courage. Anger at what’s wrong; courage to set it right.”

I spoke to an 82-year-old, lifelong Catholic just recently. She was so totally upset about what’s happened in the Church. She faulted the bishops’ cover up even more than the abuse itself. When I told her that local VOTF was going to have a procession and prayer vigil in front of Cardinal Rigali’s mansion on Nov. 5, she said, “I’d love to be there, but at 82 I’m not sure I could walk very far.” I said, “It’ll be about a half mile.” She said, “Oh, I can make that. I hope I can be there.”

This is one reason that I have so much faith in gospel nonviolence. It channels anger into constructive action. It gives people a way to be courageous without have to strike out in hostility or violence.

Recent releases of scathing documents and/or summaries in Los Angeles and Philadelphia underscore the day to day reality of abuse and its management by Church leadership. In a faith grounded in love, forgiveness and justice, how can Catholics best honor all three? How can Church leadership best honor all three?

“Scathing” certainly is the right word. So long as people were hearing that 5% or so of priests did the abuse, they could think, “That’s terrible, but the bishops can fix it.” But when they learned from the Grand Jury report that the bishops honored and promoted and moved around priests with known records of sex abuse, they saw that the bishops were as much the problem as the priests. As someone said, “They didn’t rob the bank, but they drove the imperil car.”

In light of these revelations, people ask themselves, “Should I just leave the Church?” (Several of my good friends have done just that.) “Can I do anything but complain and bear it?” What I love about gospel nonviolence is that it gives a third way – the options are not just “submit or leave.” The third is “resist.” Nonviolent action give a way of resisting that honors the values you mentioned – love, forgiveness and justice.

I had the honor and privilege of being one of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s field staff in the late 1960’s. I attended retreats and planning meetings with him and joined him in actions. It gave me a first-hand look at the power of nonviolence to overcome entrenched, centuries-long, carefully-rationalized structures of segregation and white supremacy. It was out of that and other experiences with nonviolent direct action that I wrote my book, “Love in Action: A Direct Action Handbook for Catholics Using Gospel Nonviolence to Reform and Renew the Church.” (For a copy, send $10 to Richard Taylor, 609 E. Allens La., Phila., PA 19119.) It describes the philosophy and theology of gospel nonviolence, outlines a 12-step process for building an effective nonviolent campaign, and gives 82 different methods of nonviolent action that are applicable to Church reform and renewal. It also gives nearly 200 illustrations of how the methods have been used by ordinary people (not just Gandhi and Dr. King) in the past, plus 40-some suggestions for how these methods can be used by us today.

How can Church leaders honor love, forgiveness and justice? By admitting that they’ve allowed terrible things to happen and by inviting the laity to have a real voice in Church decision-making. They can’t make it without us. If we – moms and dads, aunts and uncles – had been at the table of decision-making in the 1980’s, when Fr. Tom Doyle warned the bishops about the time bomb of widespread sexual abuse, you can bet that we would not have swept it under the table. We would have dealt with it immediately and forcefully. These are our children!

The bishops need us. As NCR’s Tom Roberts said, it’s as though the bishops are sinking in quicksand, and the laity are standing around with ropes, offering to pull them out, and they’re saying, “Oh, no, we can handle this ourselves.”

When dialogue fails on the parish and/or diocesan level, what is the laity to do in a pro-active way without alienating other Catholics who prefer silence, prayer and hope as a path to reform?

I hope and trust that my book, Love in Action, will provide a bunch of ideas for pro-active efforts. Also, people who are open to the Holy Spirit’s guidance are endlessly creative. I’m sure they’ll be led to many new approaches not mentioned in my book. VOTF around the country has already started using these methods to great effect – the Rockford, IL meeting in banned space, the parish occupations in Boston, etc.

With regard to alienating other Catholics, we have to face the reality that no strong social movement has ever developed without alienating some people. If you read about the early Montgomery Bus Boycott, you’ll see all the opposition Dr. King faced from other ministers and civil rights leaders who thought his methods were too radical. We just have to stay in loving dialogue with those who initially are alienated, explaining what we’re doing and why, showing that we really love the Church and affirm the faith.

Discernment is a longstanding practice in Christianity. Would discernment be a good tool for introducing thoughtful conversation around any or all of the above – both for those fully committed to active engagement in Church reform and those not ready to do so?

In my book, “Love in Action,” I draw heavily (implicitly and explicitly) on the concept of discernment, e.g., as a way to decide whether or not one is ready to join direct action, as a way to choose the most appropriate actions, etc.

What in your Quaker foundation, if anything, do you bring to your book, to your understanding and care for the Catholic Church?

Quakerism has a rich heritage of social concern and active nonviolence. I first “cut my teeth” in nonviolent Quaker demonstrations way back in the ‘50’s. I’ve been delighted by how warmly Catholics have welcomed the gifts and experience I received as a Quaker.

Book Review

The Priesthood of the Faithful – Key to a Living Church by Fr. Paul J. Philibert. Liturgical Press, 2005.

In the ongoing struggle among many Catholics to sort through the complexities of the past nearly four years of crisis and crimes in our Church, it is with great relief that someone is reminding us of something other than our rights and responsibilities – the very heart of our faith is precisely why we struggle and precisely why we are so able to do so. Faith, we see in this short book, is knowing, not just hoping, that everything will be all right.

Fr. Paul Philibert begins The Priesthood of the Faithful with the understanding that Christ is acting on the baptized through the Holy Spirit at all times. “Because the role of the Holy Spirit pervades the sacramental life of the Church, it is useful to think of the church in terms of an ecology of epiclesis.” He notes that the word ecology refers to an interdependence of living and nonliving in the natural environment. Epiclesis reflects a similar complex interrelationship between the human and divine. We are asked to look at a “graced sacramental action” according to three stages: symbolic matter (such as the liturgy in our sacramental lives); a graced sign (the presence of the invoked Spirit into life-giving water); and a realized mystery (one body, one Spirit in Christ effected in Eucharist). Philibert moves from here into a brief look at the “how” of our good works in our daily lives concluding that it is the Spirit’s anointing that makes each of us a graced sign. This anointing is what brings all the faithful into the “only priesthood that there is – the priesthood of Jesus Christ.”

It is Philibert’s discussion of the rediscovery of baptismal priesthood that brings the most comfort to those of us who carry the dis-ease of the past few years into our churches and out again and to those who are unable to embrace the routine of regular attendance at Mass because we just don’t feel “at home” any more. “The Mass does not belong to the ordained” is one of the most beautiful sentences to be found in this book but it doesn’t come from Philibert alone. It grew out of the work of theologian Yves Congar and others and their impact on the Vatican II document “The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.”

Congar’s touching disappointment in the opening liturgy of Vatican II speaks volumes and, in fact, this opening of the Council will strike many as antiquated, even foreign, for the enormous distance that was so fixed between the clergy and the congregation. The event comes across as a performance by the ordained, the “elect,” and all others are observers – invited to passivity. In fact, the German liturgist Jungmann noted, “A High Mass without distribution of communion…. Perhaps the idea was to make clear [what we have to leave behind] in matters liturgical!”

‘The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” changed all of this and was the first document of Vatican II to be published. It established the principle that “in every Christian liturgy, the primary celebrant is Christ Himself.” The decades-long move toward an inclusive liturgical expression of the solidarity of Christ with His Church succeeded and, arguably, underscores the energy behind today’s reform efforts. These efforts attempt to reconcile the artificial distance between the priesthood of the ordained and what Philibert calls the “priesthood in the ordinary.”

There is much here for every Christian reader (and not enough space to cover it all!) – for those who feel somewhat battered during this time of horrific revelations and for the masses of Catholic laity, so often presumed incapable of understanding what the ordained among us have been thinking, reading and writing. Philibert provides both a bridge across what divides us one from the other and a companion for the journey.

Just before The Priesthood of the Faithful concludes with “An Open Letter to Religious,” Philibert gifts us with this reflection:

A flourishing laity are first of all people who know that they are loved and who feel important in the life of the church. We find in 1 Peter an appeal to the newly initiated to appreciate their value in the life of the church. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

A marvelous light, indeed!

PLT

If you read this book on your own or for a book club, please send comments to pthorp.ed@votf.org.

Paul J. Philibert, O.P., S.T.D., is professor of pastoral theology at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland and was the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Church and Society at the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. His published works include Stewards of God’s Mysteries: Priestly Spirituality in a Changing Church (Liturgical Press, 2004).

AFFILIATE Updates

This is a progress report from VOTF Cleveland, OH on Senate Bill 17, which would “…require clergy to report known or reasonably suspected abuse or neglect of a child by any other member of the clergy.”(VOTF Cleveland, OH web site – www.votf.cleveland.org) This is the bill that was passed by the Ohio State Senate in March 2005 and was then sent to the House. The bill’s author is Senator Robert Spada. The following update comes from VOTF’s Tom Byrne.

Parental groups and one teaching association are endorsing SB-17. The House Judiciary Committee is chaired by John R. Williamowski of Lima, OH (Toledo diocese). Because of an economic downturn the Republican-controlled legislature said they wanted to focus on business items and let “social” concerns wait until after election day on Nov. 8. Yet Williamowski has scheduled a hearing for Nov. 10 for “constitutionality” issues on this. Both SNAP and VOTF are very concerned this might be a method to let the bill “die-in-committee.” The State Senator who has worked on this for 3+ yrs is Bob Spada, who has joined VOTF and was in Indianapolis in July. Law enforcement groups are now endorsing passage, notably the Buckeye State Sheriffs Association. We would like to get all VOTF members in the state to write to Williamowski. VOTF National has given us direction as to how to accomplish this via e-mail. Disgraceful but true – all six Ohio dioceses are actively lobbying against this.


RCAB News – from a report to the Pilot, the Boston archdiocese newspaper.
The following is provided by David Castaldi

To All Members Of The Boston Archdiocese,

On August 11, 2005, Boston newspapers reported that the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy has taken the position that the Archdiocese erred in claiming the assets of suppressed parishes. The Rev. Mark O’Connell, an Archdiocesan Canon Lawyer, is familiar with the suppression decrees and the discussions between Archbishop Seán O’Malley and Vatican officials. Fr. O’Connell and the Archbishop are meeting with pastors and finance councils of the affected parishes.

Fr. O’Connell recently provided an overview of the issues concerning the suppression decrees to The Parish Reconfiguration Fund Oversight Committee (PRFOC). Key points of discussion are summarized below:

  1. The Congregation for the Clergy has not yet issued a ruling. A draft of a possible ruling has been circulated between Vatican and Archdiocesan officials.
  2. Future rulings are expected to uphold Archbishop O’Malley’s suppression of closed parishes and the procedure he used for the suppressions.
  3. The Congregation for the Clergy has reviewed the facts of the cases sent to them in Rome. In response to cases of territorial parishes, in which the decree of suppression designates the territory of the suppressed parish to go to another parish, they have determined that there is an issue in the way the decrees are drafted. Although the suppression could be upheld, the assets from these parishes would go to the receiving parishes, rather than the Archdiocese of Boston.
  4. The Congregation for the Clergy recognizes the original intent of the decrees and offered Archbishop O’Malley a suggestion to bring about the intended results. The Archbishop is meeting with the pastors and their finance councils personally and through Fr. O’Connell, to request they designate their suppressed parish assets be sent to the Archdiocese. The Archbishop asserts that he has been clear since the beginning that suppressed assets will be sent to the Archdiocese “to be redistributed for the greater mission of the Archdiocese.”
  5. The Archbishop committed to the pastors that he will fund any expenses directly related to the receiving of new parishioners.
  6. The Parish Reconfiguration Fund Committee does not know if the Congregation of the Clergy will accept a late appeal from parishes that did not appeal their closure. The Congregation of the Clergy has wide discretion as to whether it will continue to accept the late appeals of concerned parishes.
  7. Ethnic parishes are not included in the ongoing discussions because the Congregation for the Clergy has indicated these decrees are properly executed.
  8. The Archdiocese is modifying all new and existing decrees dating from May 2005, to rectify the issue.

The Parish Reconfiguration Fund Oversight Committee does not have any information that would suggest that the Congregation for the Clergy will overturn any closure decision. Discussions continue between the Archdiocese and the affected pastors to resolve the matter concerning the assets.

Respectfully submitted,

The Parish Reconfiguration Fund Oversight Committee:
David L. Castaldi, Chair, Central Region
Maureen Corcoran, Central Region
Joseph F. Finn, Jr., Archdiocesan Finance Council, West Region
Nan-Marie Jaeger, South Region
Norman Sabbey, West Region
Kathleen Rabe, North Region
Timothy J. Schiavoni, Merrimack Valley Region

The Parish Reconfiguration Fund Oversight Committee (PRFOC) is composed of independent, volunteer Catholics charged with the responsibility of providing oversight and advice on the financial aspects of parish reconfiguration.

VOTF Witness in Washington, DC – USCCB meeting Nov. 14-17

VOTF PLANS FOR USCCB MEETING - November 2005

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) will be meeting in Washington DC in mid-November and VOTF will be there. Although the bishops do not have any official business related to the sexual abuse crisis, it is expected that updates will be provided by the National Review Board and the Administrative Committee, which is overseeing Vatican approval of the Revised Charter. Voice of the Faithful will hold a press conference on Monday morning, November 14, to apprise media representatives of important developments.

Voice of the Faithful has important business to conduct in Washington as well. The National Representative Council will be meeting in nearby Arlington,VA on November 12-13. The agenda for this second meeting of the new national Council (the first was in Indianapolis in July) includes discussion of national campaign strategies based on the Convocation recommendations, a variety of administrative issues, and action proposals from the regional representatives (e.g., investigation of the financial integrity of priests' retirement funds).

On Sunday, November 13th, metro-DC Voice of the Faithful affiliates will also be "witnessing for justice" by showing "Twist of Faith," a powerful documentary about the impact of sexual abuse on one survivor and his family.

John Moynihan will be providing a daily update from Washington, DC on these events. Watch the web site at www.votf.org for “Witness in Washington, DC.”

Message from VOTF president Jim Post

WHO WE ARE: RESULTS OF A STUDY OF VOTF AS A SOCIAL MOVEMENT IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

On Sunday, October 23d, Catholic University of America researchers William D'Antonio and Anthony Pogorelc presented the results of a two-year study of VOTF members as part of their continuing research on VOTF as a social movement in the Catholic Church. A crowd of more than 400 participated in a symposium that was sponsored by the Boston College Church in the 21st Century Center.

Bill and Tony described the demographics of VOTF members, including age, Catholic education, and active involvement in Church ministries. Six nationally known experts in the sociology of religion field --Professors Nancy Ammerman, Michelle Dillon, Mary Hines, Fr. Robert Imbelli, Robert Gamson, and John McCarthy-- analyzed this data through their expertise and offered observations about the significance of the data.

For me, three questions were answered:

  1. Who Are VOTF Members? Based on their Catholic education, current faith practices, and involvement in church ministries, VOTF members are deeply connected to their faith. As Professor Nancy Ammerman commented, "VOTF is as Catholic as it gets."
  2. Do Members Understand VOTF's Purpose? The thousands of members who were surveyed display a clear understanding of VOTF's mission and goals. VOTF has a clear mission and has steadfastly adhered to its three goals. It needs to improve its communications, according to Fr. Robert Imbelli, but has already effected a shift in the way the Church (clergy and laity) understand the importance of sexual abuse and the need for reforms.
  3. Will VOTF Succeed? The experts pointed to the need for VOTF to build a more diverse membership base, citing the age and ethnic statistics of the study. (VOTF leaders agree with this observation.) Prof. John McCarthy analyzed sources of strength in VOTF membership and identified many opportunities for VOTF to engage more members in tasks that can help advance the movement.

    VOTF can succeed as a social movement within the Catholic Church, the experts agreed, but it must respond to new needs and new realities if it is to do so. That is a challenge we face together, as a community of committed Catholics, as VOTF enters the next phase of its role in the life of the Church. How we respond is up to us!

VOTF will post on our web site the full Executive Summary, charts and graphs. Go to www.votf.org.

LETTERS to the Editor
Write to pthorp.ed@votf.org

“I was both delighted and saddened to read Fr. Tony Ercolano's letter. Delighted because he has the courage to speak the truth to power, but saddened because he has left, if perhaps only temporarily (such is my hope). He is precisely the prophetic voice we need to encourage our own, and he is a priest we desperately want and need.

And thanks for being a strong advocate for our children, and a powerful voice of truth for our times.” Sister Joyce Gadoua, CSJ, Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Waterford, NY 12188 or samsmaid@nycap.rr.com

“The more honest, outspoken priests we have, the more hope there is for our Church. Fr. Mac seemed to have proved it with the increased attendance. I am from the Boston area and have always been baffled by the lack of spoken truth from so many clergy, and good men at that. Is it fear? Of what?” Lois Wrightson

“ Thank you for publishing the words of priests expressing that they do not accept the lies and cover-ups, even that they are removing themselves from ministry. Unfortunately, when lay people speak these same words, it doesn't carry the same weight. Every time another priest speaks out in anguish over what has happened, it gives me hope.” former church employee

“I would like to paper my office wall with the words shared by priests and published in the Vineyard. Indeed, these provide the only hope I’ve had in decades for reform in our Church. I thank God for VOTF and for all who simply tell us the truth and/or go after it." Fretful in Albuquerque

“It occurs to me that if priests (whose livelihoods depend on bishops who lie) can speak out, so can the rest of us. Every Catholic in the country should work on and ask aloud ONE question of their priest AND bishop. It might be noisy but isn’t that how it (this Church) all started?” C. Allyson

“The idea that a Fr. Ercolano is driven to leave his ministry and Cardinal Law got a cushy promotion begs the question – do we who are the Church realize we have been turned on our heads? I, for one, have chosen to stand on my feet again. I look around and I know where I am NOT going. Until this Church gets back on track, I am practicing my faith with the Episcopals. They’re not perfect, either – but they have a shorter history of lies and deception. And I will continue to speak out against the crimes I see.”