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Council Minutes

VOTF REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL MINUTES

September 18, 2004 at St. John the Evangelist, Wellesley, MA

Opening Prayer

Lord, inspire us today with the qualities of good leadership.
Give us insight to make wise decisions, integrity to face the truth,
courage to make difficult choices and
compassion for the needs of others.
Make us a model of justice and honor for the world and
let us never forget that our job is to serve both You and others. Amen

Call to order with prayer by Anne Wilson, Brooklyn, at 10:00 am following coffee and donuts provided in the hall. Representatives welcomed their fellows from other states including Vice President Kris Ward from Ohio and John Ryan from Illinois.

Reports by the President, Council Steering Committee, and Election Committee preceded the vote on the Episcopal Accountability resolution offered by the Steering Committee.

Acting moderator Elia Marnik introduced James Post for the President’s Report to the Council. Post pointed to the theme of leadership training held the previous weekend at headquarters – “think globally, act locally.” Citing the definition of parish ownership as important, he said VOTF must comprehend and frame local actions. Post asked how the Church would hang on if it did not face and incorporate reality in an effort to restore trust.

He then noted necessary VOTF actions including elections to be completed in December and a fund drive. He will report on a priority scorecard during the October Council meeting. In closing, he returned to the theme of promises to keep to survivors, priests, and the laity in general. “We will be persuasive; we will live out the message of Christ,” said Post.

Ron DuBois and Anne Southwood followed with a Council Steering Committee report.

DuBois communicated the ongoing engagement with other segments of VOTF leadership to refine the VOTF structure incorporating the effort to expand the Council to national focus. Southwood cited Steering Committee statistical work defining areas of existing membership activity and expected growth.. In addition, she announced another emerging resolution on the expansion of officer terms to two years.

Jim Walsh, in giving the report on the upcoming election process, explained that it was important that people outside of the Boston area know that the election process will be again open, democratic, and credible. He touched on the nominating process leading to candidates being elected. He emphasized that there would be another effort to keep under budget while producing good results, and asked for more volunteers for both election and nominating committees. He said there will be a decision on the need for a primary this year.

The Episcopal Accountability resolution was read and amended slightly by the addition of “Holy” to “Spirit.” Following limited discussion, due to the amount of previous online discussion, the question was moved by Ed Greenan, Rhode Island Regional Coordinator, of VOTF Southern RI and seconded by Ed Wilson of the downtown Brooklyn affiliate. The vote on the resolution, including the previous online vote, was 86 in favor, 6 nays, 1 abstain – resolution passed. The steering committee thanks you for your support.

The Structural Change Working Group, represented by Mary Freeman and Gaile Pohlhaus, presented the results of its Parish Pastoral Council Survey, which investigated types, frequency of meetings, authority centers. The conclusions drawn: where PPC’s are elected, members see their job as problem solving; in 34% of cases, the chairman sets the agenda and there is a correlation with elected as opposed to appointed PPC’s; their conclusions suggested that the consultative nature of a PPC does not preclude mutuality with a pastor. The group will post best practices on the SCWG site so that start-up PPC’s would have available good models. It will also develop a self-evaluation model for self-improvement of existing PPC’s. A power point presentation is available.

Before the featured speaker of the day, Dr. Jim Muller, Suzanne Morse and Luise Dittrich gave an update on the VOTF education/action handbook now being reviewed by VOTF officers. Morse explained the nature of the handbook based on action to fulfill VOTF mission and goals. “Action should be based in theology and prayer,” said Morse.

There will be quarterly revisions of the document with overview by representatives of the working groups involved. The document will soon go out to affiliates.

Bob Morris, John Moynihan and others gave an update on the VOTF New England Convention to be held Nov.13 at the Worcester Centrum. Morris, from the Winchester affiliate, said registration is now open; packets with flyers and registration forms have been created for affiliates. The group noted special hotel rates will be made available. Moynihan asked affiliate leaders to set up groups of what he terms “double daters,” who prefer not to attend alone.

Business over, the Council was treated to a nostalgic hour long speech and Q and A session with Dr. James Muller, VOTF founder. He had been introduced by James Post at the 2002 Boston convention as an “incomparable visionary.” “I feel that even more strongly now,” said Post in this introduction.

Dr. Muller used his book on the creation of VOTF during his speech. He said he believes the Church is a pilgrim church, which must improve itself through history. He cited several “common ground” dialogue agenda items of the late Cardinal Bernardin. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Dr. Muller stressed enlisting the power of those who agree with us in order to use the gifts given us by the Spirit. Catholics will disagree with each other; that's why we have these representative structures, said Muller. He focused on the positive in response to a comment by Mary St. Santry that she is saddened when other Catholics won't accept us. Muller said we have great DNA, which will bring strength to the Church as it grows.

Concluding prayer offered by Margaret Roylance. The next Council meeting is October 16, 2004 at St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, NJ, at 12:30 pm. For directions, visit www.stmarys-pompton.org.

Excerpt from Pope's Address to Bishops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey

The full text is available at www.zenit.org

In our meetings, many of you have expressed your concern about the crisis of confidence in the Church's leadership provoked by the recent sexual abuse scandals, the general call for accountability in the Church's governance on every level and the relations between Bishops, clergy and the lay faithful. I am convinced that today, as at every critical moment in her history, the Church will find the resources for an authentic self-renewal in the wisdom, vision and zeal of Bishops outstanding for their holiness. Saintly reformers like Gregory the Great, Charles Borromeo and Pius X understood that the Church is only authentically "re-formed" when she returns to her origins in a conscious reappropriation of the apostolic Tradition and a purifying re-evaluation of her institutions in the light of the Gospel. In the present circumstances of the Church in America, this will entail a spiritual discernment and critique of certain styles of governance which, even in the name of a legitimate concern for good "administration" and responsible oversight, can run the risk of distancing the pastor from the members of his flock, and obscuring his image as their father and brother in Christ.

While the Bishop himself remains responsible for the authoritative decisions which he is called to make in the exercise of his pastoral governance, ecclesial communion also "presupposes the participation of every category of the faithful, inasmuch as they share responsibility for the good of the particular Church which they themselves form" ("Pastores Gregis," loc. cit.).

 

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In the Vineyard
October 2004
Volume 3, Issue 9

Page One

Priests’ Support Working Group

Events, Opportunities & News

Site-Seeing

Something To Think About

Letters to the Editor

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In the Vineyard Archives

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