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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