AFFILIATE HIGHLIGHTS:
Susan Vogt, NRC Region 5 representative from the VOTF Northern Kentucky
affiliate reports:
Our affiliate struggled for over a year trying to decide how we should spend
our energy and what projects to take on. The two national VOTF priorities (working
for legislative change and financial accountability) were worthy projects but
didn't fit our local needs. (The bishop of Covington has been very pastoral
in dealing with victims of clergy sexual abuse and the $85 million class action
suit against the Church here has been finalized.) Our biggest concern, however,
was the diminishment of the voice of the laity in shaping our local church.
A more transparent Church, with an educated and involved laity can address
the root causes of sexual abuse and cover up and the structural change that
is needed to prevent it in the future. Most of the pastoral diocesan offices
have been closed and there is currently little receptivity to listening to
a wide spectrum of ideas and concerns of lay Catholics in our diocese. Although
we may differ on our solutions to problems facing the Church, a healthy dialogue
is the start. We decided to start the dialogue.
To do this we set up a simple website forum. In it we invite Northern Kentucky
Catholics and friends of our Church to express their hopes, appreciation, prayers,
and concerns about issues facing the Church, especially issues pertinent to
the goals of Voice of the Faithful. Local VOTF members monitor this blog so
nothing can go public without our approval.
I bring this to your attention because if we, techno-peasants that we are,
can take this action, so can others. Publicizing this forum is imperative.
There was an article in the Kentucky Enquirer announcing the blog;
everything we send out in the future will promote this forum for respectful
discussion. It's not fancy. It needs tweaking. But we want to get the idea
out to other affiliates who may want to do something similar. Check it out
at www.votfnky.org.
AND:
VOTF Louisville, KY is gathering any and all VOTF members from Indiana,
Kentucky and Ohio for conversation, prayer, and sharing on Oct. 28. If you’re
in the area, you will be welcomed warmly no matter where you are from. Contact
Vince Grenough at VINGRENO@INSIGHTBB.COM.
Vince Grenough, VOTF Louisville Area of Kentucky, wrote the following
thoughts on Philadelphia Cardinal Rigali’s outreach to the survivor
community:
“Cardinal Justin Rigali arranged for a remarkably pastoral event to
take place in Philadelphia on September 15th, inviting hundreds of the archdiocese’s
priests to gather at St Charles Borromeo Seminary to listen to the stories
of three people whose lives are seriously impacted by clergy sexual abuse of
children. I thank and commend him and his staff for taking this step forward
toward healing in our Church. Even more, I thank and admire the three people
who stood in front of those priests and bishops and courageously told their
stories of anguish to the peers and superiors of those who abused them.
All of our bishops should have done things like this years ago and followed
up with compassionate and honest restorative actions instead of covering up,
denying and stone-walling. The victims and our whole Church could have begun
healing instead of suffering further wounding. Lawsuits would not have been
necessary to force our bishops to pay attention. The credibility of our clerical
leaders would have been enhanced instead of being damaged almost beyond repair.
I truly hope other bishops and superiors of religious orders will follow this
example of Philadelphia. It is still not too late.”
|
