| |
18
days to the VOTF Convention, “Disciples
in Action”
Oct. 19-20 in Providence RI
IN
THIS ISSUE: A “call
to action” gathering in New York drew broad
support from survivors and survivor support groups
including VOTF; the work of another prominent theologian – Fr.
Peter Phan of Georgetown University – is undergoing
investigation by the Vatican and US bishops; actions
of the Diocese of Orange CA continue to raise questions
and challenge assumptions while the Diocese of Pittsburgh
PA takes a step in the right direction; two new books
note Voice of the Faithful and one is the Catholic
Book Club September Selection; more.
VOTF National Notes
 GOOD
NEWS for those who didn’t make
the cut for earlier hotel discounts. We have
obtained additional
discount rooms for VOTF's Disciples in Action
Convention, October 19-20 in Providence RI. The
hotel is another
Marriott (One Orms Street, Providence RI 02904).
The hotel is 1 mile from the convention center
BUT there is a tourist trolley that goes by the
hotel every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. The
trolley costs $1.50 per person.
Other
good news: parking at this hotel is free. The
rate at this
Marriott is $159 per night UNTIL OCTOBER 5.
To reserve a room call 866-807-2171 and say that
you are part of Voice of the Faithful. Click
here for
everything you need to know about the third
national convention of Voice of the Faithful.
|
WHAT
do you think? The
current National Catholic Reporter editorial
says, “In
any larger discussion about the role and direction of
the church, we can’t forget that the structure
and mystery of the church are actually experienced in
the local faith community. The parish is the place where
church happens.” Write to pthorp.ed@votf.org.
Through the end of September, all readers can access NCR regardless
of subscription status. Read more.
DIOCESE/State Watch
Orange
CA: Associated Press reports: “Attorneys
for a woman who alleges sexual abuse by a lay teacher
at a Roman Catholic high school asked a judge Wednesday
to hold the bishop of the Diocese of Orange in contempt
of court. The motion, filed in Orange County Superior
Court in Santa Ana, alleges that Bishop Tod D. Brown
sent a key church official to Canada for unspecified
medical treatment one week after a judge ordered him
to complete a sworn deposition in the case.” Read
more.
Read
more inside at DIOCESE/State
Watch. Working Group Updates
SURVIVOR
SUPPORT
NEW
YORK Action: Cardozo Professor Marci Hamilton,
legal advisor to
victims of sexual abuse in several noteworthy
cases around the country; State Representative Margaret
Markey of Queens, NY; State Senator Karen Peterson of
Delaware; and Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse led
a “call to action”, September 25, 2007 FOR
STATE & NATIONAL
LAWS LIFTING THE STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS ON SEXUAL ABUSE
VICTIMS’ LAWSUITS. VOTF president Mary Pat Fox attended the gathering.
Read her comment at Commentary – Providing
the Muscle. If you are interested in helping with this effort,
contact Bob Kristan at BobKristan@msn.com.
SNAP leader David Clohessy received the Lifetime Achievement
in Advocacy Award from the Institute on Violence, Abuse
and Trauma. Read more at BishopAccountability.org.
SITE-Seeing,
Etc.
-
For
the many readers who have followed and benefited
from
the work of Boston College’s Church in
the 21st Century Center, the program’s director
of the past two years is returning to his first love – teaching. “Tim
Muldoon has joined the staff of the Vice President
for University Mission and Ministry at BC, see BC
Chronicle. Robert Newton, special assistant to the
president, who led the C21 initiative from 2002–2005,
has returned as interim director of the center until
a new permanent director is selected.” VOTF
wishes Tim well in his new post and we thank him
for his leadership in helping to present the many
issues facing our Church in the 21st Century.
- Don’t
know who or what VOTF is? The book that has garnered
significant attention and praise for its
objective assessment of VOTF is now available. The
Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College
notes: “One of the most interesting developments
in Catholic life in the past decade has been the formation
of Voice of the Faithful. This remarkable group of
devout, active, and loyal Catholics has emerged as
the most forceful voice for church reform in the wake
of the priestly abuse scandal. This new book presents
both the hard statistics about the group’s membership
and frank and appreciative analysis of the group’s
influence.” The book is Voices of the Faithful, by William D’Antonio and Anthony
Pogorelc with a Foreword by William J. Byron, SJ. For
details and/or ordering information, click
here.
- And yet another book that considers among others Voice of the Faithful
is Finding the Voice of the Church by George Dennis O’Brien.
The review appears in America magazine for
subscribers. The University of Notre Dame Press also notes O’Brien’s
book. AND the Catholic Book Club (a newsletter published by America )
chose O’Brien’s book as their September Selection.
-
National
Catholic Reporter is
offering all readers a unique opportunity: “During
August and September OUR ENTIRE PUBLICATION
is open to all
readers." Read
more. You will find yourself “at
the right place to find the relevant spiritual
and theological conversations of our day concerning
the
important issues we face in church and society.”
- The
current issue of NCR reports: “Both
the Vatican and the U.S. bishops are investigating
a book by a prominent American Catholic theologian,
Vietnam-born Fr. Peter Phan of Georgetown University.” The NCR editorial
asks, “Is it not possible to accommodate
those individuals whose work engages in exploratory
theology?” Read
more.
- Also
in this issue, “In the latest chapter
of a massive financial scandal plaguing the Cleveland
diocese, Anton Zgoznik, a former assistant diocesan
treasurer, has gone on trial in federal court,
charged with participating in a $17.5 million kickback
scheme dating from 1997 to 2004.”
QUOTE
for our time: “Only
because of court-ordered open records and the
willingness of victims to speak out about what
happened has anyone learned the truth. Only
the embarrassment of public disclosure and
the fear of lawsuit-induced bankruptcy has
caused this diocese and others to change their
policies.” from
an Orange County Register editorial commenting
on the Diocese of Orange
CA. See DIOCESE/State Watch above.
|
