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Voices, Voices Everywhere!

VOTF South

VOTF Louisville, KY Affiliate
Submitted by Paula Radmacher

Recently, we sent out 200 letters to priests of the Archdiocese (active, retired, religious order) inviting them to join us for a "listening" session on one of two different evenings. Our goal is to establish a dialogue with them and to educate them about VOTF, in general, and our group in particular. We don't know what to expect in terms of response but we are hopeful.

At our meeting, Sue Archibald from LinkUp spoke about breaking ground for their ambitious project: a small farm dedicated to becoming a place of healing and recovery for victims/survivors of abuse. There will be opportunities for us to participate in the building (in the concept of a Habitat for Humanity) as their plans go forward. We discussed planning a "survivors' supper" as a later event.

VOTF EAST

VOTF Fall River, MA
Submitted by Chris Boyd

After several unsuccessful attempts to engage Bishop Coleman in dialogue as a result of his diocesan ban of VOTF meetings in parishes, bulletin announcements, and direct contact with our organization, which he initiated in May, approximately 100 Fall River diocesan Voice of the Faithful members banded together in a coordinated effort to seek the bishop's attention and published an open letter. Without as much as the courtesy of a response to our several letters, it was time to speak out and inform our fellow Catholics of the state of affairs. As the bishop attempted to censor us by rejecting our advertising dollars for the diocesan newspaper, we published out letter in three major regional newspapers within the diocese. The text was respectful but firmly expressed our resolve along with our immediate goals.

One week later, on October 19th, we were fortunate to host a diocesan-wide event at which approximately 200 attendees heard Voice of the Faithful national President and co-founder, Jim Post. Held at the Sandwich High School, since our parishes are not available to our members, Jim's talk was excellent! Calling Bishop Coleman to account for his unfounded banning, Post challenged the bishop to live up to the vows of his office. The Cape Cod Times reported some of the lecture entitled, "The Emerging Voice of the Catholic Laity," as follows:

"Quoting from a statement in a September 2002 report issued by the U.S. Conference of Bishops, Post suggested that Coleman pay more careful attention to the views of his fellow clergy who wrote that there was a need for bishops to 'recognize and promote the dignity, as well as the responsibilities, of the laity in the church.'"

Post read from the report, "We need to confidently assign duties to them in the service of the church, allow them freedom and room for action ... so they may undertake tasks on their own initiative." He told those gathered that he was "going to put this into a letter and send it along to Bishop Coleman because he may not have heard this before."

"He needs to know that it is unacceptable to refuse to talk with the people in the diocese. The bishop has an obligation to provide a spiritual and pastoral presence in the diocese ... I would say it is immoral to tell people that they cannot meet in their own churches to talk about issues," Post said to the resounding applause of the audience.

Following the lecture, Chris Boyd, outgoing Regional Coordinator challenged the audience not to look to national leadership to ask "What are you doing about this or that?" but rather answer the question, "What are you doing about it?" He urged members to embrace the notion, "If it is to be, it's up to me!"

The new Regional Coordinator Marie Collamore also spoke and outlined her priorities. Marie will bring a renewed energy and enthusiasm to the position as she sets out to deal with our reluctant bishop and pastors, move parish voices into action toward implementing the goals, build more wide spread involvement from around the diocese in our movement, and continue to develop the intra-diocesan coordination of the laity through parish voices.

The day also included the celebration of the Mass. After great difficulty in finding a priest willing to accept the risks of joining us for Mass, one brave Jesuit welcomed the opportunity to join us in prayer around the Lord's table. Rev. Ed Vacek, S.J., of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology also had strong challenges for Bishop Coleman in his homily when he referenced the Pope's recent remark that bishops not be afraid to engage and empower their laity.

In the weeks that have followed, much press coverage has bolstered the enthusiasm of our membership in the diocese. That said, the leadership continues to plan for the opportunity to meet with the bishop. What will be their response if the bishop continues to ignore his faithful? This will be among the top priorities for discussion at the VOTF Fall River Diocesan Leadership Council meeting on Wednesday, November 12th at 7:15 p.m. at the Cape Cod Community College in the 2nd Floor Library Conference Room.

In the meantime, more revelations of apparent failings of the implementation of the highly touted procedures for the protection of our youth focus on questions surrounding the connection of a Woods Hole pastor, an inactive priest counselor, and a murder suspect and convicted child rapist who lived with the priests and may have worked for the parish.

Moreover, it has come to be known from a local pastor that nearly 60% of parishes within the diocese do not have Parish Pastoral Councils. These are the very same "existing consultative bodies" which Bishop Coleman has noted in press accounts as justification for opposition to VOTF parishioners meeting in their parishes for Parish Voice meetings. The question remains, "Will Bishop Coleman welcome the involvement of his parishioners in the healing of the Church, and in so doing, help to create a greater spirit of openness, transparency, and accountability procedures?" The months ahead promise to be interesting, challenging, and full. Stay tuned.

VOTF Holy Trinity Affiliate, Washington, DC
Submitted by Frank Lane

October was a very busy and productive month for the HT VOTF affiliate. On October 6, HT VOTF members joined with over 100 VOTF supporters from DC, Baltimore, MD and Northern Virginia to hear VOTF President Jim Post speak at T.C. Williams High School, Alexandria, VA and Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, Arlington, VA.

Post stated that it is essential for laypeople to overcome traditional apathy and become involved if the Church is to be passed on to future generations. For example, lay people must take a prominent role at all level of church finances, to promote openness and accountability and to eliminate the secrecy surrounding Church dealings with the victims of sexual abuse. Many of the victims, Post noted, have yet to come forward and he expects they will be with us for many years to come, long after many of the abusers have gone.

On October 18, the HT VOTF affiliate met to discuss current activities including the selection of Charlie Zito and Jane Johnson as Co-Chairs. For the first time, a large VOTF poster, provided by the VOTF National office in September, was prominently displayed at the speakers' podium. It was enthusiastically received by affiliate participants as a sign of emerging unity, energy and identity of VOTF at Holy Trinity.

Ruth A. Wallace was the featured speaker and discussed her recent research on lay parish leaders at parishes in the United States having no clergy as pastors. The results of her efforts are contained in her recent book, They Call Him Pastor, which focuses on twenty parishes nationwide administered by married men serving as parish leaders. She studied women lay leaders in a previous effort entitled They Call Her Pastor.

Typically, at lay-leader parishes, Sunday liturgies are celebrated by a visiting priest whose involvement in the parish does not extend beyond these worship activities. Wallace's research was conducted by means of interviews with the lay leaders, their wives and children (all of whom reside in the rectory), bishops and parishioners. She found that these leaders tended to practice collaborative leadership and that parishioners were empowered by a new sense of ownership, devoted more time to parish committees, and contributed more financial support to the parish. A key source of support for these married leaders was their formal installation in the parish church with the bishop as presider.

The next meeting of VOTF at Holy Trinity will be on November 5.

VOTF Westford Chelmsford and VOTF Central MA

A little eavesdropping on VOTF Dialogue between two affiliates - (Ed. note: Lauren Franceschi of the Westford Chelmsford, MA area VOTF sent this message to the affiliate mail list. Bob Ott, regional coordinator for Central MA, wrote the response that follows - another terrific outreach from affiliates whose commitment cannot help but encourage others.)

Here are some ideas we wanted to share with other PV Affiliates. If anyone else has Action Items and Ideas for carrying out our 3 goals that they'd like to share, we would be very interested in hearing them! - Lauren Franceschi (Westford Chelmsford Area VOTF)

MORNING VOTF MEETINGS: The Westford Chelmsford Area PV has started morning meetings in addition to our evening meetings. This allows people unable to attend evening meetings to join us. The meetings take place on Monday mornings and follow the same agenda that is used in the Monday evening meetings. Attendees are given the same VOTF news and updates and, of course, there is time allowed for a listening session and open discussion.

PUBLIC AWARENESS & SURVIVOR SUPPORT: Our PV has registered for tables at local Holiday Craft Fairs. We did this successfully last Christmas and on the Fourth of July. All proceeds of the items sold are donated to "The Survivors Appeal."

For the month of November, our Monday Morning Meeting group is using meeting times to work together making items that will be sold, while still conducting the regular meeting format of VOTF news and discussion. The group will also be selling home-baked goods, donated gift items, and of course, "Gus's famous Honey" at the Holiday Fairs.

We find that participating in these local fairs is beneficial for many reasons. First, it allows us to raise public awareness of Survivor Advocacy issues and earn money to donate to their causes. We find the general public, of all denominations, to be very generous and concerned.

We also find that being at the Fairs is great PR for VOTF. We hang our banner that we made for the 2002 Convention, wear VOTF buttons and hand out VOTF pamphlets to those who are interested. Many townspeople stop and engage us in interesting conversation and ask lots of questions about what we do, and how we are managing to help the Church through the crisis. Our presence as a fixture at the Town Fairs also allows us to be visible and accepted members of our communities by participating alongside other longstanding town organizations (such as Lions, Kiwanis, Scouts, and others.

Another advantage is that the public gets to see who belongs to our PV as we work shifts at the tables. People are not as skeptical of VOTF when they recognize us as active, honest and involved members of our parishes and communities. They see proof that VOTF is doing good, charitable work and this is needed in order to build a solid, trusted reputation in our towns.

Now is the time to register for tables at local Holiday Fairs as they usually take place in early December and they sell out their limited spaces quickly. This can be done by calling your Town Hall or Churches and Schools that host the fairs. The fees for the tables are usually nominal and the benefits are great!

Bob Ott's response:

You folks are terrific. Your enthusiasm, perseverance, and awareness of the importance of being a visible presence in the community is impressive.

I think that the hard work for Parish Voices is figuring out how to continue what we started, in what way we want to continue our presence/activity, and what kinds of action will bring people together and give Parish Voices a sense of purpose and direction. You seem to have found what works for your group. Each Parish Voice has to come up with a plan which makes sense for their members and will excite them to keep working together.

In the Central Region, we have about 8-9 parishes. As regional coordinator, I have been holding a monthly regional meeting since the Spring. The number of people coming from each parish has been impressive to me, ranging from 20 to approximately 70 and this interest has continued even throughout the summer. Our focus has included: updates about VOTF national, events on the archdiocese level, and communication among the affiliates ; support and suggestions for parishes who are unsure of what/how to maintain and "grow" their affiliates; addressing as a regional VOTF in a formal letter to Archbishop O'Malley our concerns about the closing of parochial schools with little or no involvement of the Catholic community in the planning for alternatives to the closing and offering to participate in such an effort (our inner-city parish is very concerned about this issue); holding a meeting with our parish priests; a planning group working on preparing a symposium on the role of the layperson in the Church per Vatican II; potential sharing of prayer and worship; and discussion of the VOTF Strategic Plan and what parts of that seem to be priorities for Central.

We have focused on maintaining and building connections to one another within our region, maintaining open communication with one another and about national VOTF, and preparing the ground for what we want to do as Central Region affiliates in the coming months, e.g., the symposium and shared worship. Keeping people coming together and talking/planning about what they want to do is what you folks are doing so well. We are trying to do that as a region. Thanks for sharing your activities and ideas, Lauren.

VOTF Winchester, MA
Submitted by Bob Morris

In the past month two eminent theologians inaugurated a series on, "Where Should Our Church Go From Here?" On September 29, Fr. John Baldovin, S.J., Professor of Liturgical and Historical Theology at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, discussed, "Being a Sacramental Church." Fr. Baldovin's engaging manner, and wide-ranging interests, made for a highly enjoyable evening for the 100 persons present.

On October 20, Professor Stephen Pope of Boston College gave an extraordinary talk to 150 persons on, "The Church in Boston: Where Should We Go From Here?" Professor Pope urged us to motivate ourselves to act as agents for the transformation of the local Church. The answer to the question, Professor Pope concluded, ultimately depends on all of us.

On October 27, four leaders of the Boston Priests' Forum - Frs. Robert Bullock, Austin Fleming, Thomas Mahoney, and John McGinty - continued our series before a crowd of over 200. The evening was largely devoted to questions and answers, covering a wide range of topics. Two important points were made during the evening. First, while the Priests' Forum and VOTF are in "separate boats," we are most definitely on the "same sea." In addition, the presence of the priests at our meeting was, in Fr. Fleming's words, a "dividing line" that has been crossed.

In addition, our group met on October 6, and prayed a scriptural rosary in honor of the Feast of the Holy Rosary on October 7, and for successful implementation of the settlement with abuse survivors. This meeting served to remind us once again of the importance of prayer in our own lives and for our group.

VOTF New Jersey
Submitted by Maria Cleary

You may have noticed the change in our name. That's because we're growing! We have a new website at www.votfnj.org, with links to our Northern NJ and Southern NJ affiliates, and a link-in-waiting for our Newark Affiliate. We had our first planning meeting with the team that will spearhead the effort in the Archdiocese where we are banned. Everyone was enthusiastic, eager and full of the Spirit. We'll keep you posted on these efforts.

Our Structural Change Action Group is also moving forward with big plans. We're preparing a campaign to open a dynamic dialogue about the clergy shortage in NJ. Right now, the committee is working on a strategy and writing a "white paper" on the subject. We're banking on heavy interest in this subject, because it affects all of us, laity and clerics, young and not-so-young.

Our next meeting on November 20 should be a real treat for our members. Renowned theologian Anthony Padovano will speak on the subject "Restructuring Catholicism: An American View." Anthony is the author of 27 Books, including three award-winning plays and 150 articles. His publications have been translated into Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. We feel fortunate and very grateful to have so many wonderful speakers willing to share their time and expertise with us.

It was terrific to re-connect with many in our VOTF family at the Fordham University conference. What an uplifting experience, and a reminder that there are so many who still care deeply about renewing our Church.

Blessings from NJ to all our sisters and brothers throughout the world. May we all continue to grow in wisdom and grace.

VOTF CENTRAL

VOTF Chicago, IL
Submitted by Terry O'Connor

One week in the life of Chicago VOTF: On Tuesday, October 28, at St. Alphonsus Parish, Chicago, JUDGE ANNE M. BURKE, Chairperson of the Catholic National Lay Review Board presented information regarding the work of the Catholic National Lay Review Board since its appointment by the United States Catholic Bishops as the result of the clerical sexual abuse scandal at their June, 2002 conference.

On October 29, DR. EUGENE KENNEDY, Professor emeritus of psychology at Loyola University, Chicago., returned one year later to Holy Family Parish to offer a follow-up presentation on "Healing the Wound: The Sacraments and Human Sexuality." Last fall, Dr. Kennedy spoke on the topic "Pastors and People: Seizing the Moment for Reform."

VOTF WEST

VOTF San Diego, CA
Submitted by Richard Dell'Orfano

VOTF San Diego hopes to incorporate as soon as it is feasible. Meanwhile, we would like to introduce our elected officers: Interim President/Secretary, Richard M.Dell'Orfano at Weeorphan@Joimail.com,;Interim Legal Officer/CPA: Mike Magee at mmagee@utm.net; Interim Public Relations: Hal Walker at Hal_Walker@Hotmail.com; Interim Treasurer: Joe Gorsuyn at Joe@Armsd.com; Interim Membership Officer, Laura Healy at Laurasunfun@TNS.net; Interim Social Director, Kathleen Spreen at Kspreen@AOL.com. Our meetings will be held the third Saturday of each month. Our next meeting will be December 6 (due to holiday).

 

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In the Vineyard
November '03
Volume 2, Issue 12

Page One

National News

Letters to the Editor

Survivor Support News

Parish Voice News

Events, Opportunities & News

What Do You Think?

Prayer of the Month

Books for your review

Printer Friendly Version

In the Vineyard Archives

Our postal address is VOTF,
Box 423,
Newton, MA
02464-0002

Donations can be sent to this address or through our Web site

For an overview of press coverage of VOTF, click here.

 

Have you received your VOTF quarterly? If not, please call the VOTF office at 617-558-5252 and request the fall issue. Submissions for the quarterly are gratefully considered. Please contact Peggie Thorp at leaderpub@votf.org.

REMINDER: To contact an affiliate in your area, just go to the VOTF Web site at www.votf.org and click on Parish Voices for a menu. Choose "Directory," identify your state by region, click appropriately and you're there.