VOTF - In the Vineyard

Copy deadline for the February 2004 issue is Friday January 30.
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In the Vineyard
January 2004

"At the beginning of God's creating of the heavens and the earth,
when the earth was wild and waste,
darkness over the face of Ocean,
rushing-spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters -
God said: Let there be light! And there was light." Genesis 1: 1-3

Happy new year to all of our readers as we move together into VOTF's third "new" year. What a comfort to be moving beneath "the rushing spirit of God"!

At this time, we regard the issues in front of Catholics and those yet to come as the driving force of the VOTF movement toward meaningful lay involvement in our Church. The recent release of the compliance audit by the NRB is helping all Catholics, most especially those whose dioceses have not been touched directly by the sexual abuse of their children by clergy and its subsequent cover up by Church leadership, to recognize the desperate need for reform in the Church.

While VOTF is studying the NRB report and anticipating the John Jay College of Criminal Justice survey in late February, we are also responding to critics and standing by our goals as well as our right to exist. VOTF is finding growing understanding among Church leadership and parishioners all over the globe. At the same time, we are gaining fresh insight into the minds of our critics. A recent letter written by three diocesan priests on Cape Cod, MA made its way to the Vatican Web site and was distributed widely. The letter's misinformation, innuendo and challenge to VOTF have helped us articulate a response we will build on and share on our Web site with members and readers who may face similar inquiries. The priests' letter and a response from theologian David O'Brien are the subjects of this month's "What Do You Think?" column. As always, we encourage your response to leaderpub@votf.org.

Finally, a review of the past twelve months of In the Vineyard tells us what it is you want from this newsletter - let us know if we've got it right, yet! We've added an Editor's Choice page as part of our education effort. Again, your feedback is welcome at leaderpub@votf.org. One experimental page in the past year appears to be a keeper - Prayer of the Month. Maybe that tells us all we need to know.

Peggie L. Thorp, editor

NEWS - NATIONAL/Regional

January 6, 2004 - National Review Board (NRB) releases the results of the diocesan audits commissioned by the USCCB to monitor compliance with the Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children. (Another USCCB-commisioned survey that will catalogue sexual abuse cases is expected to be released by the NRB on February 27, 2004.) See VOTF's response to this week's release of diocesan audits.

****Survivor groups respond to NRB report. See The Linkup response at www.thelinkup.org.

****The summary reports of the audits released today by the National Review Board are available at the USCCB website, http://www.usccb.org/ocyp/audit2003/dioceses.htm. Dioceses and eparchies are listed alphabetically.
New officers for VOTF National represent the beginning of a move away from a Boston-centric profile. Read More.
In December 2003, VOTF President Jim Post recapped VOTF's history and mission for the Annual Meeting of the MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. His talk "Lemons to Lemonade" is the story of knowing where to stand and standing precisely there.
VOTF Representative Council Minutes - Another ban lifted. Good news announced at the December Council meeting. After great perseverance by VOTF members, the Archbishop of the Portland, ME diocese Bishop Gerry announced that VOTF affiliates may meet on parish property, if the pastor approves. Read VOTF statement. Read More.
Wording of Goal #2 to undergo broad affiliate discussion - priests and general membership will explore the meaning and implication of the current wording. Read More.
Parish Voices - The emergence of Boston VOTF is a little like your oldest child leaving home - finally! Leadership has emerged in this affiliate to lead and speak for VOTF Boston as the RCAB continues to struggle with its epicenter image. Read More
Structural Change Working Group to present document on a first-step response to Goal #3. This national effort has brought together Catholics from all over the US to develop the Primer on Parish Pastoral Councils. Read more
Nashville, TN VOTF is talking with their bishop and making suggestions for greater lay involvement. Some suggestions have been taken up, but not with VOTF collaboration. Read More
A first-time meeting took place between the Archdiocese of Boston and VOTF despite a continuing partial ban on the use of Church property for VOTF meetings. The meeting between representatives of the RCAB and the VOTF Protecting Our Children working group identified several areas of mutual concern and prospective collaboration. Read More
Archdiocese of Boston - planned parish closings in Boston could establish a model for closings all over the US. VOTF notes concerns for adequate parishioner involvement and poses questions Catholic parishioners might ask. Read More

Prayer of the Month - a prayer for all seasons

What Do You Think? A widely distributed letter written by three MA priests challenged VOTF's Catholicity. Theologian David O'Brien responds in our first point-counterpoint page.

Letters to the Editor - One writer feels that VOTF is falling off track and another found Peter Steinfels book A People Adrift wanting.

Catholics looking for greater spirituality - will find hope and opportunity around the upcoming National VOTF Conference on Lay Spirituality planned for April in Chicago, Il. See the November 2003 issue of In the Vineyard or contact PrayerfulVoice@voiceof thefaithful.org.

Whole congregations have been hurt by the crisis in the RC Church - A Vineyard reader and survivor recommends the book Restoring the Soul of A Church. Read More

Events coming up include the continuation of the Boston College initiative, "The Church in the 21st Century." Conferences on healing wounded congregations; the role of women in the Church; and ecclesial ethics. Read more in Events.

Editor's Choice - two books that might be read in tandem. They are compact, scholarly and telling: William D'Antonio et al., American Catholics - Gender, Generation and Commitment (Walnut Creek: AltaMira Press, 2001) and Jay P. Dolan, In Search of an American Catholicism - A History of Religion and Culture in Tension (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002) Read More

WORKING GROUP REPORTS

The National Structural Change Working Group of VOTF is working on several projects that we hope will bear fruit in the new year. They include the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) survey, and a primer on church structure. The PPC questionnaire was sent out to the entire VOTF e-mail list during the month of November 2003. Although there was some initial confusion about who should fill out the questionnaire, everyone who received a questionnaire is invited to respond in this first phase of the PPC survey. We hope to use the results of the survey to learn what faithful Catholics know about their PPCs, and we are happy to receive multiple responses from each parish.

The results of the PPC survey will be tabulated and analyzed during the new year, and will be shared with the membership of VOTF. We will use the results to guide us in our efforts to support active, collaborative, effective and representative Pastoral Councils, in every parish across the US. We plan similar surveys in the future on Finance Councils and Safety Committees.

As part of our effort to provide educational support and resources for the lay faithful, the working group has prepared a presentation entitled "Organizational Structure of the Catholic Church, a Primer." This primer on church structure was promised in the Structural Change Statement approved by the VOTF Representative Council last February. We hope that it will provide a clearer understanding of how our church functions as a human institution, and suggest opportunities for more active and meaningful involvement of the lay faithful in the life of the church.

As a direct result of SCWG work, the Hingham, MA VOTF affiliate formed a task force that recently completed a draft document on parish pastoral councils. The Hingham group worked closely with National SCWG to develop their recommendations. Not surprisingly, several other groups in the Boston area and around the country are working on similar projects.

The Structural Change Network address is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SCN_VOTF/. Interested readers can view the homepage of the network, as well as find some information about the Hingham draft document there, if you are an SCN member. In order to post and read the messages and read uploaded files, you must receive an invitation to actually join the SCN. To request an invitation, people should send a message to SCN_Moderator@yahoo.com.
Submitted by Margaret Roylance

Protecting Our Children
On Friday, December 19, 2003, three representatives (Pat Gomez, Elia Marnik and Kathy Mullaney) from the VOTF Protecting Our Children Working Group met with Archdiocese of Boston Deacon Anthony Rizzutto and his assistant, Bob Kelley, of the Child Advocacy, Implementation, and Oversight Ministry. This office was created two years ago in response to the abuse crisis. It is diocese-specific. This was an initial discussion between VOTF and the RCAB. We had a cordial, ninety minute meeting during which it became clear that this is a natural link between VOTF and the RCAB.

We identified several areas of mutual agreement, such as, the need for Parish Safety Committees or Parish Safe Environment Programs as well as lay involvement in the decision-making process regarding the implementation of the "Talking About Touching" program, which is the RCAB's excellent but controversial education program instituted in grades K-3 in diocesan parochial schools. The Program will be implemented in parish Religious Education classes as soon as possible. We discussed the almost impossible task of instituting something of this magnitude and divisiveness without sufficient support for parishes, especially directors of religious education and catechetical teachers. Success will depend on collaboration between parishes and diocese and ongoing dialogue. As reported after the first meeting with Bishop Sean O'Malley on November 19, 2003, VOTF will continue dialogue towards mutual collaboration with Deacon Rizzutto on the implementation and oversight of Child Safety Programs in parishes and schools.

We also discussed the implementation of the Recommendations of the Cardinal's Commission. We were reminded that this Commission did not submit policies, merely recommendations. One of POC's goals is to monitor child protection policies within the Church. Though advised that the Church "measures effective decision-making in terms of centuries," the laity do not have centuries to wait for changes that will ensure the protection of our children. We look forward to continuing our dialogue and focusing on our mutual concern for the children in our parishes.
Submitted by Kathy Mullaney

VOTF ELECTION RESULTS
Prepared by Jim Walsh, Election Committee Chairperson

The Election Committee is pleased to announce that Voice of the Faithful has successfully completed its first national election - open to all registered members - for the officers of the organization. The results of the election are presented below.

Office	Candidate	Votes	New Officer

President:	Jim Post (MA)	Uncontested	Jim Post

Vice President:		1,048 votes cast
	Gaile Polhaus (PA)	34%
	Bob Strong (MA)	23%
	Kris Ward (OH)	43%	Kris Ward

Secretary/Clerk:		1,021 votes cast
	Betsy Conway, CSJ(MA)	57%	Betsy Conway, CSJ
	Anne Southwood (MA)	43%

Treasurer:		1,026 votes cast
	Ann Carroll (MA)	52%	Ann Carroll
	Ken Forton (MA)	48%

We wish to thank all of the candidates who accepted their nomination to run as an officer of Voice of the Faithful, Inc. We were blessed to have an outstanding group of candidates, any one of whom would have served the organization well as an officer.

We also wish to thank all of our members who took the time to review the candidates and to vote.

The election process was a collaborative effort by a dedicated volunteer and paid staff of the national office, particularly our Web Manager Eileen Powers Hespeler, the Nominating Committee, and the Election Committee. The processes we developed should serve VOTF well in future elections.

Thanks again to everyone who made this election such a success. Best wishes for a blessed and joyous New Year!

(If you did not receive an electronic ballot in December, you were not registered to vote. Why not take a minute now to register - there's no time like the present. You can do so by clicking here and then not only be eligible to vote but also to receive mailings such as our next annual report. If you have a question about your registration status, please contact our Web Manager at webmaster@votf.org.)

VOTF Representative Leadership Council Minutes

Voice of the Faithful Representative Council Meeting, Saturday, December 13, 2003 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish Hall, Newton, MA

Interim Moderator Frances O'Leary opened the Council meeting at 11:15 am. Susan Troy led us in the Opening Prayer. New Council members were recognized and welcomed, as were those who traveled from out of state. Several members were recognized to make announcements.

VOTF president Jim Post introduced guest speaker David O'Brien, Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA, and specialist in the history of American Catholicism.

Professor O'Brien offered a list of ten recommendations for the ongoing work of VOTF. He emphasized listening to and supporting the victims of abuse and predicted that there will be more revelations of sexual abuse by clergy. He also emphasized shared responsibility in the life of the Church and the need for ongoing lay education. A question and answer period followed.

Announcements

Bob Morris, St. Eulalia Affiliate, Winchester area, announced that the sale of Christmas cards to benefit the Lighthouse Foundation, a resource center for clergy sexual abuse survivors, would take place at the close of the Council meeting.

Bob Ott, Central Region Coordinator, announced a plan proposed by representatives from the five regions of the archdiocese to form a Boston, MA (RCAB) VOTF affiliate. Members of the Organizing Team met and were available to affiliate representatives at the conclusion of the Council meeting.

Fran Fox, Our Lady of Sorrows Affiliate, Sharon, announced that Svea Fraser will address their affiliate on January 15, 2004, in a discussion of Church documents.

Elia Marnik, Protecting our Children Working Group, announced that Kathy Kelly, trainer for the "Talking About Touching" program of the Children's Trust Fund, will speak at St. John the Evangelist, Wellesley, MA on Tuesday, December 16, at 7:00 p.m.

President's Report.

Jim Post noted that, one year and two days ago, the Council voted to ask Cardinal Bernard Law to step down, and, exactly one year ago, Cardinal Law's resignation was accepted.

Jim reviewed the month's major events and noted that monthly conference calls with national reps all over the US continue. The focus of these conversations has been on national issues and action priorities for 2004. Jim also addressed Strategic Plan priorities. Jim asked Paul Kendrick of the Portland, ME, affiliate to share a recent success story. After great perseverance by VOTF members, the Archbishop of the Portland, ME diocese Bishop Gerry announced that VOTF affiliates may meet on parish property, if the pastor approves. Those meetings are taking place.

Following the President's Report

Executive Director Steve Krueger presented the VOTF Financial Report.
Jim Walsh and Svea Fraser presented the Elections Report noting the remarkable spate of qualified candidates for the four national VOTF offices. (see Election Results in this issue)
Affiliate Retreat Report - John Bowen, Northampton/Springfield, MA Affiliate, spoke about the benefits of a retreat they held after their first year. It centered on prayer and reflection and augmented their present working relationships.
Susan Troy, Prayerful Voice Chair, announced a Conference on Spirituality, to be held on April 17, 2004, in Chicago, IL. The planning group envisions about one hundred Prayerful Voice participants, with discussions about "What is lay spirituality?" More detailed information will be available in the near future.
Svea Fraser gave a Priests' Support Working Group report and proposed broad affiliate discussion of the meaning and wording of Goal #2, "Support priests of integrity." Fran O'Leary asked affiliate representatives to bring back to a future Council meeting the thoughts and recommendations of their respective affiliates.
John Magilligan spoke about the governance structure and mission of the Representative Council. It was emphasized that any action in this area will be in concert with the Governance Committee.
Fran O'Leary distributed a Summary of Comments on Council received on November 15, 2003. Attendees were advised that the dates for the next three Council meetings will be posted on the VOTF website.
Susan Troy led us in a closing prayer.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 p.m.

VOICES, VOICES EVERYWHERE!

PARISH VOICES EAST

VOTF Boston, MA - Plan of Voice of the Faithful Organizing Team for Boston VOTF

At the time of the June 7 VOTF/Boston Conference, VOTF leadership had numerous discussions with a variety of constituents. As a result, VOTF leadership realized there was a need for, and considerable interest in creating, a mechanism to enable VOTF to act in coordination with all of the Parish Voice Affiliates in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston (RCAB). Such coordinated action would allow VOTF/Boston to implement the recommendations of the June 7 VOTF/Boston Conference, and develop plans for carrying out National VOTF's Strategic Plan in the RCAB. Thus, the VOTF's Organizing Team was formed to put together a plan to create an "umbrella organization," which the Organizing Team now proposes be called the Boston VOTF Council. The Organizing Team was asked specifically to design processes for: creating a Boston "umbrella organization, electing representatives of the Parish Voice Affiliates to that organization, and establishing a structural plan for carrying out the work of the new organization.

Rationale for a Boston VOTF Council

It is crucial that Voice of the Faithful in Boston establish a local identity that sets it apart from National VOTF. What is established must be readily identifiable to the local Catholic Community, and to the leadership of the RCAB, as Boston's own VOTF - an organization that very specifically represents all Boston Parish Voice Affiliates in communication and negotiation with the leadership of the Boston Archdiocese.

We cannot continue to rely on National VOTF to speak for Boston. The collective "voice" of the Boston affiliates must a.) Begin to speak up about the continuing need to support victims/survivors, and priests of integrity; and b.) Become an effective advocate for organizational openness and transparency within the operations of the Boston Archdiocese. Through coordination and planning, a Boston VOTF Council will focus and concentrate the energy and ideas of local affiliates.

Goals of the Boston VOTF Council

To support National VOTF, its mission, goals and Strategic Plan.
To bring together all Boston parish affiliates to be a unified voice in speaking to the leadership of the RCAB, to the Catholic community, and to the community at large.
To provide leadership in identifying archdiocesan-wide issues, implementing strategic actions to support victims/survivors and priests of integrity, and promoting full lay participation in addressing issues of concern to VOTF affiliates.
To increase the Catholic community's awareness and understanding of the critical importance of active lay participation at all levels of Church governance in the RCAB, and to promote full and open discussion about decisions impacting the life and future of the Church in Boston.

Composition of, and election process for, the Boston VOTF Council

The Council will consist of a representative from each Parish Voice Affiliate, who will be elected/selected by a particular affiliate by whatever process is agreed upon by the members of that affiliate. A representative will serve for a term of two years. A representative may serve for two consecutive terms. Affiliates will complete the election/selection process by January 31, 2004, and will notify their region's representative on the Organizing Team of the results.

In order to carry out the planning and day-to-day leadership functions of the Council, a Steering Committee will be elected. The Steering Committee will consist of one member from each of the five RCAB regions. By February 15, 2004, the elected affiliate representatives from each of the five regions will elect one of their members to serve on the Steering Committee. Steering Committee members will serve for a one-year period. The Steering Committee will meet once a week in its formative stages. Meetings will occur at the same time each week in order to ensure continuity and maximize participation by the members.

The Steering Committee will elect a Chairperson and other officers of the Steering Committee, as appropriate. The Steering Committee will determine attendance standards for its members. The Chairperson will also appoint a Moderator (if desired) to conduct Council meetings.

Functioning of the Boston VOTF Council

In its early stage, the Council will meet frequently -- biweekly during its developmental period, and continuing on a regular basis thereafter. Meetings will be open to the full membership.

An "important decision" will be made only after efforts to collaborate with and seek feedback from affiliates. On occasion there may be a need for "emergency action" on a critical matter, in which case, the Steering Committee will have the authority to act on behalf of the Council without prior discussion and review. Although both the Council and the Steering Committee will strive for consensus decision-making, important decisions will be decided by a recorded vote with a "majority" in favor required for passage. As early as possible, the Council will define what it means by "important decision," "emergency action," and "majority."

The Council's groundwork on key issues will take place in working groups, or similar structures. The Council will address the question of funding to support its activities once it develops an action plan.

Tasks of the Boston VOTF Council

Among other tasks, the Council will:

Identify and address key diocesan issues, e.g., the bannings
Develop policy
Maintain and develop relations with affiliates in support of their functioning at the parish level
Centralize communications, including with Priests Forum, Survivor groups, and archdiocese
Facilitate organization at the regional level within the archdiocese
Media response
Plan major diocesan-wide events
Fundraise in support of VOTF goals

PARISH VOICES SOUTH

VOTF Nashville, TN

We met for the first time under the leadership of Tennessean reporter, Tim Chavez on July 9, 2002, in an effort to respond to the local and national scandal. At that time, we divided into six committees: Practice and Policy, Structure and Leadership, Protection of Children, Prayer, Healing of Victims and Support of Priests. Tom Riss and Cindy Gause-Vega were chosen as co-facilitators of the Nashville affiliate. Eventually, we restructured into the following committees: Structure and Leadership; Healing of Victims and Protecting Children; and Support of Priests (includes prayer).

One of our first accomplishments was a general meeting with the bishop of Nashville, Edward Kmiec on August 17, 2002. At the meeting, the bishop promised to re-establish a Diocesan Pastoral Council. He also discussed the lay review board that had been formed and the prevention of future child sexual abuse.

We hoped to work with the bishop in planning a Mass of Reconciliation for victims of abuse, but he held such a Mass without our assistance. Unfortunately, the Mass was held with little advance notice and on a Friday at noon, making attendance difficult.

In November 2002, Jim Zralek and Elizabeth Warren were elected co-facilitators. Also in November, the Support for Priests Committee hosted a dinner of appreciation for local priests. We sent a survey to all priests in the diocese, asking for their thoughts and attempting to gather information on how to support them better. The Nashville affiliate has benefited tremendously from the support of a number of priests in the diocese, including Father Philip Breen who allows us to use the facilities at St. Ann's Church.

In an attempt to encourage the bishop to set up a Diocesan Pastoral Council, we collected over 300 signatures in favor of such a council and sent them to the bishop. After many phone calls and letters, the bishop finally agreed to meet with Jim and Elizabeth on January 22, 2003. We requested the prompt establishment of a Diocesan Pastoral Council, the publication of a more understandable financial report and the announcement of our meetings in The Register, the diocesan newspaper. At the meeting, he indicated his intent to establish a Diocesan Pastoral Council by the fall of 2004. More recently, the bishop has announced plans to establish a Diocesan Advisory Council in 2004, which we believe is his version of a pastoral council.

In 2003, the diocese issued a better financial report, but one that is still difficult to understand. At a meeting in May 2003, the bishop responded to our request to publish VOTF meeting announcements in The Register by refusing to do so on the basis that it might encourage people to join VOTF, which he does not want them to do. However, the paper accepted payment to run our notice as "paid advertisement."

In October 2003, VOTF hosted a talk by the well-known author, Dr. Eugene Kennedy. Over 300 people attended as he spoke on the "Unhealed Wound."

In November 2003, we elected new officers: Dan McCormick (president), Ann Kuklinski (vice president), and Barbara Frazer (secretary/ treasurer). We are in the process of planning a Service of Hope for Victims in March 2004.

Ongoing activities to spread the word about VOTF include the periodic publication of a newsletter, use of a yahoo e-mail list, and marching as a group in the Nashville St. Patrick Day parade. The Holy Spirit has been busy in Nashville.

PARISH VOICES CENTRAL

VOTF Peoria, Il

Peoria, Il representative John Ryan reports on his visit to MA for the December Council meeting as well as a visit to VOTF National offices. Read his comments at the VOTF Peoria Web site at www.votfpeoria.org.

PARISH VOICES WEST

VOTF East Bay, CA
Submitted by Peter Davey

VOTF East Bay, CA hopes to get more involved with our Diocesan Pastoral folks and expand our Steering Committee to 12 from 7. Pure news item: Our new bishop Allen Vigneron, has announced that starting in January and going thru late spring, he will conduct Apology Services at those parishes where there have been known incidents of clerical sexual abuse. VOTF hopes to attend each of these services.

EVENTS, ETC.

NATIONAL
February 27, 2004 - the NRB will release the results of the survey commissioned by the USCCB to catalogue sexual abuse cases. The survey is being conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Another report by the NRB, on the causes and context of the crisis, is also anticipated in February. There will coverage of the VOTF response in the March issue of this publication as well as on the VOTF Web site at www.votf.org.

REGIONAL
Parish closings in Boston area to have broad consequences. Executive Director Steve Krueger calls for "…serious, meaningful lay and clergy involvement in all decision-making, as well as full financial disclosure at every point in the process." Read the VOTF Statement on Planned Parish Closings by the Archdiocese of Boston in this issue. David Castaldi has prepared "A Boston Overview" of the financial implications of church closings and diocesan finances.

MA - Northshore Area VOTF Affiliates - The Voice of the Faithful Affiliates of the North Shore, Lynn and Seacoast Areas are sponsoring a faith formation program for adult Catholics, "The Living Christ, and We His Disciples." This is a collaborative effort with the Boston College Department of Theology. The speaker is Rev. John F. Baldovin, S.J., Professor of Historical and Liturgical Theology, Weston Jesuit School of Theology.

The Lynn Area VOTF affiliate will sponsor the next in the series of two-part lectures. On January 25, 6:30 pm, at St. Mary's Church, Lynn, Fr. John Baldovin, S.J. of Weston Jesuit School of Theology will speak on "Incorporation into Christ through Baptism, Confirmation and the Community of Faith." On February 8, in the Lower Church Hall of St. Pius V Church on Maple St. in Lynn, Fr. Baldovin will address our "Incorporation into Christ through the Eucharist and the Community of Faith."

The third two-part presentation will focus on "Life Lived in Christ; Reading and Praying the Scriptures," sponsored by the Seacoast VOTF and will take place at Immaculate Conception Church, Newburyport. On Sunday, March 28, Fr. Tom Leclerc, Professor of Scripture, author on Liturgical topics and member of the La Salette Order, will present "Life Lived in Christ, The Theology of the Gospels." On Sunday, April 4, 6:30 PM, Fr. Leclerc will address "Life Lived in Christ, The Theology of St. Paul's Epistles."

Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14 - VOTF president Jim Post will be a panelist at the Boston College conference "Toward an Ecclesial Professional Ethic." This is part of the ongoing BC initiative, "The Church in the 21st Century." Note: this conference is limited to invited speakers and participants; the proceedings will be published. Also this month, there will be a lecture on Tuesday, February 24, 2004, "Restorative Justice as A Model of Healing A Wounded Church Community," with Rodney L. Petersen from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., location TBA, Sponsor: Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry, Continuing Education Information: http://www.bc.edu/irepm or 617-552-8057. Registration Required

Heads up for April 16-17 - A conference with global implications, "Envisioning the Church Women Want: A Conference on Women in the Church," will be held at Boston College. See more information in the December 2003 In the Vineyard, visit www.bc.edu/church21, or call 617-552-3489.

Letters to the Editor

"We read Peter Steinfels, A People Adrift for our small Christian community. At the heart of his book Mr. Steinfels seems to be addressing the bishops and their lack of leadership. While I appreciated his broad perspective, his insights, his balance, and I did learn a lot, I also found it depressing. I could do little about the issues Steinfels addressed. I felt the book had a slight generational and gender gap, for all the women in our group reacted the same (especially to the chapter on female Church.) The issues that I care about, that give me hope, were addressed not at all or in a rather perfunctory way. I am a 40 year old mom as well as a lay minister for families in our church, and the issues I care about, the ones that give me hope, are helping women and families take charge of their own spiritual development. Thus the book did not speak to me or for me. The hope in the Church must come from the grassroots." Meri McCoy-Thompson, God is Calling Catholic Community of Pleasanton, CA

"VOTF seems to be going the way of "Call To Action.." I and my fellow parishioners at Our Lady of Victory in Paris, Texas do not want to go that way. We do not speak of ourselves as the "American Catholic Church." We are faithful to our Holy Father, the Magisterium of our holy Catholic Church, the teachings of the Church and we belong to the Roman Catholic Church. We began our organization over one year ago because of your second agenda "To support priests of integrity". This was because we had a good and holy Catholic priest whom our bishop tried to literally destroy, while the bishop supports active homosexual priests. We are Catholics who do not want women to be ordained, who listen and adhere to our Holy Father, who do not support those who want to do away with priestly celibacy, or who promote artificial contraception, pro=choice, etc. I was especially discouraged to see that Anthony Padovano has been a speaker at your meetings and others whom I consider dissenters of our Catholic faith. If these things are supported by VOTF in general, then we are in the wrong organization. We still want to help our good and holy Catholic priests, but we do not see VOTF as a vehicle which supports our goals - we mean those priests who are loyal to our Holy Father, who adhere to the Magisterium, who follow the teachings of Christ and the Church. We do not want to elect our bishops or our leaders. We want truth to be known and we do pray for good and holy Catholic bishops, although we do not always have them. The Holy Spirit knows much better than we do who will be a bishop who will sanctify, teach, lead and guide us. Please do not let your organization go away from the holy Roman Catholic Church. God bless you. Mary Emerson, Our Lady of Victory, Paris, Texas

"My suggestion is to continue to give clergies respect only when they deserve. Otherwise, simply ignore them! You get better grace and peace and love that way! After all, the proof of one's worth is by the fruits one bears (not by hierarchy or appointments or observance of the laws alone)! Soon, calls for obedience may take on an ugly meaning unless what & whom you obey are truly centered on LOVE !! Paul Chang, Malaysia

What Do You Think?

Last month's question was "What do you think bishops might do to effect positive change in our Church?"

"Some need to leave. Any bishop who had any knowledge of a problem and dealt with it by reassignment after 1990 should resign, and should not hold a position of administrative leadership. This behavior is inexcusable. And criminal." Lee Ann McGinnis, M.D.

"I believe that Bishops can make a more positive effect if they ask themselves, 'What would Christ do?' From some of my observations of some priests and what I've observed and read about some bishops, they seem to get side-tracked from their roles. Like some politicians and bureaucrats who get carried away with money and power, we the people become overlooked and forgotten. Bishops should become more accessible to the laity. I think they should have workshops with priests and laity in evaluating needs and reevaluating their roles. Sacrifices should not only be addressed to the laity but also to the hierarchy for they are to set examples. When one lives like a king, one doesn't dwell among the peasants. Christ dwelled among all of us. God bless." C. Marie Tupper, Boothbay Harbor, ME

"I think attitudes should change. I have found it impossible to speak to most priests about anything. As soon as I introduce a subject, which is controversial in any way or criticizes in any way, the priests I know will walk away, change the subject, make a light joke, etc." Betty

"First of all the problem with the Church is the hierarchy itself, from the Curia on down. The bishops are a very real part of the whole problem that we are having right now. The 'pedophile problem' was created because of a deep-seated understanding that the Church can do no wrong, and when it does, can cover it up, keep it secret, and lie if necessary. At any cost, PROTECT THE IMAGE OF OUR MOTHER THE CHURCH.

The Roman Catholic Church (RCC) needs to start over. The Reformation was a response to a break with the role of a faith community envisioned by Christ. It had become bogged down in its own PROCESS. And, it still is today.

The bishops need to come together and perform a group slate-cleaning of their minds. They need to forget everything they have learned about the RCC and ask themselves this question over and over again: What would Christ have us do as the shepherds of His Church?

Christ would have you preach his word, just as he gave it to you, and not complicate it with your own rules, laws, and regulations; but rather use Christ's rules, laws, and regulations. Christ would have you love your neighbor as yourself. That means you don't treat someone you have injured as the enemy. Christ would have you admit it when you make mistakes and atone for them. Christ would have you stop thinking you have all the answers and the rest of us have none." Roger D. Thome, Queen of the Miraculous Medal Church, Jackson, Michigan

"Think of the Catholic Church as the largest boulder in the universe. Due to its size and mass and weight it has always been impossible to move. Think of how VOTF can move that rock. The structure of the rock (analogous to the hierarchy of the Church leadership) is so dense and impenetrable that apparently nothing can be done to have any effect on it. The mass of the rock (think of we the members of the Church) has always been solid and static. Lately however, stresses and strains within the rock have occurred, which have caused cracks to occur. What was once so impossible to penetrate has become a bit porous and flawed.

The mass seems to sense that if nothing is done about the problems in the boulder it will surely disintegrate and, over time, crumble into meaningless shards and rubble. So, how do we interact with a hierarchy which has shown no signs of willingness to even discuss much less modify itself? We (the mass of that boulder) must stick together and somehow get the structure to pay attention to us and to itself.

We can and do have some chance with our parish priests, some of whom are willing to interact with us. It gets a lot harder to get to the pastors. The bishops are pretty much insulated from the laity. We must pray and continue to work with the hierarchy so that they will pay attention to our voices. The hierarchy seems immovable now, but with combined effort and prayer we can and will make a difference. Eventually, the bishops will listen. They will have to." Bob Dahlen, Ormond-by-the-Sea, FL

"Bearing in mind that serious and patient persuasion would be required to convince the Bishops to make changes in the way they exercise their leadership role, I would like to propose an idea that could make a significant difference in accountability without prejudice to episcopal authority.

There should exist some degree of 'fraternal accountability' among the bishops to ensure that norms such as 'The Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests or Deacons' are followed, but there is currently no real mechanism for that to take place. The bishops should establish a process of 'Mutual Visitation' among the dioceses of the US Conference. This Mutual Visitation would be analogous to accreditation in schools and hospitals: A group formed from peer communities comes into an organization and visits and talks with elements of the organization (in this case, laity, clergy, religious orders, etc). The visiting group then prepares a report. Since the diocesan bishop currently has absolute authority within the diocese, no one comes into a diocese and reports independently; all reports to Rome go through the diocesan bishop. This is clearly a situation in which needed change might be very difficult to achieve. In the case of Mutual Visitation, an independent visitation group formed by other bishops would prepare a visitation report that would be sent to the Holy See. One strength of this approach is that an accreditation visit triggers a valuable process of self-examination in the organization preparing for it. A process of Mutual Visitation could therefore be an effective mechanism for encouraging renewal where it is needed. Margaret Roylance, National Chair VOTF Structural Change Working Group

"Talk to the priests and instruct them to speak from the altar and in parish meetings about the scandal of the abuse of children. Tell us that this is not what the Church wants for the present and future environment for adults and children in the Catholic community.

Bishops must hire CATHOLICS in the schools if we are to keep our Catholic traditions and move to the future as Catholic educators. No more than ten percent of the students ought to be non-Catholic.

Health systems must hire Catholic CEO's and adhere more strongly to the traditions and faith beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church. No abortion, no euthanasia, no surgeries for sex alterations." Unsigned

We invite your feedback on the following exchange between three MA priests and David O'Brien, Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies College of the Holy Cross, MA. (Respond to leaderpub@votf.org.) The priests' letter appears first, in italics. The O'Brien response follows, in roman text. What Do You Think?

(The signatories to the priests' letter are Frs. Roger J. Landry, Paul T. Lamb, and Thomas A. Frechette of the Fall River, MA diocese)

A Pastoral Letter From Your Priest

In recent days, several parishioners have asked us for clarification about the group called, "Voice of the Faithful," which is trying to make inroads on Cape Cod and within our Diocese of Fall River.

When VOTF had its first major convention in Boston on July 20, 2002, many of us followed it closely to try to discern its spirit. We were saddened to see the direction it took. The star speakers that day were well-known and oft-quoted critics of the Holy Father...

...and who publicly dissent from the teachings of the Catholic Church.

There's a truism that you can often learn a lot about someone from the people with whom he chooses to associate...

The same goes for VOTF, the leaders of which, of course, invited and paid for these speakers to come to address those at the convention.

When faithful Catholic clergy and lay people criticized what was coming out of the convention, spokesmen from VOTF publicly stated that the group does not take any formal positions on the controversial issues being advanced by several of the convention speakers and VOTF members. But this is not sufficient.

It is impossible for a group that want to be authentically Catholic not to take a position on issues such as the ordination of women, sexual morality, abortion, and the divine foundation of the papacy-all of which the Church has taken a position on. Not to take a position on such issues is to take a position; one cannot be both "agnostic" and "Catholic."

In short, because VOTF has given no indication that it fully supports all the defined teachings of the Church, we have grave misgivings about it and cannot recommend it to you.

As your priests, our foremost duty is to teach and defend the faith that has been handed down to us by Christ through the apostles and their successors...

The Church is not a society of independent thinkers with equally valuable opinions... To be truly Catholic, you can't pick and choose some truths to follow and others to ignore. Embracing the Catholic faith means embracing all of it.

We have particular concern for those Catholics who want to remain faithful to the Church who now belong to an organization that calls itself Catholic but refuses publicly to embrace authentic Catholic teaching. VOTF says its motto is "Keep the Faith; Change the Church." But if the leaders of VOTF are unwilling to assent fully to Catholic teaching, what faith-Catholics could legitimately ask-are they trying to keep? And if the organization is not really keeping the Catholic faith, then its proposals to "change the Church" should be viewed by faithful Catholics with justifiable suspicion. We encourage faithful Catholics who belong to VOTF to demand that the leadership of the organization explicitly avow Church teachings. If the leaders are not willing to do that, then we urge faithful Catholics to leave the organization.

The burden of proof is, of course, on VOTF to demonstrate its complete fidelity to Church teaching, by dissociating itself completely from groups and individuals that are obviously in dissent from Church teaching and gladly and willingly affirming their Catholic faith in all the defined teachings of the Magisterium.

Until such time as VOTF demonstrates a transparent faithfulness to the teachings of the Church, no priest who takes his responsibility before God seriously to promote, preserve and defend the faith would countenance allowing the group to use Church property for their meetings. The people of Troy learned a valuable lesson once and pastors would be derelict in their duty to do otherwise. We love you and love Christ too much to do otherwise.

1) The priests agree with VOTF's goal to support the victim/survivors of abuse, and VOTF's work to prevent any recurrence of abuse.

2) We all support "priests of integrity" (although you might find it interesting that no priest from any of the parishes on Cape Cod present at our last meeting stated that he has received any sign of support from VOTF, which makes one wonder whether for VOTF this is just a paper objective).

3) We agree that there is a need for "cultural change" in the Church, if we define cultural change to mean a transparently greater cult (worship) of Christ among all of us in our daily decisions.

The scandals resulted from the failure of priests to be faithful to Christ and to their promise of celibacy and of bishops to protect the flock from wolves in shepherd's clothing. But this grew within a general culture that was taking its moral obligations before God less seriously. Truly positive change will be directed toward a culture of greater fidelity to Christ in all the persons and activities of the Church.

4) We agree that there is a need for greater education of the laity in the teaching and ways of the faith, which is why, over the course of this year, we will be doing an extensive adult education series and why we have already started discussion sessions for parents of those in our CCD program and school.

5) We also welcome and strongly encourage a greater lay involvement in the mission of the Church, bringing Christ's teaching and love as leaven to our world. In all these areas priests and laity are already working together and, with God's help, bearing much fruit. If these were the only objectives of VOTF, the organization would not be objectionable.

The reason why VOTF is controversial, however, and why we cannot support it or recommend it to you is because VOTF has given indications by its deeds that its objectives transcend these publicly stated ones.

By its failure to subscribe openly to the whole deposit of faith while at the same time publicly associating with groups that oppose the faith, VOTF has done nothing but strengthen suspicions that, while appearing to promote dialogue and cooperation, it actually promotes an agenda in conflict with the teachings of the Catholic faith.

There is a better alternative than VOTF that lay Catholics who want truly to "keep the faith and change the Church" in ways that are manifestly consistent with our Catholic faith. We invite them to become more involved in the mission of the Church here at St. Francis Xavier. We encourage them to join their priests and fellow lay people as together we strive to fulfill the mission which the Second Vatican Council and Pope John Paul II have entrusted to us: to live the faith and thereby, with God's help, strengthen the Church so as to change the world.

(In a related concern, please note that the VOTF Fall River, MA affiliate has issued a press release regarding their communication efforts with Bishop Coleman. It is available by emailing FallRiver@votf.org.)

David O'Brien's response:

Dear Father Landry:

I would like to respond briefly to the letter you and two priest colleagues published (Zenit 03111936) on the Voice of the Faithful. I would be grateful if you could share this letter with them.

I had the privilege of addressing a VOTF group on the Cape last spring. At that time, I wrote Bishop Coleman, whom I had met at the Stonehill College graduation a few weeks earlier. I offered to meet with him to discuss VOTF if he thought that would be helpful. Unfortunately he did not respond.

I cannot deal here with all the statements made in the letter, but I would like to make three points.

First, your letter does not honor the sincere effort which the VOTF and its leaders have made from the beginning to make clear their commitment to the church and their determination to work in and with and not apart from the community of faith and its leaders. Those bishops who have met with the VOTF have affirmed that point. Dr. Post and his colleagues have worked hard to avoid association with "well known and oft quoted critics of the Holy Father who publicly dissent from the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church." They have distanced themselves from the groups associated with Call to Action, which many regard as dissenters. When critics assaulted them for the choice of speakers at their national assembly in Boston in the summer of 2002, they disassociated the organization from a European reform group whose representative addressed the gathering. (I spoke at that meeting and assume you did not include me among the dissenters). In their most recent statements regarding their controversial call for "structural change" (not "cultural change" as your text states) the organization has made it clear that it has in mind improving parish and diocesan pastoral councils and finance committees in order to bring about greater transparency, accountability and shared responsibility, goals altogether in line with Vatican II teaching and much of post Vatican II pastoral practice, as you well know. If you ask why a group is needed to promote these goals, you need only assess the state of these structures in most New England dioceses.

Second, your all or nothing approach to Catholic teaching allows no distinctions and amounts to a kind of papal fundamentalism. It does not allow for a hierarchy of truths, for distinctions between doctrinal and moral teaching, or between doctrine and discipline. Your position makes a joke of all calls for dialogue within the church, or even serious reflection on the genuine tension between many church teachings and pastoral practice. Readers of your letter would be astonished to learn that the Holy Father himself has called for serious dialogue about the role of the Papal office in the life of the church, and that one of our most respected retired bishops, Archbishop John Quinn, has responded with a scholarly discussion which would seriously modify your position. Doctrine and moral teaching arise from and always return to the life of the church as it is lived out by the communities of faith, as you well know. Your position regarding teaching would reduce theology to reflection on doctrinal formulations approved by Vatican authorities and catechetics to head-nodding recitation of the catechism. In his ground breaking encyclical Pacem in Terris Blessed John XXIII drew attention to the gap between the extraordinary advances in the technical education of the Catholic people, and their religious education, which remained, he said, "at an elementary level." Vatican II's calls for the universal pursuit of holiness, for shared responsibility for the life and mission of the church, and for an apostolate aimed at the transformation of our world, all arose from and depended upon an adult church of responsible, educated, thoughtful priests, religious and lay people. Your approach would cancel out the Holy Fathers appeal for a dialogue of faith and culture, reserving it for the professionals who help write Papal and Vatican pronouncements. Recently a Vatican reporter asked an official why they were writing an official statement on a controversial question on which the church is clearly divided: because the American bishops asked for it, he responded. Now we can see why: if a group, even bishops, does not have a Vatican imprimatur on any question, they will never satisfy people like yourselves. One is reminded of the nineteenth century English convert who yearned for a daily encyclical to guide his daily reading of the London Times.

Third, and by far most important, your letter, professing to speak on behalf of the priests of the diocese of Fall River, expresses no humility and less responsibility. Surely the crisis we have lived through is one that touches all of us who were and are part of the church. You and I were not on the moon when children were abused, when priests covered up for their brother priests and when bishops failed to provide leadership or even in some cases failed to protect the integrity of the local church and when we lay people deferred to bishops and priests and failed to ask tough questions when we served on parish and diocesan councils and committees. Fall River, like Worcester, has had some terrible cases, so bad that all of us react with genuine horror. But why did we not notice? Why did we not act when the stories broke over a decade ago, act to make sure that our diocese and our national church acted appropriately? And where were our priests between January 2002, when the latest crisis broke around us here in New England, and this moment? I have seen many cases in the region of compassion and a yearning for justice on the part of individual priests, almost none from presbyteral councils or diocesan pastoral councils.

The most important truth about Voice of the Faithful is that it is composed of a very few lay men and women who have attempted as best they can to take responsibility for their church. They are amateurs at our brutal church politics surely they can be forgiven a few mistakes. They are remarkable because they are so unique. The most ardent reformers apart from those you would dismiss as dissenters take the position best illustrated by a cover of Commonweal magazine featuring a large ear under the heading "Are the Bishops Listening?" Like you, the editors and most commentators seem to believe that only the bishops can act - the best the rest of us can do is speak up and wait. I don't have to tell you that the presbyterate shares fully the responsibilities of the bishop. How have you exercised those responsibilities in this crisis? That is not a self righteous question but one you should ask before accusing VOTF of being irresponsible. The Voice of the Faithful is composed of people who took seriously our talk over forty years that our church is the people of God, that we are the church, and that we share responsibility for the life and work of the church. They are striving to help resolve the crisis because they, unlike most of us for far too long, believe that they are already responsible for what has happened: that is why they have to take some responsibility for responding to victims, supporting beleaguered priests and seeking reforms that will allow all of us to better share responsibility in the future. That, my friends, is why they are important, and why they deserve at least a few words of respect before you demand that they accept what we have as the best we can do.

Peter Steinfels in his recent middle-of-the-road book says that we have a crisis in front of us as American Catholics and we would have had a huge crisis even if there had never been a sex abuse scandal. We will flourish or we will gradually erode on the basis of the choices that each of us makes in the next few months and years. Let's listen to one another, let's try to find the common ground that can support our common life. Let's pray for each other that we will find the grace and wisdom to be the presence of Christ - together - here in our part of the vineyard.

Reader Recommendations

"I found the book Restoring the Soul of a Church - Healing Congregations Wounded by Clergy Sexual Misconduct a great help in broadening an understanding of clergy sexual abuse. As a survivor with over 20 years of healing behind me, I strongly recommend it to every member of VOTF in an attempt to keep a balanced perspective regarding the work and mission of VOTF. Hopkins & Laaser are the editors of this work, which comes out of The Interfaith Sexual Trauma Institute in Collegeville, MN. It can be obtained from Liturgical Press." Pat Stachler, Cincinnati VOTF

"I would like to call VOTF attention to a little booklet by Fr. Kenan Osborne, OFM entitled The Franciscan Intellectual Tradition. In part, it discusses the 'causality' of the Sacraments and Eucharist as other than the Thomistic "direct causality" but one in which the priest and community together present the 'occasion' for God to act in a Sacramental way. This makes the priest and people together active partners in the Sacraments. If we could recover more of this Franciscan Intellectual Tradition, I think it would have a great effect on how we think of the 'priest shortage' and keeping our sacraments available to people." Fr. Leo Sprietsma, O.F.M, Old Mission Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA

An excerpt from "Lemons to Lemonade: The Story of Voice of the Faithful," a talk given by VOTF president Jim Post at the Annual Meeting of the MA Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals on December 9, 2003. The full text is available on the VOTF Web site.

Apart from fundraising, there are some larger themes in our (VOTF) story.

Conscience matters. Sometimes, you simply have to stand up and be counted! Conscience is the essence of "voice of the faithful" - the name itself derives from Vatican II and the sensus fidelium, or sense of the people, that is vital to the work of the Church. We have never had to explain what Voice of the Faithful means or what it is about. That's a great brand name!
Media matters. Name recognition is invaluable. My favorite words are "Voice of the Faithful, the Catholic lay reform group, said today …" We have seen thousands of stories about VOTF, and have worked to shape a public image that is consistent with our actual work.
The Internet matters. Internet - web site visitors are measured in the millions of hits. We can track the pages, content, and frequency of visitors. This is an invaluable source of information about what people seek from VOTF.
Catholics want accountability. Laurie Goodstein, religion writer for the New York Times, in an article entitled "Catholics in Survey Seek Accountability" wrote, "Three of every four Roman Catholics who regularly attend Mass say they want their church to be more financially accountable in the wake of its sexual-abuse crisis." (New York Times, November 7, 2003)

In conclusion, we have tried to respond to a crisis that we did not seek, that was caused by others, and that cried out for a response. My closing thought is simply this: A Catholic activist of another era rightly said: "Know where you stand … then stand there!" That is what we have tried to do with Voice of the Faithful.

VOTF Boston, MA Parish Closing Statement
Steve Krueger, VOTF Executive Director

OUR CALL
Parish closings will cause a profound and challenging upheaval for the personal and faith lives of tens of thousands of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston. If as many as 60 parishes close, that will affect at least 120 parishes, as many as one third of Catholics who regularly attend Mass - over 100,000 people. For many Catholics, their parish is a primary means of identity.

The lessons learned of the past two years call for these momentous decisions to be made according to a new, collaborative model that takes the archdiocese in a new direction - a direction away from the old ways where the hierarchy makes decisions without meaningful involvement of laypersons. In today's environment where trust must be rebuilt, the closing or merger of one's parish may have the unintended consequence of weakening a parishioner's relationship to the Church. We must, and can, avoid this consequence if we all - clergy, laity and hierarchy - work together.

It is encouraging to hear that the Archdiocese says it will solicit considerable local input by laypersons and parish clergy in the process of closing parishes while the details of this involvement are being discussed.

This is a difficult time for all Catholics in the Archdiocese, especially for Archbishop Sean O'Malley. Voice of the Faithful supports the Archdiocese's intention for lay and clergy involvement in the decision-making processes. To that end, we call for these difficult decisions to be made with compassion and an acknowledgment of the failings of the past through an open, thoughtful process that includes serious, meaningful lay and clergy involvement in all decision-making, as well as full financial disclosure at every point in the process. Voice of the Faithful offers our assistance to Archbishop Sean in addressing the difficult issues that lie before us, as together we undertake the rebuilding of our beloved Archdiocese.

OPENNESS, ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY:
QUESTIONS LAYPERSONS & PRESS SHOULD BE ASKING

Voice of the Faithful believes that before parishes are closed, the input of laypersons in this Archdiocese on both parish and diocese-wide levels should be solicited regarding:

What are the criteria for closings? How were these derived, and by whom? Were parishioners involved in developing these? If not, why not? Are these the optimal criteria? How can laypersons have input into refining or ratifying these criteria?
Which parishes will be closed?
What is the timeline for closings? Parishioners in affected parishes need input into when closings will happen and what adjustments they will make going forward.
How will the parish closings affect the financial condition of the Archdiocese?
What entities will receive the monies from closed parishes' bank accounts? Where will the money go?
What entities will receive the proceeds from sales of parish properties? Where will the money go?

Prayer of the Month

This month's prayer was shared with Executive Meeting attendees in December. Its source is unknown.

O Word made Flesh, you came to dwell among us long ago.
No matter how dull and lifeless, or how happy and fulfilling our lives may be,
there is always need for a deeper awareness
of your hopeful presence.
There are signs of your coming, signs of your continued presence,
everywhere in our lives.
Freshen up our vision so that we can recognize your dwelling
within us and among us
as we move hurriedly in this busy season of the year.
May our lives be filled with love
for all those who come our way. Amen