Minutes
SUMMARY
Voice of the Faithful Representative Council Meeting
Saturday, January 17, 2003
St. John the Evangelist School Hall, Wellesley, MA
Moderator
Frances O’Leary opened the meeting at 10:40 a.m. After
Bob Snowber led us in an Opening Prayer, Fran introduced
Ruth Burns, new Council member, St. Paul Parish Voice,
Wellesley, MA; and Mary Ellen Siudut, returning Council
member, Natick, MA, Parish Voice Affiliate.
Announcements
John
Hynes, organizing committee member for the VOTF Boston
Council, announced that each of the 45 member parishes
will select a representative to the Council by January
31, 2004. Each of the five regions that the 45 parishes
have been divided into will elect a member of the Council
Steering Committee by February 15.
Anne
Barrett Doyle announced a panel discussion on the “Status
of the Crisis in the Catholic Church” [held] on Sunday,
January 25, 2-4 p.m., Wellesley Middle School, Wellesley,
MA.
John
Bowen announced the availability of copies of an article
in the current issue of “Corpus Reports.” The article
is written by Dr. George O’Connell, labor-management
consultant and former government official and member
of the Northampton affiliate. The article features Mario
Cuomo and Jim Muller as “two of the very best role models”
of responsible lay Catholicism.
Steve
Masse announced programs at Our Lady Help of Christians
Church, West Concord, MA including a video-taped talk
by Fr. Richard McBrien, “A Reflection on the Church
in Crisis,” with discussion following and a memorial
concert by guitarist P. J. Costa, to benefit the Jim
L. Reed family. (Mr. Reed lost his life in a car accident
involving Arizona Bishop O’Brien in 2003.)
President’s
Report
Jim
Post thanked members of the Nominating Committee and
Election Committee, particularly chairs Svea Fraser
and Jim Walsh, for their work. He also congratulated
the new officers, others who ran for office, and outgoing
secretary Cathy Fallon and outgoing treasurer Scott
Fraser for their expertise and dedication. The elected
officers are: Jim Post, President; Kris Ward, Vice President;
Sr. Betsy Conway, CSJ, Secretary; Ann Carroll, Treasurer.
Jim
read a letter from the Wellesley Meeting of Friends
to Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley, lauding the St.
Paul, Wellesley affiliate whose meetings were being
held at the Meeting House because of the archdiocesan
ban against VOTF’s use of church property for meetings.
(VOTF is under a partial ban in the Archdiocese of Boston.
Affiliates meeting prior to the imposition of the ban
in the Fall of 2002 continue to meet on Church property.)
The letter urged reconciliation. Jim read from his own
letter acknowledging the Friends’ hospitality.
Jim
referred to a meeting of VOTF leadership representatives
with the Boston Globe Editorial Board, focusing on the
coming parish closings and the profound effects those
closings will have.
The
results of the audits of all dioceses regarding compliance
with the Charter for the Protection of Children, were
announced on January 6. Jim encouraged Council members
to check the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)
website (www.usccb.org)
for details and the list of recommendations from the
National Review Board. On February 27, the National
Review Board is expected to release the John Jay College
of Criminal Justice “Study of
the Nature and Scope of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy
in the United States,” cataloguing sexual abuse
cases – number of priests involved, survivors, money
spent – over the last 50 years.
Earlier
this week, Jim participated in the Annual Meeting of
the Common Ground Initiative at The University of Notre
Dame. He commented on the very positive comments about
VOTF, evidencing our network of support. Lay education
was a dominant topic at the meeting.
The
National Policy Forum conference calls continue. On
January 7, topics covered centered on affiliates’ responses
to the January 6 audits, by way of local action, including
lay education, media releases and communication with
bishops.
Jim
said VOTF priorities during the next 90 days include
preparing lay education programs, governance committee
work, completion of the structural change primer and
concerns around parish closings.
Jim
mentioned that many books about VOTF/the sexual abuse
crisis will be published soon. Council members urged
caution in our endorsing or listing them in our communications.
An exception would be Dr. Jim Muller’s book.
Finance
Report
Steve
Krueger distributed an unaudited Balance Sheet as of
December 31, 2003, and an unaudited Statement of Operations
for the One Month and Seven Months Ending December 31,
2003.
Affiliate
News
Bob
Marrion said that VOTF of Eastern CT, Diocese of Norwich,
would present a panel discussion on issues relating
to the Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church on
Sunday, February 8. Bob also announced a workshop on
the Rights of Clergy in Canon Law, Sunday, March 28,
3-5 p.m., Days Inn, Niantic, CT. Presenter will be canon
lawyer Msgr. William A. Varvaro, from the Diocese of
Brooklyn, NY. The workshop is in response to the survey
of diocesan priests and is open to priests and deacons
only, from all dioceses.
Jack
Whelan and Vince Guerra described the collaboration
of the North Shore, Lynn, and Seacoast affiliates in
presenting a series of lectures followed by discussion.
Bob
Snowber described the work of a task force of the Hingham
affiliate that studied documents, guidelines and practices
pertaining to parish councils. Bob said that their report
is available. [See Hingham, MA under “Voices, Voices
Everywhere” in this issue.] There will be continuing
follow-up.
Committee
Reports Structural Change Working Group Chair Margaret
Roylance presented a Power Point
status
report. She noted that the SCWG was formed in July 2002
and has 75 national members. A Primer on Church Structure
is nearing completion. A draft presentation on the operating
principles for diocesan level finance councils will
be brought to the Representative Council in February.
Suzy
Nauman reported that parish affiliates now include British
Columbia, New Zealand and Tasmania. Conference calls
are made regularly to each of the four US regions. Current
projects in the Parish Affiliate office are the formation
of a Parish Voice Advisory Committee, leadership training,
and review and updating of start-up materials.
Jim
Walsh thanked all involved in the election process,
in particular Steve Kruger and the office staff, notably
webmaster Eileen Hespeler. He thanked all who ran for
office and congratulated the successful candidates.
Old
Business
John
Magilligan reported that the Task Force on Representative
Council Mission and Structure made a conference call
with four of the 12 members who were available. They
will resume their work in the near future.
Other
Business
Sheldon
Daly announced that Tom Beaudoin, visiting professor
of theology at Boston College, would be speaking at
the South Region VOTF’s January meeting at St. Albert
the Great Parish Center, Weymouth.
Moderator
Fran O’Leary announced tentative dates and places for
the next three Council meetings, which will be confirmed
by the end of next week: February 28, Paulist Center,
Boston; March 20, Reading, MA; April 17, West Hartford,
CT.
Jim
Post reminded Council members that Fran O’Leary is acting
Moderator, having agreed to serve out the unexpired
term of the previous Moderator, which ended December
2003. A formal election for Moderator will take place
at the February meeting. (Nominations are welcome.)
Jack
Whelan led us in the closing prayer.
The
meeting was adjourned at 12:30 p.m.
Minutes
compiled by Jean Boyle and Pat Merlo
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