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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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In the Vineyard
February 2004
Volume 3, Issue 2

Page One

VOTF Officers Address the Import of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice Study

Council Updates

Survivor Community

Letters to the Editor

Working Group Reports

Parish Voice News

Events, Opportunities & News

What Do You Think?

Prayer of the Month

My Takes and “Thank you, VOTF!” – Jim Post

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In the Vineyard Archives

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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.