Faithful Friends
Submitted by Cathy and Bill Fallon

Ever since our Representative Council was formed last fall, e-mail notices have let members know that there are members willing and able to provide home hospitality to those VOTF members for whom the two-way drive is either inconvenient or impossible to accomplish in a single day.

A few months went by with no takers. In January, an inquiry came from Brooklyn NY affiliates, asking if they could be accommodated. We happily contacted them, and have enjoyed getting to know them, and share our experiences with our international movement, Voice of the Faithful. The Fallons and the Wilsons stayed up late, burning the midnight oil on that first visit. We learned that Anne was in an RCIA program and looking forward to her full incorporation into the Catholic Church on Holy Thursday-- a reason for rejoicing in a dark season.

Shortly thereafter, we had a new granddaughter, Madeleine Sophie, born in New York City. The Wilson's offered us reciprocal hospitality, which we accepted. Our daughter, Lee, and her three-week old daughter (snug in a Moses basket) joined us for an early dinner in a Village restaurant -- before the elders went on to a wonderful concert performed by members of an a cappella choir from the Wilsons' place of worship at St. Boniface Oratory.

In May, Ed made the trek to Boston by Accela train. That evening, Council recognized and applauded Ed's key role in causing Bishop Daily to declare that, having reviewed our positions, he found that Voice of the Faithful members were, indeed, as we claimed, faithful Catholics! Bishop Daily's lifting of his initial banning of VOTF from diocesan property is one of VOTF's biggest victories to date -- one we hope that the seven other "banning" bishops will emulate.

With only a week to go before the June Council, the Fallons are dusting off the welcome mat to welcome the Wilsons back to our Representative Council to learn of plans for regional and national implementation of the born-in-Boston model for grassroots decision-making.

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