Making Our Voices Heard
***Conference DVDs are here!
Click here to order conference DVDs online
Click here to print out the DVD order form.
Hosted by the Long Island Voice of the Faithful
October 30-31, 2009
Thanks to the more than 500 members who attended this year’s successful event at the Huntington Hilton in Melville, New York!
Click here to view video clips from this year’s conference. *Please note the videos are best viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox. They can also be viewed at https://vimeo.com/user1161247/videos.
This page will host all post-conference materials, including pictures, video clips, speakers’ remarks, and information on purchasing the conference video. Please keep checking back; we will update this site as the material is made available.
“Thank you so much for all the work and prayer that produced last Saturday’s conference. It was a beautiful and uplifting experience. Sister Joan Chittister and Father Tom Reese spoke with the power and conviction of those who, like Jacob, have wrestled with the Lord and received His blessing. Not only were the keynote speakers superb, but everyone else who spoke, whether they were introducing the award recipients or actually accepting the award, inspired us. They spoke from the quietness and from the Spirit. I truly felt the presence of the Lord.” — Peggy Hardiman
Friday Night Highlights
- Presentations by Voices in Action Campaign Teams. You can view the webinar presentation by VOTF President Dan Bartley and Vice President Janet Hauter.
- Long Island Voice of the Faithful presented strategies for keeping vigils. Their dedication to survivors inspired the conference attendees.
Saturday Highlights
- Voice of the Faithful President Dan Bartley encouraged members to get involved in the Voices in Action campaign.
- Sr. Joan Chittister spoke on leadership in the Church. She said power and leadership are not the same. She also noted that every institution we know today is undergoing transformation, not just our Church. But the reform sought for the Church is about more than just the institution. “Reform has nothing to do with the survival of the Church. Reform has to do with the survival of the Gospel.” *Please check later for a copy of the text or video excerpts of her speech.
- Margaret L. Smith of John Jay College presented a report on the “Causes and Context” study of sexual abuse of youths by Catholic priests. If you attended the conference and did not have a chance to ask your question, please send an email to causes-context@jjay.cuny.edu.
- Priest of Integrity Awards were presented to Fr. Joseph Fowler of Louisville, Kentucky, by Representative Jim Wayne, and to Fr. Donald Cozzens who is a noted author and long-time friend of Voice of the Faithful.
- Jason Berry received the St. Catherine of Siena Distinguished Lay Person Award for his persistent quest for justice, amid repeated attack, in bringing the sexual abuse scandal to light.
- Fr. Thomas Reese, S. J., Fr. Thomas Reese, S.J., shared his “Survival Guide for Thinking Catholics” with conference attendees.