On November 19 at 7:30pm at Larchmont Avenue Presbyterian Church, 6 Forest Avenue Carmine Galasso to speak on "Crosses: Portraits of Clergy Abuse"

This talk is sponsored by Voice of the Faithful of Westchester


New book shares portraits of abused
By LESLIE BRODY, STAFF WRITER
The Record (NJ)
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A new book by Carmine Galasso, an award-winning photographer at The Record, focuses on the scars of hidden wounds inflicted long ago by predatory priests and nuns.

"Crosses: Portraits of Clergy Abuse" contains black-and-white photos of 30 adults who endured excruciating ordeals as children. In detailed interviews, they share graphic memories of sexual abuse, brutal rapes and intimidation by the authority figures their families trusted most.

Patricia Anne Cahill, for example, recalls how the priest who pursued her would take off all his clothes, except for his white collar. If she tried to flee, he locked her naked inside a cold, dark closet. She was only 5 or 6.

Galasso calls his subjects victim/survivors, and spent three years traveling the country to record their faces and memories. For many, the abuse had relentless consequences, including depression, drug abuse and sexual confusion. Some were shunned by their families. A few attempted suicide.

This scandal got widespread public attention only in recent years. In 2004, a study commissioned by Catholic bishops reported that 10,667 Catholics had accused 4,392 priests of sexual abuse between 1950 and 2002. Experts believe that victims who spoke up are only a small fraction of those assaulted. Catholic dioceses have been forced to pay more than $1 billion to settle victims' legal claims.

The emotional and spiritual fallout can't be quantified. Galasso's book aims to make sure it's not forgotten.

Q: This is such a disturbing subject; what attracted you to it?

I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic school through high school, and never experienced abuse in any way and never saw it ... but it interested me on a personal level. I have always enjoyed photographing people who are victims in some sense, particularly victims who then rose up and were healed either by themselves or by some sort of help. ... That said, I really wasn't prepared for the depths of the damage.

Q: How many of these people lead happy lives now?

Some of them may think that they're living normal, healthy lives and I guess maybe they are ... but I could see they're still hurt, at the very least, and angry.

Q: A few of these subjects describe their own offenses as adults, such as grand larceny, drunken driving and domestic violence. One shot the priest who molested him. Do you find yourself excusing their bad behavior?

I don't excuse it but I understand it. Maybe it's a symptom.

Q: How has this project affected your attitude toward the church?

I'm not really religious, I don't really even go to church. But I cross the George Washington Bridge every day, and lots of times I'll say a little prayer before I cross the bridge, or talk to my father, who's been dead for many years. These are spiritual things. I'm so angry at the church for the way they treated these people. The act [of abuse] is horrible in and of itself, but then what the church did after that is like another abuse. The bishops would shuffle [pedophile] priests from parish to parish and they would do the same things at the next parish. ... It's the ultimate betrayal for Catholics.

Q: Do you worry about backlash from Catholic readers or your family?

Sure. I'm not looking for a confrontation with anybody. ... I ended the book with the picture of the damaged angel. Some people might see that as depressing, that there will be no good out of all this. ... The angel's missing a wing and an arm, it was really beaten up. But it's holding a child very beautifully. Despite the beating it took, it's still standing.

Q: Did you ever wrestle with whether to believe the subjects' stories?

There are 30 people profiled; I could have done 3,000. Their stories had to be compelling and there had to be something that made each one believable to me. Almost all of them had been to lawyers. I would say maybe a third to a half of those who pressed charges had settlements with their archdioceses so far. However, I didn't want to show just people who had payouts, I wanted to show some who got screwed again because of the church hiding behind the statute of limitations.

Q: Walk me through a picture.

Let's go with Johnny Vega [of Paterson]. This was one of the first times he was able to summon the strength to drive by the church [where he was raped as a child]. I wanted to photograph the church [reflected] on his car window. The church almost looks like the evil empire. The layer of the shadowy empire, the church, is over him, showing it still holds some sort of weight. This is a guy who went through many changes, because he was a little kid who was horribly abused and raped, and it was a very nasty physical thing. The priest was a very big, brutal guy -- scared the hell out of him and his friends.

Johnny thinks he's over it. My opinion is no.

Q: What do you hope the overall impact of the book will be?

There are still people who refuse to believe this happens. This is a truth, a fact, and I want people to know it. What makes this "special," if you want to use that word, is that this abuse comes from the person who should be the most highly trusted person in their community – a priest or a nun. So many of these people, when I interviewed them, said the priest is the closest thing to God on earth ... They really believed that, and that was the cause of so much tumult and confusion. That the person who was the most trusted person in their life could do such a thing – it caused a lot of these people to think they were the bad person, that they caused the priest or nun to go to hell. ... It's a really deep wound.

One of the reasons I went with "Crosses" as the title is that it's a cross they have to bear their whole lives.

All are welcome. For more information call Peggy Cashman (914 834 2183)

Portland Archciocese wants victims to give names.

As the article points out the diocese knows the name of every victim who sues them but wants to intimidate victims from suing. One would think charity would replace lawyering. Read the article.

Kenneth E. Lasch a True Pastor--Euge!!

Saturday October 20, 2007This is a statement of my formal acceptance of the 'Priest of IntegrityAward' that is to be conferred on three priest, I among the three, at theAnnual National Conference of the Voice of the Faithful at Providence, RI onSaturday, October 21st. It will be delivered in my absence by Ginny Hoehne,whose sone was abused by a priest in the Diocese of Cleveland.On March 21st, 1985, my life as a Roman Catholic priest, pastor and humanbeing changed forever. It was the day on which Mark Serrano revealed that hehad been molested and raped by one of my predecessors, James Hanley, in thevery same rooms I then occupied as the pastor of St. Joseph Parish inMendham, New Jersey. James Hanley also sexually abused at least 18 otheryoung boys and men that we know of. I suspect there are still others whohave yet to come forward.Shortly after Mark's disclosure, I made a preferential option for victims ofsexual abuse by clergy or religious. In essence, I made a commitment to Markand through Mark to all victims of sexual abuse that I would stand with thempublicly and privately and would never act in their name or on their behalfwithout consulting them.Moreover, I committed myself to data-based decisions as opposed topower-based decisions. By that I mean that all my decisions and actionswould be based on hard and soft data rather than on force or fear or power.Church leaders tend to use force, fear and power rather than data andpositive affirmation to enforce their teachings and decisions about thespiritual wellbeing of Catholics. But even when they accompany theirdecisions with data, they limit dialogue in such manner that stifles thepursuit of truth. In effect, truth is what they define as truth regardlessof the facts. They have deleted the ancient notion of 'sensus fidelium' fromtheir theological lexicon.My experience as vice chancellor and bishop's secretary and then asexecutive secretary for pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Paterson foralmost thirteen years opened my eyes to the vagaries of the clericallifestyle including clandestine sexual relationships and allegations ofsexual assaults against minors and adults. However, it was not until Mark'sdisclosure and my subsequent experience as a victims' advocate that my eyeswere opened to the depth of deceit, manipulation of facts and legalmaneuverings by many bishops and their 'advisors' that ultimately led to themost notorious cover-up of crime by a religious institution in modernhistory. Incidentally, may I suggest that had more women been involved indeliberative decision-making at the highest level of church governance, thistragic scandal of sexual abuse would have had a very different history andin the words of the psalmist, justice and compassion would have been theoverriding mix that would have brought this terrible chapter to closureyears ago.I would be addressing these words to you in person today but for the factthat I myself at the tender age of 70 have found it necessary to be engagedin therapy for what I will call sub-post traumatic stress syndrome.Twenty-two years is a long time even for someone as experienced and defiantas I to face a wall of silence interrupted only by periodic stonewalling andexcuses by those who had the power to heal but chose instead to use thatpower to re-victimize those whose wounds were still raw by prevarication andequivocation.The first general clergy meeting in our diocese following the now historicdisclosures of sexual abuse in Boston was convened not to condemn the horrorof sexual abuse but to inform priests of their canonical and civil rights ifthey should be accused. In that assembly were priests who did indeedsexually abuse young men after plying them with alcohol but because theirvictims were over 16 years of age at the time of the assault, they wereconsidered 'consenting adults.'In a subsequent dialogue with priests at their tri-annual convocation, thebishop referred to incidents of clerical abuse as allegations or in cases ofproven abuse, moral lapses. The bishop was careful to distinguish betweensin and proven criminal misconduct. Priests were invited to reach out totheir brother priests against whom allegations had been made as an act ofcharity. No mention was made of their victims.In a confidential report addressed to the National Conference of CatholicBishops on June 9, 1985, Father Tom Doyle, OP, JCD, noted canonist andformer secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio, Ray Mouton, Esquire, and FatherMichael Peterson, M.D., warned the bishops that the Church in the UnitedStates could suffer losses in excess of one billion dollars if they did notaddress the issue of sexual abuse by clergy with integrity and transparency.The report was 'deep sixed' (buried) by Cardinal Bernard Law despite hispromise to introduce it at a general meeting of the bishops.Notwithstanding the often-expressed opinion among some including bishops'attorneys, editorial writers in the Catholic and secular press, who continueto state that victims are interested more in money than in justice, let thembe reminded that from the earliest allegations until the present, victimssought an acknowledgement of the crimes perpetrated against them, a sincereapology, a full accounting of their handling of the allegations and a firmcommitment that no child or young adult or any man or woman would ever besubject to any sexual assault by a priest. It was the bishops who turnedimmediately to their attorneys and after protracted and painful negotiationsthat included stonewalling and endless delays came to financial settlementsthat were protected by legal gag orders, ostensibly for the protection ofthe victims when in fact they were for the protection the Church. And ofcourse, the bishops have disclosed little about church attorney fees.Some may say this is all history and I say it is still the modus operandi ofmany American bishops and their advisors. The bishops may have followed theletter of the law in the implementation of the Dallas Charter but they havefallen far short of the spirit of the law and surely of the Gospel. As lateas six months ago when I asked to speak with my bishop, his attorney said itwas not in his best interest to speak with me. To which I replied, "Indeedit is not in his best interest, but it is in the best interests of theChurch."I have used the term 'many' in my references to bishops because I do notwant to assume that every bishop should be painted with the same brush.However, where are the 'good bishops' who should be holding their brothersaccountable? Who are they? Where are they?Please be clear that the majority of men and women sexually abused bypriests were 16 years or older. The canonical age of majority was not raisedto 18 years of age until the mid-eighties. In as much as many of theallegations were made by adults whose abuse took place prior to themid-eighties, they do not come under the Dallas Charter and Norms.Therefore, know that there are priests who have been guilty of sexualmisconduct who are still functioning as "priests in good standing!"In the meantime, bishops issue edicts about how to wear the stole and limitthe role of lay ministers at Eucharist. The world is burning and bishops arepiddling in the pond.Now that I have gotten that off my chest, again—I want to turn briefly tothe positive.I want to praise victim/survivors of sexual abuse by clergy and religiousfor their undying courage and say them once more from the depth of my heart,"I am so very sorry for what you have endured and continue to endure. Thepain that I have endured as an advocate does come close to what your andyour families have suffered. I am so very, very sorry!"To my brother and sister advocates, do take care of yourselves. Do notresort in anger to hateful epithets or to vindictive language in yourpursuit of justice. Hold our bishops and their advisors accountable but donot bash them. Remember, data-based processes are more effective thanpower-based processes. Do your homework. Keep abreast of the latest studieson child abuse and the most recent insights of experts in psychology.Continue to lobby your elected officials providing them with solidinformation on sexual abuse and arm yourselves with examples of miscarriagesof justice by both church and civil officials.To my brother priests: I know there are more of you who have stood withvictims even though for whatever reason, you declined to speak publicly.While I do not question your decision to remain silent, I ask you to searchyour heart and soul and ask you to at least speak in private to your bishopto let him know what you know and to assure him that your loyalty depends onhis accountability as well as yours.To my brother priests who knew and still know who's doing what with whom,it's never too late to take a courageous stand for justice and integrityeven at the risk of a loss of a few perks or worse. In the words of DietrichBonhoffer, "There are no cheap graces." The clerical system is broken andclerical privilege is on the way out.To members of the VOICE of the FAITHFUL, take the words of Bill Casey andDavid O'Brien in their recent article, Shared Burden, to heart: "VOTF, it isour conviction, provides [the] opportunity at a particularly critical momentin U.S. Catholic history. Since the sexual- abuse crisis exploded in 2002,the bishops have taken some significant steps to prevent future abuse, butthey have failed to address what we think are the underlying causes of theworst scandal in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.Bishop are unlikely to open up the decision-making process unless there arestrong, independent Catholic organizations working to make the church'spastoral planning, personnel policies, and financial operations moretransparent, honest and accountable." [Commonweal, October 12, 2007] ( Forthe full text of the article, click 'Notes, Quotes & Comments' on mywebsite. )I dream of that day when our bishops will speak as vehemently against theslaughter of the innocent souls of those who have been sexually abused by apriest or religious as they do about the death of a child in the womb.I dream of that day when bishops, priests, deacons, religious and lay peoplewill once again consider their common baptismal call to be one people ofGod, sharing in the joys and pains of the entire Body of Christ, indeed ofthe world, as the most significant sign that Christ is indeed alive. I dreamof that day when transparency will replace secrecy, when truth will behonored not by exception but by rule, when integrity will be the umbrellavirtue that authenticates the gospel without equivocation.Until that day, my words remain firm: "There will be no forgiveness andhealing until there is justice; no justice until there is the fulldisclosure of truth; no disclosure of truth until there is fullaccountability."We are not there yet but we must not let hope die.I am deeply grateful for and humbled by the honor you have conferred on me.Kenneth E. LaschDiocese of Paterson

Gerald Renner exposed Maciel of Legionnaires of Christ

G. Renner; Respected Journalist

By RINKER BUCK

Hartford Courant Staff Writer

October 25, 2007

courant.com/news/local/hc-ctrennerobit1025.artoct25,0,6787278.story



Gerald Renner, who won international recognition for his pioneering reporting in The Courant on allegations of sexual abuse within a Roman Catholic religious order, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer. He was 75 years old.



Renner joined The Courant as the religion writer in 1985, after serving as editor and director of Religion News Service in New York and vice president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Earlier, he worked as a reporter in the U.S. Navy, at a newspaper in Pennsylvania and for United Press in Washington, D.C.



Until his retirement in 2000, Renner wrote hundreds of Courant news and feature stories on religious topics.



Around The Courant newsroom, Renner, who was raised as a Roman Catholic, was known for his encyclopedic reach on topics touching all faiths, whether profiling a Bloomfield rabbi returning to his native Belarus to provide a proper burial for Jews massacred by the Nazis or chronicling the growth of Islam in America. Interfaith issues, attempts at canonizing new saints and the acceptance of gays and lesbians in churches were recurrent themes in Renner's work.



He reached his widest audience with a series of articles and a book he co-wrote about the Legionaries of Christ, a secretive and conservative Roman Catholic order whose American headquarters is in Connecticut.



Renner learned of the Legionaries while traveling in Rome for The Courant in 1989, when Archbishop John F. Whealon of Hartford pointed out the headquarters of what he called "that controversial, conservative religious order that has a seminary in Cheshire."



Intrigued, Renner, after returning to Connecticut, began researching an article about the rapidly growing order, which was founded in Mexico in 1941 by the Rev. Marcial Maciel Degollado and enjoyed close relations with the Vatican. He published his first Courant article about the order in 1996 and teamed with writer Jason Berry of New Orleans, the author of an early book about sexual abuse by Catholic priests, to produce an in-depth story on Maciel in The Courant the following year. The article documented how, after decades of silence, nine former seminarians from Mexico and Spain accused Maciel of abusing them in European seminaries from the 1940s to the 1960s.



"I did the reporting from Mexico, while Jerry did the reporting in the U.S. and dealt with Rome," Berry said. "Jerry was particularly a delight to work with because he was trained like a laser to get the facts, but never at the expense of being unfair to people."



Renner and Berry teamed up again to write a book, "Vows of Silence: The Abuse of Power in the Papacy of John Paul II," which was favorably reviewed after it was published in 2004. The book argued that Pope John Paul II had protected Maciel and that the church covered up other reports of sexual abuse by priests. "Vows of Silence" was credited with helping to force the Vatican to remove Maciel from the active priesthood in 2006.



The Rev. Richard McBrien, a University of Notre Dame theologian, who was interviewed by Renner several times, said: "Renner, Berry and The Courant blew the whistle on the priestly pedophilia crisis way before anyone else in a really groundbreaking way. The Legion people were very upset but they couldn't lay a glove on Renner because the facts were so solid."



Before the 1997 story ran, The Courant was under great pressure from the Legionaries and its law firm.



"Jerry had incredible resolve and was always focused and argued for his story in a gentlemanly way," said Stephanie Summers, who edited the 1997 piece. "During all these conferences with Courant lawyers and editors, he was both the iron man and the wit."



That wit came in handy when Renner was assailed by sources unaccustomed to tough reporting on the religion beat. In the late 1980s and early '90s, Renner worked on a series about Brother Julius Schacknow, a cult leader from Connecticut, who proclaimed that he was Jesus Christ reincarnate, and had also amassed a real estate empire.



"One day, while Renner was interviewing Brother Julius in the New Britain bureau, the cult leader asked Renner, `If I blinded you right now physically, would you believe that I'm God?'" fellow reporter Dan Jones recalled. "Jerry didn't miss a beat and said, `No, I'd have you arrested for assault.'"



Among friends, Renner was known as a doting grandfather who loved telling stories about his offspring and who wrote a heartfelt and often hilarious Christmas letter every year.



Renner, a native of Philadelphia, served in the U.S. Navy from 1951 to 1955, part of that time aboard the battleship USS Missouri. He was the recipient of the Templeton Prize awarded by the Religion Newswriters Association and was also recognized by the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists for investigative reporting.



He lived in Norwalk with his wife, Jacqueline Breen Renner. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind four daughters, a son and 10 grandchildren. Magner Funeral Home in Norwalk is handling arrangements, with calling hours Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., and a service at St. Thomas the Apostle in Norwalk on Saturday at 10 a.m.

The article above is complete.

LA diocese fights back in unsigned website

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has a website which they are advertising nationwide. However, there is no acknowledgment that it is the diocesan website. Who are they trying to fool? I guess it pays to advertise.

From la-clergycases.com/

On July 16, 2007, Judge Haley Fromholtz approved a settlement agreement between the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and 508 individuals who alleged they were sexually abused. Here you can read news, commentary and documents regarding the settlement.
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony’s July 15 statement that an “agreement in principle” had been reached..
Cardinal Mahony’s July 16 statement following Court approval.
Pastoral Letter, July 18 Media Coverage of the Settlement Claims of Innocence Missing in Coverage?
Dave Pierre of NewsBusters makes the point that among the priests whose cases were included in the settlement are some who have adamantly denied the charges against them and against whom there was little or no evidence. These claims of innocence have been “virtually invisible” in media coverage. Read Mr. Pierre’s coverage. Request for Clarification Denied by Times
The Archdiocese requested that the Times clarify and correct two items in its settlement coverage. The Times denied the requests, of course. Read the Archdiocese request. Read the Times response.

Here is a 2005 report from Snap on the LA diocese.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/news/calif/la_files_recount.htm

Boston Priest Accused in NY Suit by Former Seminarian

Boston bishop is named in lawsuit
Ex-student says he was forced out
By Michael Rezendes, Globe Staff, 11/22/2002
Boston Auxiliary Bishop Emilio S. Allue, during his years running a seminary for Catholic teenagers in New York, expelled a high school student who had reported being sexually molested by a Catholic brother at the school, according to a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court.

Snap demonstration tomorrow morning at Giuliani office, for hiring an accused pedophile priest, at 5 Times Square

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

Dear Friends,
We will be holding a press conference on Wednesday, October 24th, at 11:00 AM outside of Rudy Giuliani's offices. Giuliani has Monsignor Placa working for him. Placa has three allegations of child sexual abuse against him, has been removed from ministry by his bishop and has actively covered for other predators. We feel it is dangerous for this man to be given such a prominent position.

The offices are located in Times Square. Please try to join us- call Barbara Blaine for all the details at 312-399-4747.


Thanks for the help.
Barbara Dorris

Disciples in Action Votf in Providence RI Convention Center Oct 19, 2007

Contrary to news of its demise, Voice of the Faithful is alive and well as demonstrated by its conference Oct 19 in the Providence Convention Center. From all accounts the people who showed up were determined to build a better church and do not intend to stop anytime soon. As has been reported there are discussions as to the direction Votf should go in at this juncture of its existence. Richard McBrien, theology professor at Notre Dame gave the keynote address in which he advised members to keep "hope alive" and talk to the bishops as "Bush should talk to Iran" and other leaders to keep the lines of communication open.

There is a view which states that although celibacy is not the cause of the sexual abuse scandal, it can be a contributory factor when it is mandatory. O'Brien said that the question of celibacy is quite legitimate since many Catholic priests are married (in other rites) and were married during half of the church's history. Votf is asking the church to take a look at this question. Some others like the fiery, internationally respected, Edwina Gately opted for a more confrontational approach since "bishops treat us like children and ignore us, especially women." "Don't be afraid of them", she urged.The superb advocate and victim himself, David Clohessy urge the crowd to be persistent in seeking justice for survivors and be as wise as serpents in their dealing with pastors and bishops. The workshop on how dioceses hide enormous amounts of money in their financial reports was a blockbuster eye opener. The financial scandal seems to have enormous legs. If the major progressive Catholic publications were present I did not see them though their wares were in a mutual booth. Maybe they were busy covering more relevant events. More on the convention will follow.

Salesians as Record Pedophiles?

The Salesians: Record Holder Pedophiles
GUEST BLOG: By Joey Piscitelli
City of Angels
Thursday, October 18, 2007
http://cityofangels3.blogspot.com/2007/10/guest-blog-salesians-record-holder.html

(Editor's Note: Civil cases involving the Salesians Religious Order were not part of the $660 million settlement in LA last July. Jury trials on calendar so far regarding Salesians: Nov. 5 cases involving Father Titian Miani; January 28th cases involving former priest, Jesus Dominguez. Attorneys meet this morning for a status conference on cases involving Brother Ernie Martinez.)

"The Salesians fight every victim tooth and nail, an utter disgrace to all Catholics."
By Joey Piscitelli

There is no Catholic Order’s abuse record that I know of that comes close to the Salesians of California. The record number of accused and convicted sex abusers from Salesians of California is by far the largest, and the longest list in the state. In addition, there is no Catholic Order that I know of that fights victims so vehemently and apparently as hatefully as the Salesians based in California.

New Cardinal criticized for "abysmal" record dealing with clergy sex abuse

David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said DiNardo had an "abysmal" record dealing with clergy sex abuse issues in Sioux City, Iowa, and showed no improvement in Houston.
"We're disappointed by this choice and believe Catholics should be disappointed, too," he said.

Good Catholic Girls by Angela Bonavoglia

For me the best book on the pedophilia crisis and the rise of women in the church is GOOD CATHOLIC GIRLS: HOW WOMEN ARE LEADING THE FIGHT TO CHANGE THE CHURCHHarperCollins/ReganBooks, 2005. The documentation of individual women theologian's struggle with the Vatican is nowhere treated with the detail found here. For example the story of the harassment by the CDF of the great Fordham theologian, Elizabeth Johnson, is told here in great detail. You cannot find this anywhere else. It is a book every Catholic should read as well as every woman. Angela Bonavoglia is nationally recognized for her writing about women’s issues and Catholic Church reform. Here is an excerpt. http://www.goodcatholicgirls.com/work4.htm

Votf Coordinators in New York and Westchester

Bob Kristan, New York Area Coordinator http://www.votf-nyc.org/votfny/index.htm
Peggie Cashman, Westchester http://votfwny.blogspot.com/
Ken Kiernan, Queens
Peggy O'Neil, Long Island http://www.votf-li.org/index.htm

Catholic sex-abuse victims protest at college board meeting

Rachanee Srisavasdi
The Crime Scene
Orange County Register
October 15, 2007

Make Plans to go to the Votf convention in Rhode Island

VOTF can change the Church: Your work in VOTF already has and we can do even more. Come to the Convention to learn even more ways to "Keep the faith: Change the Church."
Richard P. McBrien to speak at VOTF ConventionProfessor McBrien has been a friend of VOTF since Jim Muller and Jim Post asked his advice in 2002. Few theologians have done as much to give voice to Catholics as Richard McBrien. Read more.
Workshops and Panels — The Convention will have panels and workshops where VOTF members share how they have made a difference. Much concrete work has been done that you can carry home. Read more.
The Priest of Integrity Award that will be presented at the Convention continues VOTF support of the sacramental priesthood and the richness it brings to our tradition. Read more. VOTF Fall
Action for 2007 leading to the National Convention CONSCIENCE + COURAGE = DISCIPLESHIPAs VOTF’s National Convention nears, we move from an internal grounding in conscience to the more active role of disciple. These surveys will provide you with a tool to assess how your diocese is doing in financial accountability, shared governance and child protection. The results of these surveys will be summarized and compared diocese to diocese at the convention giving each person a foundation for discussion and action. VOTF member's embrace their Baptism. One way we work towards our goal of structural change is by helping Catholics to take their Baptismal responsibilities seriously. Consider using another VOTF implementation tool, Profile of the 21st Century Catholic in your Affiliate.

Voice of the Faithful Westchester membership

Looking for people in Yonkers, Larchmont, New Rochelle, Scarsdale, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings, Mt Vernon, Hartsdale, Ardsley, Elmsford, Pelham, Irvington to join Voice of the Faithful of Westchester to help 1. To support survivors of clergy sexual abuse 2. To support priests of integrity 3. To shape structural change within Church.

We know that there are many people in Westchester County who are interested in working with Votf for true accountability in the church. We hope to reach you through this blog. We are hoping to hear from you.