This is the letter issued as invitation to the Fall ’02 ...



This is the letter issued as invitation to the fall ’03 regional conference held in New York City.

September 22, 2003

Dear Friend of the Catholic Church,

The ongoing clergy sex abuse crisis has been deeply troubling to all who share our precious faith.

The epicenter of the crisis has been the Boston Archdiocese, where some 25 concerned parishioners at a Wellesley, MA church first met in January 2002. That gathering has resulted in an international organization known as the Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), which now numbers over 30,000* in 41* states and 21* countries.

To date 181 parishes in the US have formed VOTF Affiliate groups, and many VOTF members are parish leaders, Eucharistic ministers, lectors, religious education teachers, choir members and pastoral associates. In the tri-state area, VOTF Affiliates have come together to plan a fall conference:

Being Catholic in the 21st Century: Crisis Challenge Opportunity

to be held Saturday, October 25 at Fordham University’s Rose Hill campus in the Bronx.

The purpose of the Conference is to energize and educate all who attend, while supporting the mission and goals of VOTF. It will be a day of presentations, discussions and communal worship. Nationally prominent and diverse speakers will address the core issues of survivors and abuse, the priesthood today, greater accountability of Bishops and an increased role for the Laity in helping to build the Church of the future in a day of dialogue, renewal and inspiration. Speakers will include Catholic historians and teachers, theologians, psychologists and legal professionals.

We have received a start up grant from Boston VOTF, but an undertaking of this size requires much more than the modest $35 admission price will cover. We urge you to consider a gift to help support this important and timely educational meeting of Catholics who care deeply about the next generation, the priests who are struggling and the life of the Church itself.

Please visit VOTF’s website to understand more about our mission. You can register and get full conference details at . Please consider joining us on October 25th at the Fordham campus and please also consider supporting the Conference now. Your thoughtful gift will contribute to the success of this vital endeavor.

Toward a Better and Renewed church,

Maria M. Coffey Robert E. Mulligan Ann W. Zouvelekis

New York Co-chair Connecticut Co-chair New Jersey Co-chair

Yes, we wish to contribute. $500 ____ $250 ____$100 ____ $50 ____ $25 ____ Other____

Gifts of $250 or more will underwrite two student or abuse survivor tickets.

$____________ Total enclosed

____________________________________________________________________________

Name

____________________________________________________________________________

Organization

____________________________________________________________________________

Address

Please make check payable to Voice of the Faithful and enter “October Conference” in memo space and mail to: VOTF, PMB104, 2513 Kings Highway No. Darien, CT 06820

Your contribution is fully tax deductible.

*As VOTF grows, these numbers are changing almost weekly. Please contact your regional coordinator or VOTF national for the accurate numbers.

This is a sample of a letter that was read at the end of masses at one affiliate’s parish.

I’d like to talk with you about a subject close to my heart and many of yours: the scandal and crisis affecting our Catholic Church. I look at the situation in three levels.

1. The abuse and sickening atrocities committed by all too many priests against the youth of our faith, men, and women. Details of these perversions have been all too graphically depicted in the press.

2. The cover-up by our trusted leaders in the church hierarchy. How could they hide these atrocities and look the other way? How dare they! Where was their sense of moral outrage that strikes at our hearts? They continue to fail to feel the depth of that betrayal! Bishop Lennon continues to thwart the efforts of unity within our church: he still refuses to accept monies from VOTF for Catholic Charities and he has upheld the banning of VOTF affiliates from meeting in their own parish churches! He just doesn’t get it!

3. Perhaps the most dangerous level! Now that the abuse and cover-up are out in the open, what is our response? Our Catholic faith calls us to live our lives in the image of Jesus. As the song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

What is it that each of us can do? Voice of the Faithful can help with that answer. The group’s goals are threefold:

• To support those who have been abused

• To support priests of integrity

• To shape structural change within the Church

These goals help prioritize the answers to the crisis plaguing the Church. Yet, the Church hierarchy has turned its back on this group. The hierarchy hopes to preserve the status quo and allow the current problem and VOTF to fade away. That will only happen if we let it happen. If the membership numbers level off, the group and its ideals can be marginalized and pushed to the periphery. The membership has increased to more than 30,000* and the affiliated parishes to more than 182*, but membership must continue to grow to keep the attention of the hierarchy. The membership of the Concerned Catholics of Bridgewater, which is St. Basil’s VOTF affiliate, would implore you to add your name to the VOTF membership.

Anyone over the age of 13 can become a member of this national organization by registering at at the end of Mass, or completing one of the forms in the pews. If you place these forms in the basket at the CCOB table in the living room or near the main door, we will mail them for you. We also have the computer in the library set to the VOTF Web site for anyone who would like to register that way. It takes no more than a minute or two. There are no obligations other than giving your name, address, and phone number or email address. The higher the membership total, the more difficult it will be to ignore VOTF.

Do this for the victims, do this for yourself, and do this for your Church. To take liberty with a very famous quote from former President John F. Kennedy:

“Ask not what your Catholic Church can do for you-ask what you can do for your

Catholic Church!” Thank you.

*As VOTF grows, these numbers are changing almost weekly. Please contact your regional coordinator or VOTF national for the accurate numbers.

This is a sample of a letter from an affiliate to the priests of the diocese

Open Letter to the Priests of the Diocese of Peoria

The diocesan affiliate of the national lay movement, Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), was initiated in June of 2003 in Bloomington. At that time, a letter was sent to Bishop Daniel Jenky informing him of this activity, and requesting an opportunity to meet with him.

Voice of the Faithful was founded in Boston in early 2002 as a Catholic lay response to the sexual abuse scandal and its cover-up. Since then, the movement has grown nationwide, consisting of 185 affiliates and 30,000 members.

VOTF has three goals: To support victims of abuse and their families, to support priests, and to advocate for a greater lay voice in the governance and guidance of the Church.

The second goal, support of priests, was established in recognition of the fact that the vast majority of priests, our pastors and friends in the priesthood, have also been victimized by this calamity. The image of the priesthood has been tarnished, and we know this has been a painful and heartbreaking moment in your lives and in the life of our Church.

Your priesthood will always be central in the life of the Church, and in our lives as practicing Catholics. We pray that this calamity will somehow result in a stronger bond between priests and laity, rather than be divisive. We hope that is your prayer also.

We (VOTF) believe the sexual abuse crisis will not be adequately addressed with the mere establishment of safeguards to prevent future sexual abuse of children and minors. We believe there is a moral imperative to address the issues of accountability, apology, and even reconciliation with victims of abuse and their families. We advocate with our Church leadership to move emphatically from an institutional to a pastoral approach in addressing these issues.

We do not claim the high moral ground. Rather, we feel we have all been responsible for our brothers and sisters whose spirits have been broken and trust eroded by our collective failure to speak up and do something.

This is difficult for us…and even painful when we are described as anti-Catholic and as a group of dissidents.

.We know this has been a difficult time for you as well. We offer our support, as best as we can, even to the extent of advocating publicly for due process for any accused priest.

We invite your comments and feedback. One way you could do this is through our website ().

God bless you. You are in our prayers.

This is a child protection plea mailed by an affiliate to diocesan staff.

             Another Week Has Gone By...

             [pic]               [pic]

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To Diocese of Portland Executive Staff:

Are you comfortable that no children were sexually abused this past week by any of the 33 priests in our diocese who have been accused of abusing children?

We depend on you. We don't know where they are.

This is a letter mailed to priests, voicing support for them.

Voice of the Faithful

In the Syracuse Area

votfsyracuse@

July 10, 2003

Dear _____:

Peace and God’s blessings to you! We members of the Syracuse-area Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) write to you with a two-fold purpose. First, we want to introduce ourselves to you. Second, we offer our support recognizing the pain all priests suffered because of the recent sex abuse scandal in the Church.

As you may know, VOTF is a lay organization formed in January 2002 in response to the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. Currently, VOTF has more than 25,000* supporters in 40* states and 21* countries. Our own group began in April with 11 members; we hope to continue to grow.

VOTF has a mission statement and set of goals; our group subscribes to them fully. The mission statement is: “To provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church.” To that end, the goals of VOTF are: to support those who have been abused, to support priests of integrity, and to shape structural change within the Church. We work toward these goals because we accept the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, which proclaims that lay Catholics have a right – indeed a responsibility – to become active in the guidance of the Church as the “People of God.” To accomplish this we will work only within the context of Canon Law and the documents of the Church, particularly those of Vatican II. Furthermore, we accept and follow the VOTF Executive Committee “Statement on Who We Are,” which attests that: “We are faithful Catholics in communion with the universal Catholic Church. We love and support our Church and believe what it professes. We accept the teaching authority of our Church, including the traditional role of the bishops and the Pope. And we will work with our bishops, clergy, and other members to strengthen unity and human moral integrity in our Church.” We pray that our new VOTF group will serve God and bring both healing and change within our great Church.

Hoping to join in the healing process, we express our deep sadness in the midst of the current crisis. As people of the Church, we are all called, in a special way, to an integrity that is defined by walking the path of the gospel and living the teachings of the Church – particularly the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. We realize this call is a struggle for each of us, and therefore, we recognize that it demands mutual assistance. Consequently, we take this opportunity to reach out to you in support, and we pledge to listen to your concerns, needs, hopes, fears, and perspectives. We also promise to seek justice and due process for anyone accused of sexual misconduct. Finally, we offer our prayers and service to you so that we might collaborate in your ministry. As a token of our appreciation, please find enclosed a copy of a Daily Prayer for Priests, which is our prayer for you. If you would like to contact us, please email VOTF at votfsyracuse@. Thank you for your ministry in our diocese.

Yours in Christ,

Gary Thomas Smith

Gary Thomas Smith, Facilitator

Syracuse-area Voice of the Faithful

Cc: Bishops Moynihan and Costello

*As VOTF grows, these numbers are changing almost weekly. Please contact your regional coordinator or VOTF national for the accurate numbers.

This is a flyer distributed to a parish where a priest had just been removed.

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In this time of distress for St. Patrick’s Parish and for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Voice of the Faithful Dayton Affiliate expresses its concern for you, stands with you, and asks the Lord to bless you and keep you, lift His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you peace.

Never forget the survivors of abuse and their families.

Daily Prayer for Priests

Heavenly Father

Grant that our priests be

strengthened and healed by the

power of the Eucharist they celebrate,

may the Word they proclaim give them courage and wisdom

We pray that all those whom they seek to serve may see in them

the love and care of Jesus,

our Eternal High Priest, who is Lord

forever and ever Amen.

Mary, Mother of the Church, look tenderly

upon your sons, your priests.

Joseph, patron of the Universal Church,

pray for us all.

- Southwark Laity Commission 1993

Dayton Affiliate Voice of the Faithful next meets on Thursday, October 9, 2003 at 7 PM, St. Francis of Assisi Parish, 6245 Wilmington Pike, Centerville. All are welcome.

How to contact us: votf@

Telephone: 937-293-1742, Kris Ward

937-426-8905, Mike Knellinger

Co-founders/Co-chairs Dayton Affiliate VOTF

This is a letter to local parishes sent in advance of a healing mass.

Dear ________:

We are writing to share information with you about Voice of the Faithful, an organization of 30,000 mainstream Catholics formed last year in Wellesley, Massachusetts in response to the sexual abuse crisis in the Church. In the last eighteen months, VOTF has sponsored countless opportunities for laity in parishes in 40* states and 21* countries to join together in prayer, education, and action. The goals of VOTF are to support victims of abuse, support priests of integrity, and shape structural change within the Church through active involvement of the laity.

The Cleveland affiliate of VOTF is sponsoring a Mass of Healing for victims of abuse, their families, and others who wish to prayerfully lend their support. Father Walter Dolan will celebrate the Mass on August 24th at 12:00 noon at Padua High School in Parma. Following Mass, John Seryak, author of Dear Teacher, If You Only Knew, will lead a panel discussion of experienced professionals in the field of child sexual abuse. Our program invites people to join in prayer, address the pain of victimization and betrayal, and begin the journey of healing reconciliation. Enclosed is our meeting notice that we respectfully ask you to publish in your parish bulletin August 10 and 17.

We strongly affirm the role of priests and the laity in diocesan life as called for by Vatican II. We have had several priests as speakers at our meetings, and expect to have many more. We look forward to collaborating with priests individually and collectively. We invite all your suggestions of ways we may work with you and your parishioners to strive for positive change in our Church. Priests are welcome to join Voice of the Faithful. You will not be the first in the diocese to do so. You can register at or contact us at the above address. You are always welcome at our meetings. We are deeply appreciative of your prayers and support.

Sincerely,

[pic]

*As VOTF grows, these numbers are changing almost weekly. Please contact your regional coordinator or VOTF national for the accurate numbers.

This is a letter to the bishop about Diocesan Review Board.

Voice of the Faithful, Indiana

C/o Ken Sauer

John Carrigan

4722 Hinesley Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46208

Most Reverend Daniel M. Buechlein, O.S.B.

1400 N. Meridian St.

Indianapolis, IN 46202

September 28, 2002

Dear Brother in Christ,

Thank you for the announcement of the members of the review board who are charged with the task of advising you in matters related to the sexual abuse of children by priests. We appreciate the confidence you have shown in these lay members of the church, and are generally pleased with the accomplishments and diversity of those you have chosen.

We do have some rather serious reservations regarding the manner in which the board was selected, however, and the limitations under which the board will function. In order for church leaders to regain the credibility lost because of the cover-up of the priest sexual abuse scandal, it seems to us imperative that a board charged with the review of such serious violations be selected by those not officially involved with the scandal in any way. In other words, such a board must be selected on the basis of the members’ total non-involvement in the scandal and cover-up, and a complete indifference as to whether their decisions and actions please or displease anyone.

A second point of concern is that it appears that no survivor of sexual abuse by a priest has been included on the board. We believe that this is a grave lacuna because it will be difficult for the board to understand the depth of the injury done to victims unless they hear it from victims themselves. Surely there are survivors of clergy sexual abuse in the archdiocese who have healed sufficiently to allow them to fulfill such a role.

Our final concern is the greatest. It applies not only to the selection of the board in this archdiocese but to the resolution arrived at in Dallas as well. There is no adequate provision made for a change in the policy of secrecy that allowed this scandal to grow to its present proportions. Those who committed acts of sexual abuse against children did so as individuals. Those who covered up the abuse did so in exercise of institutional policy. This policy is in contradiction to the gospel of Jesus Christ because, as the Dallas Charter notes, it permitted harm to children to continue and did not show healing compassion to those injured. It ought to be publicly and universally disavowed by all who call themselves Catholic.

As members of the Body of Christ and God’s people, and in the spirit of Article 7 of the Dallas Charter, we ask you to share with us:

• the extent of the problem (number of cases responded to and pending) of sexual abuse in the archdiocese,

• the amount of archdiocesan funds that have been paid, directly or indirectly, as a result of sexual abuse accusations.

• the number of priests who remain unassigned and without due process because of accusations of sexual abuse

We very much want our church and the church of our mothers and fathers, not just to proclaim, but to live the gospel of Jesus, even and especially when it is most difficult. We pray that all people of God, clergy and laity, may work together to achieve this goal.

Your sisters and brothers in Christ,

Ken Sauer John Carrigan

Voice of the Faithful, Indiana Voice of the Faithful, Indiana

Encl: lists of endorsers

BROCHURE

Sample brochure from LI VOTF

VOICE of the Faithful - Long Island

Our Mission Statement

To provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of

The Catholic Church

Our Goals

1. To support those who have been abused

2. To support priests of integrity

3. To support structural change within our Church

"Who We Are and What We Believe"

Voice of the Faithful, Inc. is an organization composed of Catholics striving to be faithful to the teachings of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Joining VOTF is not a break with the church but a commitment to strengthen and renew it. The following affirmations are not meant to be a complete statement of who we are. They are primarily a response to those who misunderstand us, including members of our Church’s hierarchy and lay Catholics who misinterpret our mission and goals.

• We are faithful Catholics in communion with the universal Catholic Church.

• We love and support our Church and believe what it professes. We do NOT advocate for any change in either dogma or doctrine. Our goals concern governance issues and governance issues only.

• We accept the teaching authority of our Church, including the traditional role of the bishops and the Pope.

• We will work with our bishops, clergy, and other members to strengthen unity and human moral integrity in our Church.

• We believe that the laity has the graced dignity, intelligence, responsibility and obligation to cooperate in Church governance in a meaningful way according to the norms of Canon law, in order to correct the profound flaws that have been revealed in the human institutional life of our church

• We believe that sexual abuse by clergy and the response of bishops, protecting abusers and forsaking the abused, have caused great human suffering and damaged the moral authority of the Church.

• We believe that the council documents of Vatican II illuminate the pathway for lay involvement in the Church.

• We urge that the openness and mutual respect advocated by Pope John Paul II in Ut Unum Sint ("That All May Be One") and the teachings of Vatican II be the model for meaningful dialog among bishops and laity.

What Brought VOTF Into Being?

VOTF is an outgrowth of the sexual abuse scandals that achieved widespread attention in Boston. But this is not a problem brought about by a few abusive priests. It is a problem brought about by leaders and others who chose unacceptable actions to avoid scandal and to protect criminals. It is a problem, not of one year, but of decades:

1. Decades of deception and lies from the people we trust.

2. Decades of misuse of funds that we contributed in good faith for charitable purposes that were used to pay lawyers to oppose victims and to place endless obstacles between victims and the justice they deserve.

3. Decades of criminal disregard for the lives of our most vulnerable through the reassignment of abusive priests who preyed on others while the abused were left to carry their crosses for life.

4. And here is the key: A value system that is out of sync with the rest of society. A value system that places the avoidance of scandal and the protection of priests above the safety of children, and the isolation of criminals.

These are not isolated occurrences. They occurred in dioceses that range the length and breadth of this country where five bishops were forced to resign, and two others signed consent decrees as an alternative to criminal indictment. They were repeated in other countries around the world: Poland, Canada, Ireland and Australia to cite a few. Sister Sally Butler, a Dominican sister who for a decade attempted to bring instances of abuse to her bishop before taking her story to The New York Times, calls it the worst crisis since the Inquisition. When asked to explain why, she replied: "Because no one is shocked." Even the corrective measures adopted by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops have met resistance by individual dioceses around the county (New York Times, 6/13/2003, p.27)

What Specifically Does VOTF Seek To Accomplish?

"A seat at the table and complete financial openness." If there were a parent at the table when decisions were made to reassign abusive priests, they would not have occurred. If there were complete financial openness, contributions would not have been inappropriately used for so long.

At the Parish level:

1. A representative (not appointed) Pastoral Council in every parish

2. A Finance Council in every parish reporting to the Pastoral Council

3. A Safety Committee in every parish to oversee background checks of personnel slated to work in sensitive positions.

At the Diocesan level:

1. A representative (not appointed) Diocesan Council similar to the Pastoral Council

2. Independent financial oversight reporting to the Diocesan Council

3. A mechanism to monitor compliance with the Council of Catholic Bishops’ charter for the protection of youth and children.

What Does VOTF See as its Mission Beyond Attainment of its Stated Goals?

Once the goals of VOTF are successfully implemented and operational, the underlying rationale for the existence of VOTF ceases to be.

Long Island VOICE of the Faithful, P.O. Box 1007, Nesconset, N.Y. 11767

This is a sample flyer for a VOTF Retreat

REV. PATRICK W. COLLINS, PH.D., priest, Merton scholar, musician, professor, and author, presents:

Thomas Merton’s Contemplative Spirituality and Ecclesial Reform and Renewal

 

A new one-day retreat, created especially for Voice of the Faithful, to be held on Saturday, May 31, 2003 at The Church of the Messiah (Episcopal) on Rt. 24 in Chester, NJ. All are welcome. For directions, visit the church website: messiah/

Thomas Merton wrote some of his most profound and provocative thoughts in the voluminous letters. There, without censorship, he could say what he was really thinking as his life and that of his correspondents unfolded. One can savor Merton’s spiritual life unfolding as ours unfolds as well. It involves readings from these letters, discussions, and some experiences of music and contemplative prayer.

9:30 a.m. – Coffee and Danish

10:00 – 11:00 – Fr. Patrick

11:00 – 11:15 - Break

11:15 – 12:15 – Break out discussion

12:15 – 1:30 – Lunch

1:30 – 2:30 – Fr. Patrick

2:30 – 3:30 – Break out discussion

3:30 – 4:00 – Snack and break

4:00 – 5:00 - Reporting back

5:00 – Mass

8:00 p.m – 9:00 – Spiritual Concert “Music with a Message” combining texts and tunes for spiritual insight and growth. This approach gives a meaningful dimension to the meaning of the words and connects head with heart, reason and imagination.

Please complete the registration form below and mail with payment by 5/21 to Ann Zouvelekis, 14 Sunset Dr. Whippany, NJ 07981. You will receive confirmation via phone or e-mail you provide. Space is limited. Registration is first come, first served. Event day registration subject to availability. Check our website for additional info. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Name _____________________ Phone ____________ Email _________________

Cost: $14.00 per person. SNAP members are invited to attend at no charge.

I plan to attend (same price for any or all events): Amount Enclosed

[pic][pic][pic][pic]Retreat only Retreat & Concert Concert only

Suggestion from NH for Structural Change:

For structural change in the institutional church, VOTF should consider the significant decentralization contained in what retired Bishop Leroy Mathisen of the Diocese of Amarillo is advocating: significantly smaller dioceses. For New Hampshire this could be three dioceses: Southeast N.H. (perhaps Diocese of Dover or Portsmouth); Southwest N.H. (perhaps Diocese of Keene); Northern N.H. (perhaps Diocese of Berlin). Each would have a bishop, and the bishop would live in and work from parish rectories (which are spacious and very under-utilized), perhaps moving around and rotating

every few months from one to another. There would be no need for a chancery, or for a bishop's residence. Diocesan institutions such as schools could also follow this de-centralized model and operate on a smaller basis.

This model would cost less, and, importantly, would mean the BISHOPS WOULD know all the priests and many of the parish councils and laity, and in turn would be well known to all. It is a much less hierarchical model, fully within canon law, and it exemplifies a much higher level of simplicity and humility. VOTF-NH should consider it in its effort for institutional church reform and renewal.

This is a sample Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Fred McGunagle fmcgoo@

(440-899-7011)

John Seryak jseryak@

(330-336-7060)

LAY CATHOLICS SPONSOR MASS FOR VICTIMS OF CLERGY ABUSE

CLEVELAND, OHIO, August xxx, 2003 - The Cleveland affiliate of Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) will sponsor a Mass of Healing at 12:00 noon on Sunday, August 24, 2003, at Padua Franciscan High School, 6740 State Road, Parma, Ohio. The Mass will be followed by a panel discussion with experts in the field of child sexual abuse, victims, and their advocates. The discussion is intended to educate Catholics on ways to support and promote healing for victims and families.

Panelists will include Barbara Blaine, founder and national president of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP); Dr. Maryhelen Kreidler, University of Akron nursing professor and child sex abuse therapist; Margaret Grant, director of the Victims Resource Center of Laurelwood Hospital, part of University Hospitals Health Services; Victoria A. Didato, director of the Child Sexual Abuse Initiative of Ohio; and Fred and Kay Starr, parents of a victim. The moderator will be John Seryak, M. Ed., and a teacher in the Revere Local Schools system. Mr. Seryak presents and facilitates staff development workshops for educators and other childcare workers in regard to child sexual abuse.

About Voice of the Faithful:

Voice of the Faithful is a Newton, MA-based organization of concerned Catholics formed in response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis. The group’s mission is to provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the Faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church. Its goals are to support victim/survivors of abuse, support priests of integrity, ash shape structural change within the Catholic Church in accordance with Church teachings and in harmony and fidelity to the teachings of Vatican II. VOTF’s supporting membership exceeds 30,000 registered individuals from more than 40 U.S. states, 21 countries and 181 Parish Voice affiliates throughout the world.

This is a sample prayer for priests

Daily Prayer for Priests

Heavenly Father

Grant that our priests be

strengthened and healed by the

power of the Eucharist they celebrate,

may the Word they proclaim give them courage and wisdom

We pray that all those whom they seek to serve may see in them

the love and care of Jesus,

our Eternal High Priest, who is Lord

forever and ever Amen.

Mary, Mother of the Church, look tenderly

upon your sons, your priests.

Joseph, patron of the Universal Church,

pray for us all.

- Southwark Laity Commission 1993

These are examples of survivor fund raisers

1)The Winchester Area Voice of the Faithful sponsored a COFFEEHOUSE

An Evening of Entertainment to Benefit Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Clergy

Featuring:

Local Musicians

St. Eulalia's Youth Dancers

Music from members of St. Eulalia's Choir

All proceeds to Survivor Victims of Abuse by Catholic Clergy

St. Eulalia's Church, 50 Ridge Street, Winchester

Friday, May 30, 2003

7:30 p.m. -10: 00 p.m.

Tickets $8 (purchase in advance or at door)

2) A Walk-a-thon “Walk the Walk” is being planned for June 29 at Merrimack College. Proceeds will benefit Survivors.

Have a designated ‘advocate’ to walk a person through the process of reporting abuse.

Ask the bishop to write a letter expressing regrets for abuse.

One affiliate sent 6 representatives for 3 survivor groups to the Bishops conference in DC. The money raised ($1,500) came from the sale of jars of honey donated by a parishioner. This group has been a wonderful support to survivors! (Westford Chelmsford VOTF)

Music from members of St. Eulalia's Choir

All proceeds to Survivor Victims of Abuse by Catholic Clergy

St. Eulalia's Church, 50 Ridge Street, Winchester

Friday, May 30, 2003

7:30 p.m. -10: 00 p.m.

Tickets $8 (purchase in advance or at door)

Our Affiliate in Fort Worth

We are having a Christmas dinner for the 4 or 5 priests who have been most helpful to us.

Christmas Card Sales to Support Survivors:

Our Boston-area group is undertaking a project to support survivors of abuse in which we're hoping everyone can participate. Three artists from our group have designed four Christmas cards. All proceeds from the sale of these cards will benefit the Lighthouse, the nation's first and only resource center for survivors of abuse. Mary Gail Frawley O'Dea visited Boston earlier this year for the opening of the Lighthouse. The back of each card contains information about the Lighthouse, and invites people to learn more about VOTF by visiting the national web-site.

An order form (in adobe format) is attached. You can also view and print the order form by visiting our affiliate's web-site () and following the instructions. While we would love to have orders by October 31 (so we can have a good estimate on the number of cards to print), orders will be accepted through December.

If you want hard copies of the order form for your affiliate, please notify me,

and we'll get them out as fast as possible.

Bob Morris

Winchester, Mass. Area VOTF

781-721-1399

Excerpts from Lumen Gentium on the role of the laity

EXCERPTS FROM LUMEN GENTIUM:

From the Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen

>Gentium), ed. Austin Flannery, OP

(emphases and inclusive language added by the compiler)

27. The bishops, as vicars and legates of Christ, govern the particular Churches assigned to them by their counsels, exhortations and example, but over and above that also by the authority and sacred power which indeed they exercise exclusively for the spiritual development of their flock in truth and holiness, keeping in mind that the one who is greater should become as the lesser, and the one who is the leader as the servant (cf. Lk. 22:26-27). . . . In virtue of this power bishops have a sacred right and a duty before the Lord of legislating for and of passing judgment on their subjects, as well as of regulating everything that concerns the good order of divine worship and of the apostolate. . . . [The bishop] should not refuse to listen to his subjects whose welfare he promotes as of his very own sons and daughters, and whom he urges to collaborate readily with him.

30. The pastors, indeed, know well how much the laity contributes to the welfare of the whole Church. For they know that . . . it is their exalted office so to be shepherds of the faithful and also [to] recognize the latter's contribution and charisms that everyone in his or her own way will, with one mind, cooperate in the common task.

31. [T]he faithful who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ, are placed in the People of God, and in their own way share the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ, and to the best of their ability carry on the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world.

32. In the Church not everyone marches along the same path, yet all are called to sanctity and have obtained an equal privilege of faith . . . (cf. 2 Pet. 1:1). Although by Christ's will some are established as teachers, dispensers of the mysteries and pastors for the others, there remains, nevertheless, a true equality between all with regard to the dignity and to the activity which is common to all the faithful in the building up of the Body of Christ. The distinction which the Lord has made between the sacred ministers and the rest of the People of God involves union, for the pastors and the other faithful are joined together by a close relationship: the pastors of the Church―following the example of the Lord―should minister to each other and to the rest of the faithful; the latter should eagerly collaborate with the pastors and teachers.

33. Gathered together in the People of God and established in the one Body of Christ under one head, the laity―no matter who they are―have, as living members, the vocation of applying to the building up of the Church and to its continual sanctification all the powers which they have received from the goodness of the Creator and from the grace of the Redeemer. . . . All the laity, then, have the exalted duty of working for the ever greater spread of the divine plan of salvation to all people, of every epoch and all over the earth. Therefore may the way be clear for them to share diligently in the salvific work of the Church according to their ability and the needs of the times.

37. Like all Christians, the laity have the right to receive in abundance the help of the spiritual goods of the Church, especially that of the word of God and the sacraments, from the pastors. To the latter the laity should disclose their needs and desires with that liberty and confidence which befits children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ. By reason of the knowledge, competence or pre-eminence which they have, the laity are empowered―indeed, sometimes obliged―to manifest their opinion on those things which pertain to the good of the Church. If the occasion should arise this should be done through the institutions established by the Church for that purpose, and always with truth, courage and prudence and with reverence and charity towards those who, by reason of their office, represent the person of Christ. . . . Nor should they fail to commend to God in their prayers those who have been placed over them, who indeed keep watch as having to render an account of [their] souls, that they may do this with joy and not with grief (cf. Heb. 13:17). The pastors, indeed, should recognize and promote the dignity and responsibility of the laity in the Church. They should willingly use their prudent advice and confidently assign duties to them in the service of the Church, leaving them freedom and scope for acting. Indeed, they should give them the courage to undertake works on their own initiative. They should with paternal love consider attentively in Christ initial moves, suggestions and desires proposed by the laity. Moreover the pastors must respect and recognize the liberty which belongs to all in the terrestrial city. Many benefits for the Church are to be expected from this familiar relationship between the laity and the pastors. The sense of their own responsibility is strengthened in the laity, their zeal is encouraged, they are more ready to unite their energies to the work of their pastors. The latter, helped by the experience of the laity, are in a position to judge more clearly and more appropriately in spiritual as well as in temporal matters. Strengthened by all her members, the Church can thus more effectively fulfill her mission for the life of the world.

>From the Vatican II Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People (Apostolicam

>Actuositatem)

2. In the organism of a living body no member plays a purely passive part, sharing in the life of the body it shares at the same time in its activity. The same is true for the Body of Christ, the Church: "the whole Body achieves full growth in dependence on the full functioning of each part" (Eph. 4:16). Between the members of this body there exists, further, such a unity and solidarity (cf. Eph. 4:16) that members who do not work at the growth of the body to the extent of their possibilities must be considered useless both to the Church and to themselves.

6. At a time when new questions are being put and when grave errors aiming at undermining religion, the moral order and human society itself are rampant, the Council earnestly exhorts the laity to take a more active part, . . . according to their talents and knowledge and in fidelity to the mind of the Church, in the explanation and defense of Christian principles and in the correct application of them to the problems of our times.

10. Participators in the function of Christ, priest, prophet and king, the laity have an active part of their own in the life and action of the Church. Their action within the Church communities is so necessary that without it the apostolate of the pastors will frequently be unable to obtain its full effect. Following in the footsteps of the men and women who assisted Paul . . . (cf. Acts 18:18-26; Rom. 16:3), lay persons of a genuinely apostolic spirit supply the needs of their brothers and sisters and are a source of consolation no less to the pastors than to the rest of the faithful (cf. 1 Cor. 16:17-18). Nourished by their active participation in the liturgical life of their community, they engage zealously in its apostolic works; . . . by their expert assistance they increase the efficacy of the care of souls as well as of the administration of the goods of the Church.

18. The faithful are called as individuals to exercise an apostolate in the various conditions of their life. They must, however, remember that [human beings are] social by nature and that it has been God's pleasure to assemble those who believe in Christ and make of them the People of God (cf. 1 Pet. 2:5-10), a single body (cf. 1 Cor. 12:12). . . . For that reason Christians will exercise their apostolate in a spirit of concord. They will be apostles both in their families and in the parishes and dioceses, which already are themselves expressions of the community character of the apostolate; apostles too in the free associations they will have decided to form among themselves.

20. The laity, cooperating in their own particular way with the hierarchy, contribute their experience and assume responsibility . . . in the investigation of the conditions in which the Church's pastoral work is to be carried on . . . . The laity, whether coming of their own accord or in response to an invitation to action and direct cooperation with the hierarchical apostolate, acts under the superior direction of the hierarchy . . . .

24. Bishops, parish priests and other priests of the secular and regular clergy will remember that the right and duty of exercising the apostolate are common to all the faithful, whether clerics or lay; and that in the building up of the Church the laity too have parts of their own to play. For this reason they will work as brothers with the laity in the Church and for the Church, and will have a special concern for the laity in the apostolic activities of the latter.

COMMUNITY: CRISIS IN THE CHURCH

The Paulist Center has responded to the sexual abuse crisis in the Archdiocese of Boston in several ways:

A reflection by John Ardis, CSP (online at Boston)

Several pamphlets concerning sexual abuse: (text below)

Signs and Symptoms of Child Sexual Abuse

Twelve points - Do your children know...

Possible questions to ask potential caregivers

What Parents Can do to Maximize their Child's Safety

Signs and Symptoms of Child Sexual Abuse

Regression in development ie. thumbsucking, tantrums, change in toileting

Sleep disturbance - nightmares, sleepwalking, can't sleep alone/can't sleep in the dark

Unexplained avoidance or fear of people and/or situations

Depression and suicidal ideas-dissociation (frequently spacing out)

Chronic urinary tract infections (and less commonly vaginal infections)

Difficulty/fear of having a bowel movement/constipation

Unexplained stomachaches and digestive problems

Excessive masturbation

Unusual sexual knowledge or interest in sexual matters

Self-hatred, especially when directed at one's body

Pregnancy

Venereal disease

Difficulty separating from caretaker, excessive clinginess

Inappropriately affectionate and/or sexual toward others, including adults

Sexual acting-out with other children

Excessive need for control in their daily life

The following is reprinted from Protecting the Gift, by Gavin DeBecker, Dial Press, New York, New York, 1999

The Test of Twelve

Do your children know...

1. How to honor their feelings-if someone makes them uncomfortable, that's an important signal.

2. You (the parents) are strong enough to hear about any experience they've had, no matter how unpleasant.

3. It's okay to defy and rebuff adults.

4. It's okay to be assertive.

5. How to ask for assistance or help.

6. How to choose whom to ask.

7. How to describe their peril.

8. It's okay to strike, even to injure, someone if they believe they are in danger, and that you'll support any action they take as a result of feeling uncomfortable or afraid.

9. It's okay to make noise, to scream, to yell, to run.

10. If someone ever tries to force them to go somewhere, what they should scream should include, "This is not my father" (because onlookers seeing a child scream or even struggle are likely to assume the adult is a parent).

11. If someone says, "Don't yell," the thing to do is yell (and the corollary: if someone says, "Don't tell", the thing to do is tell.

12. To fully resist ever going anywhere out of public view with someone they don't know, and particularly to resist going anywhere with someone who tries to persuade them.

Possible Questions to Ask Potential Caregivers

1. What is your philosophy about discipline?

2. Have you ever suspected that a child in your care was being sexually abused (or physically abused) by someone?

3. What discipline method did your parents use?

4. Have you cared for younger siblings if you don't have children of your own?

5. Why do you do this work?

6. Have you ever been in an emergency situation while babysitting? Or Have you been in any emergency?

7. What is your opinion of drugs and alcohol?

8. Can you tell me about a time in your life when someone else's help was very important to you?

9. Who is your best friend and how would you describe the friendship?

10. Describe the best child you ever babysat for. Describe the worst child you ever babysat for.

What Parents Can do to Maximize their Child's Safety

Parents first need to understand the risks and to separate fact from fantasy:

Stranger danger is a fallacy; the people who are most likely to hurt your children are people you and they know

Stranger abductions are extremely rare and are not rising statistically If you, as a parent, do not believe that anyone your child knows would harm them, then your child is at greater risk

Don't talk to strangers is inadequate and confusing as a way of teaching children how to evaluate adults they come in contact with

A parent's willingness to accept the realities of child abuse is the parent with the safest children

Unfortunately there is no way to protect your children from a one time incident of child abuse (unless you never let them out of your sight), but if you are vigilant about your child's reaction to new places and people, chances are excellent that you will notice a change in your child

A parent's willingness to listen to their intuition and to act on it, no matter how unpopular it will make them, is a important factor in keeping children safe

Encourage your child to have a voice and to use it.

Listen to your children's opinions, ideas, and feelings and they will soon learn to expect to be listened to, which is a prerequisite if you want to encourage your children to tell you something troubling

Teach your children they have a right to their opinions and feelings, even if they concern adults in authority. Teaching children that their right to an opinion ends with those who are bigger results in a feeling of less empowerment.

Practice assertiveness training with your children, and don't expect this to be an inherent skill.

Parents need to re-think their own experiences in childhood, especially those of any kind of victimization, and consider what messages they are giving to their children.

The best way to protect your children is as a united team, so parents should talk together about their own experiences and what they want for their children.

If adults deny and minimize the impact of their own victimization, then they may deny and minimize the potential of something happening to their own children.

Silence protects those who hurt your children, NOT your children. If you are afraid to talk about it, you can bet your children will be.

If you don't ask if there is a gun in a friend's house, no one is going to tell you, especially not your nine year old son, who may think it's pretty cool.

If you can't talk about safety issues such as supervision, sexual abuse, date rape, then you can't teach your children how to recognize the potential for danger, and what to do if something actually happens.

If you can't talk to your neighbors and other parents in the school, then you cannot begin to organize any community support.

Recognize that these safety issues are very difficult for some parents to acknowledge and that you will get varying responses from others.

Prepare yourselves emotionally for rudeness, denial, and rejection. These topics threaten parents on several levels, from "not in this town", to triggering such fear and anxiety that they cannot tolerate the subject.

Parenting is a long-term position and keeping your children safe requires on-going vigilance.

Much of what parents need to do is common sense and involves basic supervision and vigilance.

Know who your children's friends are and what they are doing at a playmate's home. If no one at that house can tell you, then that's a problem.

Note your child's reactions to new people and situation. Few children can successfully hide the horror of an initial sexual assault, if someone is looking for the possibility.

Vigilance requires a lot of energy.

Know the warning signs of all possible dangers that could happen to your children.

Understand what sexual predators are looking for in a victim, depending on the age and sex of your child.

Question all potential care-givers about safety issues.

Please feel free to contact any staff member for additional information or with any concerns you may have.

© The Paulist Center Boston 2001

-----------------------

Christine Hickey, Boston, MA Sexually abused by a

priest at age 11

(age 7 in photo)

Mark Serrano, Mendham, NJ Sexually abused by a

priest at age 9

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