ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF VOICE OF THE FAITHFUL OF GREATER PHILADELPHIA

EXCELLENT PUBLIC MEETINGS: Our quarterly public meetings feature some of the most distinguished Catholic thinkers and reformers in the American Catholic Church. They have educated, challenged, and motivated us to "keep the faith, change the Church.” Through these meetings, we aim to help Catholics become aware of what’s wrong with the Church, develop a vision of what the Church could be, and gain the courage and insight to begin working to set things right. Some of these speakers are:

Fr. Thomas Doyle: Expert in canonical and pastoral aspects of clergy sexual abuse, lecturer throughout the United States, author of seven books, strong advocate for abuse victims, nationally known and outspoken leader in the movement for Church reform.

Sr. Carlota Barone: Educated us about the position of the laity in Canon Law.

Dr. Paul Lakeland: Chair of the department of religious studies at Fairfield University and author of 5 books, including "The Liberation of the Laity.” Pointed out that lay passivity is an even greater problem than clericalism, since lay passivity allows the abuses to continue.

David Gibson: Author of "The Coming Catholic Church.” He urged the laity to grasp this unique historical moment and to take the place of the reforming religious orders of the past.

Sr. Cathy Nerney, SSJ: Professor at Chestnut Hill College. Spoke on the need for much more education of the laity if we are to be effective in our efforts to "Keep the faith, change the Church."

Dr. Tony Massimini: Theologian, psychotherapist, graduate of Rome’s Gregorian University, church historian, member of national VOTF’s Representative Council and leadership, author of "Discerning the Spirits: A Guide for Renewing and Restructuring the Catholic Church."

John Salveson: Chair of Philadelphia SNAP (Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests), sexual abuse survivor, articulate advocate for all survivors and forthright critic of Church injustices.

Panel of 5 Philadelphia-area "priests of integrity": Told what it’s like to be a priest today in light of the sex abuse scandals and how the laity can support their efforts to be "priests of integrity."

Dr. Denis O’Hara: Head of Physics Associates, a counseling center in West Chester. Worked for many years with sexually abusive clergy.  Gave insights into relation between clergy formation and later sexual dysfunction.

Mothers of Survivors of Clerical Sexual Abuse: Heart-wrenching stories of the abuse of their children and its impact on their families.

MEDIA IMPACT: Due to the work of our Steering Committee and Director of Media Relations, VOTF-GP has been extensively covered by "The Philadelphia Inquirer", "The Philadelphia Weekly", "The Philadelphia Daily News", local papers, radio, and TV. Titles of some of the articles are: "Growing Catholic Group Raises Issues, Eyebrows", "Lay Group Seeks Role in Diocese", "Series Views Sex Abuse Crisis", "Catholic Group Voices Concerns", "A Voice of Change Speaks Up in Diocese", and "Voice of Faithful Rally."

SUPPORT FOR SURVIVORS OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE: VOTF-GP has developed a close relationship with Philadelphia SNAP, attending their meetings, inviting them to address us, participating in their vigils outside the Philadelphia Cathedral and a local parish. SNAP knows of and appreciates our support.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY: Catholic laity contribute most of the Church’s operating funds, yet the Church provides no audited and complete statements of what is done with our money. Our Financial Accountability Task Force is consulting experts, collecting information from other dioceses, and planning a conference with nationally-known speakers to call the Church to financial openness and responsibility.

BISHOP SELECTION: In keeping Vatican II, we believe that the laity should have a voice in the selection of priests and bishops. VOTF/GP mounted a letter-writing campaign to the Vatican ambassador suggesting how the views of the laity could be heard and putting forward the qualities we would like to see in our next bishop

RELATIONS WITH THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA: We have developed dialogue (including correspondence and some face-to-face meetings) with archdiocesan offices and have frequently communicated our concerns to Cardinal Rigali.When he was first nominated as bishop of Philadelphia, we encouraged him not to move into the Cardinal’s mansion but to adopt a lifestyle more in keeping with that of Christ. We offered to help with the implementation of the decrees promulgated after the 2002 Synod. We challenged his efforts to undercut the work of the National Review Board.

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: We have created the basic structure of a local chapter with by-laws, financial solvency, and an active Steering Committee and several other committees working to further VOTF’s goals. We also have maintained effective communication with national VOTF. We are one of the 200+ affiliates of VOTF in all 50 states, 71 dioceses, and 39 countries around the world.

FAITHFULNESS AND PRAYERFULNESS: We are deeply grounded in prayer and faith, as anyone who attends our meetings can attest. In all our efforts, we have worked in harmony with Church teachings, seeking only that the voice of the faithful be heard in the governance and guidance of the Church.

WEBSITE: In mid-June, 2004, our VOTF-GP website went on-line as an effective media for disseminating local news.

Voice of the Faithful of Greater Philadelphia          PO Box 281  Lafayette Hill, PA 19444

610-277-8169