The media and many sectors of the church and society as a whole will look to VOTF for comment upon the series of reports due from the National Review Board in the coming months. Since those reports will comment on events that are part of the founding energy of VOTF, it is important for our organization to prepare local members who are qualified through study and careful reading to comment on what is in the reports and what is not mentioned in the reports.

VOTF seeks a group which will accomplish this task and also take the lead in suggesting follow up both to VOTF and the church as a whole.

During this time, many priests feel legitimately that their way of life is under siege and widely perceived as in need of change. Because of this, support for the many priests who have given their lives in service to the Catholic Community is more important than ever. Celibacy, after all, well lived, is a gift freely given to the community. This situation is heightened by the declining number of priests. This group is committed to examining ways of supporting priests today.

This group will take the lead in helping VOTF to achieve one of its founding purposes.

Initiative Three: Emerging parish structures due to fewer priests

The post Vatican II church continues to rely on priest leaders in most of its structures. Due to the aging of the priests and their declining numbers, other methods of leadership must be examined, a recruiting and training process developed, and supportive structures elaborated. This problem is present throughout most of the world where the Catholic Church is present. There are many alternatives already developed whose strengths and weaknesses have been studied. Because this is a difficult subject, often there is resistance to the required research, study and conversation that will be part of the coming decade of church leadership.

Adult conversation is difficult in many settings but it has not been a part of the Catholic tradition. Probing questions, doubts, alternatives are often treated as dissent and ruled out of church conversations as forbidden or even sinful. At the same time, we all know that conversion (a change of heart and mind) flows from this type of conversation. 

This group will select a range of topics and organize brief seminars on cutting edge questions. These seminars will always include a faithful presentation of church teaching but will be open to different viewpoints and all the hard questions. Slowly, VOTF will gain the skill needed to be a source of adult conversation in a lay catholic setting.

Many groups have called for developing methods within the parish and diocese which support broad participation in a transparent planning process. There is a related call for an open account of parish and diocesan finances.

The Renew Program promotes adult learning through a format of group sharing guided by booklets that have been prepared on a certain theme.

In imitation of that success, this group will prepare and pre-test a series of books on the mission statement of VOTF as a way of encouraging new, well motivated and informed  membership.

Volunteer Participation Sheet for the
VOTF Action Plan

For each of the 7 initiatives, a convener (or conveners) has volunteered to help launch the initiative. The time and place of the first meetings are also listed. Obviously, the time and place of future meetings will be determined by those at the first meeting.

If you are willing to help, please indicate your interest by checking the line next to your choice and provide below an email or regular address (or phone number) for further information and updates. Then copy the form into an email and send it to: m.lynaugh@verizon.net.

____    Evaluating National Review Board Reports

                                    First meeting:

                                    Location:

                                    Convener: Maria Cleary, 973-316-2430
                                    clearymf@optonline.net

____    Support of Priests

                                    First Meeting

                                    Location

                                    Convener

___       Emerging parish structures due to fewer priests

                                    First Meeting

                                    Location

                                    Convener

___      Adult Conversations

Convener: Joseph Lynaugh   201-445-8026  m.lynaugh@verizon.net

___      Open planning and financial process

                                    First Meeting

                                    Location

                                    Convener: Thomas McCloskey
                                    tommccloskey@optonline.net

___       Thanksgiving Dialogue

                                    First Meeting

                                    Location

                                    Convener: Charles Mulligan  973-720-0939
                                    chasfm@aol.com

___      Reflections on mission statement

                                    First Meeting

                                    Location

                                    Convener: Thomas McCloskey
                                    tommccloskey@optonline.net

NAME_______________________________________________________

Address______________________________________________________

Phone and email_______________________________________________