O Spirit of God, and God of the Spirit,
We remember the many ways You have touched our lives,
transforming us and leading us to fulfill Your mission.
We celebrate the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit among us.
We believe that the Spirit calls us to continue the work of God in the world and through the Church.
We believe that the Spirit transfigures us from within and we are grateful.
We believe that you will empower us to be Your Presence to each other and to all those with whom we meet.
We pray now for continued hope and confidence that you will continue to generously pour out your gifts.
We pray for courage that we may remain committed to the vision of a stronger Church,
and for strength that we may work tirelessly to fulfill Your will.
We pray all of this in thanksgiving, and in the name of Jesus, our friend.

Updated 11/20/2011
TM
Coastal Delmarva VOTF





The Voice of the Faithful
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
11/17/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Thank you to everyone who attended last
night's meeting and thanks to those who
were with us in spirit.

As a follow-up to Dr. Padovano's DVD
presentation, the link below will take you
to the text of his talk. It is so rich in
content that we're fortunate to have this
version to study at our leisure.

Here's to Apostolic Imagination!

Click here: /Padovano-transcript.pdf
_________________________
10/31/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Our next affiliate meeting is scheduled
for Wednesday, November 16 at
7 p.m. at the South Coastal Library
in Bethany. Our program that evening
will include a video of Dr. Anthony
Padovano, one of the speakers at the
American Catholic Council. His talk
is entitled:  Reclaiming the Spirit &
Vision of the People of God.

Dr. Padovano holds doctorates and
professorships in theology and
literature. He is the author of
twenty-nine books including three
award-winning plays, translated into
nine languages. He has been visiting
professor at twenty-five American
colleges and universities, lectures
world-wide and appears regularly
in the media on both sides of the
Atlantic. He presents occasionally
at United Nations Conferences in
New York City, Geneva and The
Hague, and has been invited to
the White House and Congressional
staff meetings as a consultant for
pending programs and legislation.

Dr. Padovano was the first elected
president of Corpus and served in
that capacity for ten years. He is
a founding member and a
distinguished professor of literature
and philosophy at Ramapo College
of New Jersey, a four-year New
Jersey State college.

We hope you can join us!
_________________________
10/16/2011
 
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Just a reminder that our affiliate will
meet this Wednesday, October 1
9 at 7 p.m. at the South Coastal Library.  Our program will feature a report on the
American Catholic Council by several
of our members who attended the
gathering in June. In addition, we'l
l view a video of an interview with
Dr. Hans Kung in which he speaks
about what we must do to reclaim the
spirit of Vatican II.


Please come and bring a friend!

Keep the Faith, Change the Church!

Dear Friends of VOTF:


Thank you to everyone who came
to our September meeting. We were
all blessed to meet Fr. Pat Bergquist
and were inspired by his talk about hi
s ministry in Alaska.

We'll continue with our fall meetings on
Wednesday, October 19 at 7 p.m. at
the South Coastal Library, when we'll
gather to hear a report on the American
Catholic Council. Several of those who
attended will give their reflections on the
proceedings, and then we'll view a video
of Dr. Hans Kung's opening address.
 
I hope you'll be able to attend. Please
pass the word about the opportunity to
get a first-hand report on this important
happening and to hear such a distinguished
theologian speak on the ways we can
reclaim the spirit of Vatican II.

With fiercest hope,
Skip Sullivan

P. S. As a preview, you may be
interested  in this recent interview Dr. Kung
gave to Der Spiegel.
 


NEWS
11/13/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

See the link below for an excellent article by Beth Miller in this morning's News Journal. Beth's thoughtful analysis of similar patterns of crimes and silences in academia and the Church appears on page one.

Keep the Faith, Change the Church!

Click here: Penn State's silence on alleged abuse elicits comparisons to Catholic Church | The News Journal | delawareonline.com
________________________
10/15/2011

Diocese funds account for victims
With transfer to trust fund, litigation with claimants is ended
<more>

______________________

8/7/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

This morning's News Journal has a front-page article about the state of the Diocese of Wilmington as it tries to move on after the bankruptcy settlement. It includes several interviews with advocates for survivors, including Coastal Delmarva VOTF's John Sullivan, Senator Karen Peterson and Sister Maureen Paul Turlish.

Keep the Faith, Change the Church!
________________________
7/28/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Judge Christopher Sontchi approved the Diocese of Wilmington's bankruptcy reorganization plan yesterday and survivors of clergy sexual abuse will soon receive their settlements. Thank you to everyone who supported this process with your prayers and action on behalf of justice for victims and their families.

Keep the Faith, Change the Church!

See the link below for details.

Click here: Abuse victims receive closure | The News Journal | delawareonline.com


7/20/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

For your information here is the AP announcement of the new archbishop for Philadelphia and reaction to it from SNAP.

National and World -- GazetteXtra
_______________________
7/9/2011
Dear Friends of VOTF:

See the links below for two articles of interest concerning the Diocese of Wilmington.

Malooly opposes charity to abusive priests | The News Journal | delawareonline.com

Former pastor pleads guilty to stealing from two parishes | The News Journal | delawareonline.com
_________________________

6/29/2011
For your information here is the American Catholic Council's newsletter about the proceedings in Detroit, including the true story of the controversy with the Archdiocese of Detroit.
______________________
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Here's a very good reflection on the American Catholic Council by a journalist from Chicago. His summary of the goals of the Council is excellent!

Seeking a better Catholic Church | News | OakPark.com _______________________

May 20, 2011

"The Vatican Comes Up Short"

New York Times Editorial, May 19, 2011

When it comes to --

The Vatican's May 16 circular letter to the world's bishops outlining new guidelines to handle and prevent clergy child sexual abuse
The May 18 John Jay Report on the "causes and context" of the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal
Clericalism and lack of bishop accountability
The failure of the Vatican's approach to clergy sexual abuse as shown by last month's Philadelphia grand jury report and ensuing revelations and criminal charges.   <more>

_______________________

5/19/2011
John Jay Report is available on the internet <here>
_______________________

5/19/2011
National Statement -- Catholic League Misses the Point in Philadelphia
"Recently, the Catholic League sent a letter to all priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia that distorts both the facts of a survey conducted by the Greater Philadelphia VOTF regarding Pennsylvania statutes of limitations reforms and the facts of the clergy sexual abuse scandal in Philadelphia. "<more>

5/11/2011

For your information here's the latest newsletter from the American Catholic Council. The time is fast approaching.

American Catholic Council