Coastal Delmarva VOTF





      The Voice of the Faithful
TM
Updated 7/08/2008

PRAYER TO THE SPIRIT
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.
06/19/08
Dear Friends of VOTF:

I'm very sorry to announce that we have to cancel the meeting of our affiliate scheduled for 25 June. Our speaker, Dr. Polly Weldon, cannot come due to a medical problem and the Town of Ocean View has to use our meeting place for Town business that evening and is not able to obtain another venue for us as they did last time. In light of this, we do not plan to meet again until September.

In the meantime, the Steering Committee will be meeting to discuss our group's focus for the 2008-2009 period and would greatly appreciate your input. Please email any of us with your feedback on the programs we've had this year and/or any suggestions you have for where we should go from here. What topics are of interest to you? What course of action should we undertake? How can we better accomplish the three goals of VOTF?

We hope to hear from you!

Your Steering Committee
07/03/08
Dear Members and Friends of VOTF:

The election of a new representative to represent Region 4 (MD, VA, DE, DC, WV) on the National Representative Council has been completed.  Sister Maureen Paul Turlish will be the new representative from Region 4. Sister Maureen is an outstanding person with outstanding experience and other qualifications to serve on the Council.

While Sister Maureen was the only volunteer to run for the Council from Region 4, the fact that 61 members of Region 4 took the time to vote for Sister is a good indication of her rather substantial support.  Sixty-one responses out of 810 members reachable by e-mail is a fairly strong showing in comparison with the voting experience of other organizations.

Region 4 Nominations and Election Committee:

Chuck Miller, Northern Delaware Affiliate

Judy Miller, Northern Delaware Affiliate

Maryann Dolan, Montgomery County Maryland VOTF Affiliate

07/03/08

  Tom Doyle Lays out the Facts, Using Paraclete Letters and His Own Experience, in Article Published Here at City of Angels Network Today MORE

07/08/2008
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Auxiliary Bishop Francis Malooly of Baltimore has been named Bishop of Wilmington. He has demonstrated concern for victims of clergy sexual abuse in the past according to this article in today's News Journal in which members of Voice of the Faithful are quoted. Let's pray that he will prove to be a compassionate advocate for survivors in our diocese too.

With fiercest hope,
Skip Sullivan

Click here: Malooly seen as forceful advocate for victims | delawareonline | The News Journal
7/29/2008
Dear Friends of VOTF:

Matt Conaty in conjunction with the National Association to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Children (NAPSAC) has put together an event to recognize the anniversary of the Child Victim's Act and raise awareness about the civil window while it is still viable. It will take place August 5 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center in Wilmington. I know it's a long drive, but if anyone can make it, your support would be very much appreciated. 

The evening will feature an expert panel including Marci Hamilton, Philadelphia Deputy DA Charlie Gallagher, Valerie Marek of SOAR and survivors Joelle Casteix and Vicki Polin. In keeping with our goal to support victims of clergy sexual abuse, Coastal Delmarva VOTF will co-sponsor the event along with other interested organizations. Please see the attached flyer for details and feel free to print it and post it in appropriate places.

As a reminder, the Child Victim's Act eliminated the civil statute of limitations for the sexual abuse of children and created a two-year window for the filing of claims in Delaware Superior Court. The civil window period ends on July 10, 2009.

Survivors of childhood sexual abuse and safe friends and family are encouraged to attend this event, which will also feature a Question & Answer period.

With fiercest hope,
Skip Sullivan