In this talk, Jamie Manson, columnist and editor at the "National Catholic Reporter" shared her thoughts, based on her recent trip to Rome for the sex abuse summit, about several hot button issues: Why wasn't more accomplished at the summit? Why did those women journalists resign from the Vatican newspaper? Did Frederic Martel's book, In the Closet of the Vatican, have any impact at all? She'll also talk about why she stays Catholic amid this constant barrage of drama, controversy, and deep institutional sin, and what hope she is seeing for the Church among the next generation of Catholics and prophets.
Jamie Manson is a columnist and books editor at the "National Catholic Reporter." She received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School, where she studied Catholic theology and sexual ethics. She is editor of Changing the Questions: Explorations in Christian Ethics, a collection of writings by Margaret Farley (Orbis, 2015). Her writing has won numerous awards, most recently the 2015 Wilbur Award for Best Online Religion News Story for her extended essay "Feminism in Faith: Sister Elizabeth Johnson's Challenge to the Vatican." Her activism on behalf of women in the church recently garnered her the Theresa Kane Award for Women of Courage and Vision from the Women’s Ordination Conference.
Presentation was held Sunday April 28, 2019, 3:30 p.m.at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Morristown, NJ
RECORDING WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE IN OUR AUDIO LIBRARY SOON!
Dear VOTFNJ brothers and sisters,
The self-inflicted wound of the clerical sexual abuse crisis has brought our beloved Church to the point of implosion--at least the hierarchical clerical culture of our Church. It is, in one way, a good thing! This means that the wound has been exposed and now the healing may begin; the rebuilding of the Church can commence. What is good can be retained and what has gone off course can be rooted out and left behind.
As members of the laity, committed to our baptismal promises, we can - and must - participate in the rebuilding of our beloved local New Jersey church. In this packet of materials you will find helpful resources, appropriate contact information, and informative background articles. May we suggest a few things that we all can do to move the healing forward?
VOTFNJ has developed an Action Packet of practical steps you can take to confront the abuse crisis in our Church. Hard Copies will be also available at liturgies.
Refugee Assistance Update
At VOTFNJ's invitation, a steering committee for refugee assistance held its first organizational meeting on May 23, 2016 at St. Peter's Episcopal Church. The result: a coalition of 14 member organizations which have named themselves, Refugee Assistance Morris Partners (RAMP). Their stated purpose: "...to assist vetted Middle Eastern and other refugee families to transiton to productive lives of dignity, safety, and hope in the Morris County area of New Jersey." The group has partnered with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and with the Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ).
Learn more about RAMP here.
Learn more about RAMP's partnership with CFNJ here.
Donate to RAMP here.
A New Family Arrives on June 9
We are very happy to report to you that, because of your support, we are now making plans to welcome our fourth family to America. Learn how you can help here. If you would like to join this multi-faith and civic effort, check for the opportunities available here. Contact RAMP This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information and to receive updates.
Stay in touch and informed!
Read In the Vineyard and stay abreast of VOTF national activities and views here.
Advocate for the reform of the Statute of Limitation for child sex abuse victims in New Jersey and other states. Read VOTF Statute of Limitation Reform: Advocacy Guide here.
Lay Input in the Bishop Selection Process
The VOTF National proposal would restore to the selection process many of the lay-involvement practices followed throughout the first millennium and well into the second, and, at the same time, it would recognize the authority of the pope (as affirmed in Canon Law and Vatican II) to make the final appointment of a bishop, generally from the recommendations submitted for each diocese.
To facilitate lay involvement, VOTF National hosts a web form that enables Catholics in any U.S. diocese to send their thoughts on the needs of their diocese and the qualities they deem important for their next bishop directly to the U.S. Apostolic Nuncio. Learn more.
And ...
Coordinating Team Member Bernice Anglin has compiled an Overview of National Voice of the Faithful's Second Annual Study of the Online Financial Transparency of U.S. Catholic Dioceses with an emphasis on NJ Diocesan findings.
VOTFNJ is pleased to support ...
Road to Recovery, a non-profit organization that offers compassionate counseling and referral services to survivors of sexual abuse. Launched in 2005 to provide direct assistance to victims of clergy sexual abuse, R2R has expanded its mission to include survivors of all sexual abuse. Learn more.
THE VOICE - VOTFNJ's Monthly Newsletter
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Intentional Eucharistic Communities (IECs) are those small faith communities, rooted in the 
Catholic tradition, which gather to celebrate Eucharist on a regular basis. Born in the enthusiasm flowing from Vatican II for a church of the people, some IECs were instituted in parishes, some were created as alternatives to the parish, some retain close ties with the institutional church, and some function independently. VOTFNJ considers itself to be an Intentional Eucharistic Community. Another New Jersey area IECs is the Sophia Inclusive Catholic Community (Andover, NJ), founded by a VOTFNJ member, Mary Ann Schoetlly.
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Save the Date! Your summer reading ...
