Minutes of the March 13, 2003, Meeting of
Voice of the Faithful Long Island

North Babylon High School, North Babylon, N.Y.

Sheila Peiffer called meeting to order at 7:40 pm

Barbara Ashley led the group in prayer and hymn

Dan Bartley welcomed the audience and congratulated the many people who had braved
the inclement weather to attend that evening.

What follows are the remarks of the speakers at the March Regional Meeting

Sheila Peiffer, Co-Director

Good evening.
It is so good to see you here at our monthly gathering. I know that this is one of my main sources for hope, inspiration and encouragement in our ongoing struggle to make our Church a better place - I hope it is that for you, too.

Dan has just told you of a major reason for hope: our upcoming meeting with Bishop Murphy. As you know, we have been trying to initiate dialogue and discussion since last August and we are very excited that we will finally have the opportunity to sit down with Bishop Murphy and convey to him some of your concerns. We will be counting on your prayers to bring a spirit of reconciliation and renewal to that meeting!

During the rest of this meeting you are going to be hearing about other examples of projects and plans that have been implemented by members of Voice of the Faithful.

We need each and every one of you to get involved and take responsibility. And we need each and every one of you to continue to invite others to join us - until we are sure that our church is a safe place where trust is restored and the "competence, knowledge and abilities" of the laity are not only respected, but incorporated into the structure of the church.

But Voice of the Faithful is not just a place where people's anger and betrayal and confusion are honored. It is also a means of working to change the conditions in our church which contributed to the breach of trust.

On Tuesday night I attended the South Fork Parish Voice Affiliate meeting. This group has been meeting since September and has moved into accepting the challenges of taking responsibility. At this meeting, it was inspiring to see the members break into groups by parish and have fruitful discussions about their Parish Councils - how they operate now, what they could be like, how such reforms can be undertaken. Everyone in that room on Tuesday night agreed to do "homework" - the unexciting but necessary "grunt" work of digging in to a project and
trying to see it through.

Education, research, dialogue, persistence will all play a large role in the ongoing work which all of us must expect if we want a collaborative structure, respectful of the competency of the laity. Voice of the Faithful is often accused of having a "hidden agenda".

Dan has already referred to the most recent and blatant example, in the "God Squad" column, of attributing false goals to VOTF.

Our mission, goals and agenda are clearly stated. On February 22 I was present at the National Representative Council meeting for VOTF, where the Structural Change Working Group presented the revised Structural Change document for approval. As you know, this phrase "structural change" is what is often misconstrued.

What I saw happening on Tuesday night in Southampton High School - a bunch of middle-aged and elderly Catholics reading Bishop Murphy's guidelines for Parish Councils and making plans to implement them - is exactly what is called for by Voice of the Faithful. The structural change document urges all of us to empower active, collaborative, effective and representative Pastoral Councils, Finance Councils and Safety Committees in every parish.

This may not seem glamorous or dramatic - but this is the work that we have signed on to do. This is the work that is starting across our diocese. And this is the work which Voice of the Faithful will continue to support.

But - as hopeful and energizing as the prospect of a collaborative dialogue with the Bishop is - several other events this week have renewed my sense of purpose and given me incredible inspiration, which I would like to share with you.

On Monday I was honored to be present at the first meeting of the St. Thomas More Parish Voice Affiliate in Hauppauge. This was a well-run start-up meeting, with a truly heartfelt sharing session. As I listened to these faithful, mass-going Catholics take turns expressing their reasons for being at the meeting I was reminded, yet again, of the complex yet very basic reason why Voice of the Faithful exists: betrayal of trust.

It can take many forms, from abuse to bewilderment, but when you take the time, and provide the forum, our own Catholic people will tell us of their hurt and confusion and distress. Voice of the Faithful is providing a forum, listening to the voices.

Newman first embraced the idea of Catholicism in the summer of 1839. He was drawn to the Church of Rome, as he later confided in "On Consulting the Faithful," due to "…the tradition of the Apostles, committed to the whole Church… [which] manifests itself variously at various times: sometimes by the mouth of the episcopacy, sometimes by the doctors, sometimes by the people."

Throughout his public ministry, Newman stressed the "consensus of the faithful," a concept he grasped while studying patristic three decades prior. By 1853, he had already discoursed upon the essential role of the laity. Throughout the first generations of Christianity, he observed: "… it was simply the living spirit of the myriads of the faithful, none of them known to fame, who received from the disciples of Our Lord, and husbanded so well, and circulated so widely, and transmitted so faithfully, generation after generation, the once delivered apostolic faith…" The fallout from his "intellectual time bomb" still resonates within the life of Church today.

You might not be surprised to know that Newman encountered considerable resistance from the national hierarchy of his day. As Owen Chadwick noted: "Newman discovered to his dismay that some bishops, and more priests, had a horror of the idea that laymen and laywomen had any and putting money into boxes."

Following the publication of his "Essay on Consulting the Faithful," Bishop Thomas Brown of Newport delated Newman to the Congregation of the Propaganda in Rome. His perennial nemesis, Monsignor George Talbot, denounced him to his diocesan bishop, William Ullathorne of Birmingham, saying: "Dr. Newman is the most dangerous man in England and you will see that he will make use of the laity against your Grace." Talbot posed his feckless question: "What is the province of the laity? To hunt, to shoot, to entertain. These matters they understand, but to meddle with ecclesiastical affairs they have no right at all…"

Bishop Ullathorne queried Newman directly, "Who are the laity?" Newman responded: "The Church would look foolish without them." Newman suggested that bishops should consult the laity, since in large measure lay men and women constitute the essence of the Church. He frequently noted "[the] need for a second Reformation" and urged the Church to undertake the necessary steps to transform and renew itself. He bristled at the notion of Nicholas Cardinal Wiseman that "the only function of the laity is to pay," and replied, "[if that] really be the law of this land, let us know it, that we may get out if it into some more Christian country."

Newman displayed little fear when confronted by the prospect of change. In an oft-cited phrase from his "Essay on Consulting the Faithful," he declared: "… in a higher world it is otherwise; but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often."

In the same text, he asserted: "If Christianity be a universal religion, suited not to one locality or period, but to all times and places, it cannot but vary in its relations and dealings towards the world around it, that it, it will develop. Principles require a very varied application according to persons and circumstances, and must be thrown into new shapes according to the form of society which they are to influence."

As he noted: "Life in this world is motion, and involves a continual process of change. Living things grow into their perfection, into their decline, into their death." For any organism to be alive and not moribund, it must be open to growth and change.

Newman wrote in an 1846 letter: "Moral proofs are grown into, not learnt by heart." He recognized that "men do not lose their souls by some one extraordinary act, but by a course of acts."

What are the implications of John Henry Newman's message for us today? In considering that notion, I should like to suggest ten (10) guiding principles of the Newman legacy for the contemporary Roman Catholic Church in light of the daunting crises that confront it today:

Number Three: Engage faithfully in the practice of prayer. In old age, Newman continued to emphasize this theme: "[Prayer] has an effect beyond words, and those who have lived long enough and have had much experience of life can bear witness that God is true and faithful and powerful and merciful." He asserted: "The very test of a mature Christian, of a true saint, is consistency in all things." Prayer and fasting are needed to drive out certain sorts of demons that infect the Church today.

As Newman noted: "…if we would be saved, we must have tender, sensitive, living hearts; our hearts musts be broken, must be broken up like ground, and dug, and watered, and cultivated… The dry and barren waste must burst forth into springs of living water… we must have what we have not by nature, faith and love; and how is this to be effected… but by godly and practical meditation through the day…"

This prayer life is rooted in God's Word revealed in Scripture: "… the very life of personal religion among Catholics lies in knowledge of the Gospels. It is the character and conduct of Our Lord, His words, His deeds, His sufferings, His work, which are the very food of our devotion and rule of our life…"

The sole remnant of Newman's ill-fated venture as rector of the Catholic University of Ireland is the classical University Church he founded on the south end of Dublin's St. Stephen's Green, with its roundel depicting Mary as "Seat of Wisdom."

The short-lived university that he established in 1854 enrolled James Joyce as a student and numbered the Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins among its faculty. He preached in Dublin: "I want the intellectual layman to be religious, and the devout ecclesiastic to be intellectual." When Hopkins wrote that he was "appalled" about the Irish patriotic movement, Newman responded: "If I were an Irishman, I should be a rebel."

Number Nine: Write down and reflect upon your own personal experience, especially in light of the bewilderment unleashed in the wake of the recent scandals and turmoil. As Newman suggested in his work on "University Preaching":

Number Ten: Seize the moment to "scrutinize the signs of the times" and seek to discern God's will.

As Newman wrote to a young person seeking her path in life: "One of the greatest of trials is, to have it cast upon one to make up one's mind,-- on some grave question, which, with great consequences spreading into the future—and to be in doubt what one ought to do.

You have not brought this trial… Put your self then… into the hands of your loving Father and Redeemer, who knows and loves you better than you know and love yourself… He knows all your thoughts, and feels for you in all your sadness more than any creature can feel, and accepts and makes note of your prayers even before you make them. He will never fail you—and He will give you what is best for you. And though he tries you, and seems to withdraw Himself from you, and afflicts you, still trust in Him, for at length you will see how good and gracious He is, and how well he will provide for you.

Be courageous and generous and give Him your heart, and you will never repent of the sacrifice."

Newman received the "red hat" and title to the Church of San Giorgio in Rome from Pope Leo as symbols of his ecclesiastical office as cardinal. The term "cardinal" derives from the Latin word for "hinge."

Let us pray that his witness might foster a profound swing back to retrieve the authentic spirit of the Second Vatican Council, when "Good Pope John" opened the windows of the Church to the modern world and prayed for the outpouring of a "New Pentecost,"-- particularly its dynamic teaching on the proper role of the laity in the life of the Church.

Newman cautioned: "There has seldom been a Council without great confusion after it." Nevertheless, in the words with which Blessed Pope John XXXIII convoked the Second Vatican Council on Christmas Day, 1961: "As we make our own the recommendation of Jesus that we learn how to discern the 'signs of the times,' (MT 16:14), we seem to see amid so much darkness not a few indications that give hope for the future of the Church and of the human race."

Newman paved the way for successive generations of Catholics to accept and embrace such joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties. Cardinal Newman died on August 11, 1890. The pall that covered his casket at the funeral was embroidered Latin with his Latin cardinatial motto, "Cor ad cor loquitur." At his direction, the headstone was inscribed in Latin: "Out of the Shadows and the Reflections into the Truth."

The famous lyrics he composed as a young man while floundering on a storm-tossed ship in the Straits of Bonifacio ring equally true today: "Lead, Kindly Light… amid the encircling gloom… I do not ask to see the distant scene—one step enough for me."

This time of "theological winter" cries out for church renewal, one step at a time, guided by the quest for truth. As another celebrated Anglican convert, Thomas Merton, later pointed out: "Renewal consists, above all, in recovering the truth. Everything else is accidental. Once we get on to this, everything else takes care of itself."

May the heart of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman continue to touch our hearts. May it ease our sadness and strengthen our hope, and serve as a true "hinge" to incline us back towards the authentic spirit of the Council,-- out of the shadows,-- and into the truth. Indeed, at all times the laity has been the measure of the true Catholic spirit. Amid the encircling gloom, let us seek to manifest true courage, -- grace under pressure. The legacy of Newman abides to cheer us: "Don't despair. God has some purpose for you. Ask Him to show it to you—May He ever be with you."

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE March 13, 2003 Patricia Zirkel

Those numbers that Sue just reported are wonderful! Let's wave those parish signs.

Just a week or so ago, someone was telling me how he connected with someone else from his parish, someone he didn't previously know, because he saw a group waving a sign with his parish's name on it!

How many of you have Parish Voices? Let's all applaud for the Parish Voices....and for the people who've taken their time and talent to start a Parish Voice!

Remember the old sixties slogan – POWER TO THE PEOPLE? Parish Voices are empowerment. They are the people standing up and saying, we want a place at the table. Meaningful change will occur first at the parish level, not in Rockville Centre. Parish Voices are the means TO this change. Parish by parish, step by step, brick by brick.

If you are in a parish with no one else in Voice that you know of, join with a nearby Parish Voice. Why should I go to a Parish Voice meeting at a different Parish? How can I change MY parish by going to a Parish Voice at THEIR parish?

Let me tell you about the East End. They were few in numbers, parish by parish, so they joined together. They've gotten bigger and bigger, and are now starting to meet as separate parishes. In other words, as the Parish Voices grow, those of you who've had to look outside your own parish for support will find more and more of your own parishioners doing the same thing. THEN you start your own Parish Voice.

"BUT I don't know what I'm doing...I've never organized anything" Gene and I recently went to a first core-group meeting of a Parish Voice in Suffolk. The organizer of the meeting said just that. BUT she also said: "But this has to be done; we have to start somewhere." So in spite of the fact that she felt inadequate to do the job...she did it anyway. And you know what? Twenty other people, who probably also felt inadequate, came to the meeting too. And together they took the first steps toward starting a Parish Voice. I'm not going to use her name, but let's give her a hand anyway.

Let me tell you a little about some of the people I've been meeting around the Island at various Parish Voices: They are prayerful people. They are committed people. They are people who are leaning on each other for support, and learning as they go. Sometimes they are angry people, whose anger is motivating them to stand up for change in a system that allowed our children to be abused.

They are people who are working for meaningful changes in their parish structures. How? One parish is setting up procedures for Religious Education that will ensure that children who come to the Parish for Religious instruction are safe. Making sure that there are always TWO adults in every classroom, for example. Another parish is starting a Parish Pastoral Council. (The Bishop wants Parish Pastoral Councils, by the way. Why not give him what he wants in this instance?) Yet another parish is working to have the names of the Parish Council members made public (as they are supposed to be, according to the Diocesan Guidelines – which are available on our website, by the way).

EVERY Parish Voice should be working towards a goal. BUT that goal is set by YOU, and depends on the needs of your individual parish.

A few words to those of you who already have working Parish Voices:

It is very important to pass membership information up the line to Sue Baer. If you are a Parish Voice organizer, and you have not yet done this, please see Sue before you leave tonight.

Your next meeting dates should be posted on our website. Send the information to Gail Mahabirsingh. (Gail, please stand up.) If you have questions about that, please see Gail before you leave tonight.

Two final points:

You asked for flyers in Spanish. Tonight we have flyers in Spanish for you, thanks to Tom Trunkes.

You asked for bumper stickers. Tonight a limited number of (national VOTF) bumper stickers, decals and buttons are available for you to take back to your Parish Voices. (Gene, show them the samples.) We cannot accept money for these items here, due to our contract with North Babylon High School. But if you are interested in these items, please see Gene before you leave tonight. AT THE NEXT MEETING, we will have TONS of Long Island Voice of the Faithful GORGEOUS static-cling decals for the back windows of all your cars! They'll be distributed the same way, of course.

Now, one last time... LET'S WAVE THOSE PARISH SIGNS AGAIN!