In response to a recent inquiry about the state of Voice of the Faithful in Maine, President Robert McAteer responded, "Rest assured, we still have a heartbeat."
Well, President McAteer, that's not quite the response we were hoping for. Your lackluster description of Maine VOTF makes it sound like the Maine organization is in the intensive care unit.
We were hoping you'd instead tell us what has been accomplished under your presidential leadership? What real things have you done in the areas of survivor assistance, child protection, financial accountability and/or structural change, among many other issues?
We're anxious to know, President McAteer, in what direction you are leading VOTF Maine? What are your priorities for 2010?
In his speech to the October 2009 VOTF Conference in Long Island, NY, VOTF's National President, Dan Bartley, told attendees that reform must come from the "bottom up," parish by parish; i.e., stronger and better parish councils, finance councils, etc.
Now there's a recipe for failure.
However, in her speech to the very same conference, Sister Joan Chittister said something quite different. She told the audience that "reform has nothing to do with the survival of the church. Reform has to do with the survival of the gospel."
Amen.
