INDIANAPOLIS
Akron Beacon Journal
KEN KUSMER
Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS - The Catholic lay reform group Voice of the Faithful is holding a national meeting to create a lasting strategy for involvement in the church, three years after the clergy sex abuse scandal fueled the group's calls for change.
For three days beginning Friday, about 500 leaders from some 200 of the organization's local affiliates will attend workshops on recruiting, strategy, keeping parishes open and supporting abuse victims.
It is the group's first national meeting in nearly three years.
The steps are needed to transform the 30,000-member organization from a cause fueled by anger into a mature advocate for worshippers, observers say.
"Anger gets you part way, but it does not sustain you," said Jim Post, the group's president. "What sustains (members) is love of the church, the belief that the church is worth fighting for, an institution with a moral mission."