SPRINGFIELD (MA)
Republican
Sunday, July 17, 2005
By BILL ZAJAC
wzajac@repub.com
A local leader of the Voice of the Faithful says that the lay Catholic reform group has strengthened its resolve to push for both tougher laws involving sex crimes against children and greater financial disclosure by the church.
John M. Bowen, who heads the East Longmeadow affiliate of the Voice of the Faithful, said last week that the group's recent national convention in Indianapolis showed that it has matured into a national agent for church reform from a Boston-based organization concerned with just clergy sexual abuse.
"It was an energizing experience to know there are people from the West Coast and the South and Midwest who are concerned with the same issues as we are," said Bowen, who returned yesterday with his wife, Mary Lou, from the three-day convention.
The group will continue to push for support for Massachusetts legislation that seeks to abolish the criminal and civil statute of limitations for sex crimes against children. Several bills seek to extend, but not abolish, the limitations.
Bowen hopes that the Most. Rev. Timothy A. McDonnell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, will support abolition of the statute of limitations.