Creating a Stronger Catholic Church, by Molly MacMillan, Daily Times, March 27, 2008

Creating a Stronger Catholic Church

By Molly MacMillan
Daily Times
March 27, 2008

http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080327/DCP06/80326060/1058/DCP

OCEAN VIEW — One local group is encouraging their peers to communicate with their clergy and share responsibility for the impact of sexual abuse.

Coastal Delmarva Voices of the Faithful — a group of Catholics who meet monthly — said their goal is to effect positive change within their churches.

Bob Wallace, a member of the Coastal Delmarva Voices of the Faithful, is working to improve communication in the Catholic Church.
Photo by John King

"We are fully faithful to all the doctrine in our church and we are not attempting to deal with any faith questions," said Skip Sullivan, the group's chairperson. "We are not questioning our creator, we are simply questioning the current structures within the church that permitted this abuse to happen."

Coastal Delmarva is one chapter of Voices of the Faithful, an assembly of Catholic parishioners organized in 2002 as a response to widespread clerical abuse of children in the Catholic Church. Their intent, Sullivan said, is to change church structure and legislation to favor victims.

At the meetings, scheduled to take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month, President John Sullivan said the group usually invites speakers who are experts on canon (church) law or the organization of the diocese, as well as those who have researched sexual abuses crisis' across the country.

IF YOU GO

WHAT. Coastal Delmarva Voices of the Faithful Meeting

WHERE. Ocean View Town Hall, 32 West Ave., Ocean View

WHEN. The fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.

COST. Free

CALL. 302-541-0254

"Most of those who attend meetings are good Catholics who want to see their church become stronger," he said. "We were a part of a coalition in the state of Delaware that helped bring about a change in the civil statute of limitations in the case of child sex abuse."

In the past, VOTF member Bob Wallace said the hierarchy of the Catholic Church would reassign priests with histories of sexual abuse to new parishes, in effect, granting them blank slates with each move.

"We are very dedicated and loyal to the church," he said. "The group has three objectives, which are mainly to support victims, support the integrity of the Priests and to make structural changes in the church so a situation like this does not happen again."

Contact: mmacmillan@dmg.gannett.com 302-537-1881, Ext. 203