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	Group Calling for Change in Catholic Church to Hold Vigil By Bruce Bartlett Telegraph-Journal March 30, 2010 http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/city/article/1000856 SAINT JOHN - While officials in the Catholic church are fighting allegations that the cover-up of sexual abuse of children by priests leads to the very highest levels, a grassroots group remains committed to fighting for changes from within. This evening, members of the Catholic Network for Women's Equality will gather for a purple stole vigil outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Waterloo Street. Inside, the annual mass of the holy chrism, a celebration of the institution of the priesthood, will be taking place as part of the week leading up to Easter. The vigil begins at 6 p.m. "We've had a purple stole vigil since 2003," said Cathy Holtmann, a spokeswoman for the network in New Brunswick. The mass this evening is to rededicate the priesthood and bless the chrism oil that is used in various sacraments in the church throughout the year. "We chose that event because our group works for the full equality of men and women in the Catholic church," Holtmann said. "We engage in a prayerful vigil calling for change in the Catholic church as well as change in ourselves." With the church facing challenges around the world, it is a good time for the leadership to begin to look at some of the structural problems that have led to the crisis, she said. "The whole notion of secrecy and keeping all of the abuse in-house points to the fact that there is a lack of accountability within the leadership of the church," she said. "The recent events present the church with a challenge, but with every challenge comes an opportunity." A lot of people are looking at Catholics today and wondering why they want to remain inside such a dysfunctional institution, she said. "To stay without calling the institution to significant change, for me would be wrong," she said. "We would hope that the church would take a good, hard look at some of the structural reasons why this abuse is so widespread, and hopefully take some real concrete steps in terms of justice," she said. The church leadership needs to keep in mind that its focus should not be to just protect the organization's reputation, but should be about the victims whose lives were gravely altered by the abuse, she said. Since the abuse allegations are arising across Europe and North America, it shows it is not an isolated problem, Holtmann said. The Catholic Network for Women's Equality takes the position that if a woman feels called to be a leader in the church she should have that opportunity. But the network is also looking for other changes, including more transparency in the way decisions are made inside the church, she said. "We would like greater participation of the laity within the Catholic church," she said. "We don't have a lot of priests within the church but we have a lot of people who have a lot of gifts in different areas." Although decision-making is still concentrated at the top, in the hands of the Pope and the College of Cardinals, the church responds to changes happening at the grassroots level, she said. The Catholic Network for Women's Equality is made up of very strong Catholic men and women and one of the goals is to get people to think about what they want the church to be, and what role it can play in society, she said. "I think people have the impression that we are really fringe, that we are a bunch of angry people feeling disempowered," she said. "I don't know what other people are saying about us, but I know we feel we are very much Catholic and feel good about that Catholic identity."
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