Generous God, we are united in our desire to be faithful to you. As we move toward greater dialogue within the Church, we open our hearts to each other and to the transforming power of grace. Grant us, Gentle God, wisdom, courage, and guidance as we seek mutual understanding and respect in this new movement. Amen.

This prayer is said at the beginning of every meeting of the Ann Arbor Voice of the Faithful organization, which was founded at St. Mary Student Parish in 2003. It sets the tone of our loyalty to the Church and our determination to enter into respectful and ever-increasing dialogue within the Church. We seek an appropriate role for lay participation in the Church as provided by custom and canon law.

Many chapters of Voice of the Faithful (VOTF) were established nationally following the increasing exposure of sexual abuse scandals. The mission statement of the national VOTF organization is: "To provide a prayerful voice, attentive to the Spirit, through which the faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church."

Ann Arbor VOTF is supportive of people who have suffered from sexual abuse. Beyond that, we are determined to achieve greater transparency and participation in the operation of the church. We also subscribe to a third goal of the national VOTF organization, to support priests of integrity.

To assist victims of child abuse, Ann Arbor VOTF has published a pamphlet, "Someone Who Will Listen," and has encouraged legislation that will relax the highly limiting statute of limitations under which Michigan victims can bring civil action. Ann Arbor VOTF has served as a sounding board for some victims of abuse and has assisted victims in finding appropriate counsel and support. To increase transparency and lay participation, we have sought more frequent and detailed reporting to the congregation on church operations and have secured information on church finances. We have attempted to learn more about hierarchically established collectives that purport to represent the views of the entire Church while having highly limited input from the laity.

To remain focused on our central goals, Voice of the Faithful does not engage in such controversial issues as priestly celibacy, the role of women in the church, and abortion.

Membership is open to all who share our goals. Approximately 35 people are members of Ann Arbor VOTF and are predominately congregants of St. Mary Student Parish. A majority of members are from University of Michigan faculty and staff households. Usually meetings are held on the fourth Tuesday of the month, at 7 p.m. Most monthly meetings are attended by 8-15 members. For additional information, contact one of the co-chairs:

Rosemary C. Sarri rcsarri@umich.edu or (734) 663-4098
Marie S. Juster mariesjuster@yahoo.com or (734) 677-1519

For more information on the national VOTF organization go to: www.votf.net

Underscoring our work is this prayer, which concludes each session of Ann Arbor VOTF:

Jesus, Lord and Brother, help us with our faithfulness.
Please hear our voice and let our voice be heard.
Amen.