Coastal Delmarva VOTF

4/11/07
Dear Friends of VOTF:

FYI: Forwarding a message with the results of the recent NRC election.

Skip Sullivan

Dear Region 4 members,

Congratulations to Rich Moriarty who was elected to a new 2 year term as
representative from Region 4 to the National Representative Council.

The election results:
Rich Moriarty   41 votes
Jack Keating     27 votes

In March the National Representative Council passed 3 resolutions:
•    Resolution on Protecting our Children and Reaching out to Survivors and
their Families
•    Resolution on Effective Church Financial Management Systems
•    Resolution on a Paper on the Basics of Church Finances and Financial
Accountability

The resolutions are copied below. The resolutions have been presented to
VOTF's President for her concurrence and adoption as official VOTF policy.
Thank you to all who took the time to make comments and recommendations on
these resolutions.

Good news from Delaware:
Senate Bill 29, the Child Victim’s Act, passed unanimously in the Delaware
Senate. SB 29 eliminates the civil statute of limitations for cases of
child sexual abuse and includes a 2 year look back which will allow
previously barred child abuse cases to go to court if filed within 2
years after the bill becomes law. The bill will go to the House after a 2
week spring break. The Coastal Delmarva and Northern Delaware VOTF
affiliates have joined with other child advocates to vigorously lobby in
support of this bill.

Chuck Miller
Region 4 Representative

Council Resolutions:

A VOTF National Representative Council Resolution on
Protecting Our Children and Reaching Out to Survivors and Their Families
Version 5.20—March 19, 2007

The Roman Catholic Church is in crisis over sexual abuse of minors by
priests and the cover up of those crimes by bishops. In the Charter for
the Protection of Children and Young People, the United States bishops
pledged to protect our children and to reach out and listen to the
victims/survivors of clerical sexual abuse and to their families. To date,
many bishops have not fully implemented these pledges.

Protecting Our Children—Full Disclosure.   Because sexual abusers seldom
abuse only once, to adequately protect children—and vulnerable
adults—requires that the community have full disclosure of information
about proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed
based on sufficient credible evidence of sexual abuse.

Because of our desire for justice and because Voice of the Faithful (VOTF)
supports priests of integrity as one of its three major corporate goals,
we appeal to bishops and their lay advisory boards to be sensitive to the
risk of false accusation, and we call for diligence, fairness, and
transparency in the process that assesses the veracity of allegations
against any suspected abuser. However, to provide a prudent safeguard to
protect children, we call for full disclosure of information about proven
abusers, admitted abusers, and those priests, deacons, and laypersons
suspended or dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer
activities because sufficient evidence of sexual abuse exists.

Our call for this disclosure is not breaking new ground. To date, less
than 10% of the 195 dioceses have provided public disclosure of
information about abusers. This record needs significant improvement. The
protection of our children and vulnerable adults demands it, and the
restoration of the bishops’ trust and credibility requires it. Continued
secrecy only contributes to the impression that the Church is sheltering
criminals.

Therefore, bishops should provide full, public disclosure of information
about those under their authority, both clerical and lay (priests,
deacons, lay employees, and volunteers), who are proven abusers, admitted
abusers, and those persons that the bishop, with the confidential
consultative support of a predominantly lay review board, has suspended or
dismissed from active ministry, employment, or volunteer activities
because sufficient credible evidence of sexual abuse exists. This
information should be provided permanently on official, user-friendly, and
easily accessible Church web sites and other public media and should, at a
minimum, include:

1.    The name, address, and/or current whereabouts of all proven abusers,
admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry,
employment, or volunteer activities, including those disclosed in the John
Jay Report (data 1950-2002) and in all other sources.
2.    The assignment history, including dates and places, of all proven
abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active
ministry, employment, or volunteer activities because sufficient evidence
of sexual abuse exists. This information should include where each person
served at the time of the announcement, if any, of his or her removal from
active ministry or other Church work.
3.    Adequate provision for removal of the names of any persons reinstated
after suspension or dismissal from active ministry, employment, or
volunteer activities because of alleged abuse, and appropriate
dissemination of such information.
4.    The current status of all cases that have been submitted to the Vatican
of proven abusers, admitted abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from
active ministry.
5.    All agreements between Church officials and proven abusers, admitted
abusers, and those suspended or dismissed from active ministry,
employment, or volunteer activities, including information about financial
support, retirement and health care benefits, any restrictions on the
place of residence, any restrictions on freedom of travel or interaction
with children, and any restrictions on the disclosure of information about
reasonably suspected abuse.

Protecting Our Children—Legislative Reform. Many states have unreasonably
short civil and/or criminal statutes of limitations provisions for
childhood sexual abuse, as well as weak or nonexistent mandatory reporting
requirements. These deficiencies often allow sexual abusers of children to
abuse again and preclude access to the justice system by
victims/survivors.

Therefore, to remedy these weaknesses, VOTF urges bishops, religious
superiors, and other Church officials to work in good faith with child
advocacy groups and Church reform groups to seek enactment of:

1.    More just and reasonable criminal and civil statutes of limitations
regarding sexual abuse of children.
2.    Elimination or substantial lengthening of statutes of limitations on
prosecution of felony child sexual abuse crimes, as many states have
already done.
3.    Mandatory reporting laws for suspected child sexual abuse and effective
enforcement mechanisms for such laws.

Reaching Out to Survivors and Their Families. To promote healing and
provide Christian witness, VOTF urges that Church officials:

1.    Minister to victim-survivors and their families.
2.    Visit every parish, school, or other Church institution where an
offender served, in order to encourage undisclosed victims to come
forward, report the crimes to law enforcement, seek help, and begin
recovery.
3.    Appeal for anyone who experienced, witnessed, or reasonably suspected
sexual abuse of a child to contact law enforcement authorities for
investigation and possible prosecution.
4.    Urge victims to seek counseling support and provide the necessary
Church financing for the counseling.
5.    Promptly report all suspected child sexual abuse to law enforcement,
regardless of whether such reporting is required by state or federal law.

SPONSORED BY

Frank Douglas, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 13 (AZ, CO,
NM, UT, WY); frankdouglas62@yahoo.com
Jeb Barrett, Denver SNAP Leader; SNAPdenver@comcast.net
Lisa Braglia, Co-Chair, Long Island VOTF Vigil Committee;
Lisa.Braglia@esc.edu
Tom Byrne, VOTF Cleveland-Akron, OH; Member, Legislative Accountability
Advisors; byrne351@yahoo.com
Daniel E. Dick, VOTF, Worcester, MA, Victim Support Person;
d.dick51@verizon.net
Frank Dingle, Voice of Greater Baltimore; dingle1@comcast.net
Carolyn Disco, VOTF NH, Chairperson of the NH Survivor Support Working
Group; cdisco40@yahoo.com
Lynette Frankovich, VOTF, Midland, MI; frankovich4@yahoo.com
Ed Friedl, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 6 (MI, OH);
egfriedl@netzero.net
Patricia T. Gomez, Member, Protection of Children National VOTF Working
Group; ptcgomez@comcast.net
Sharon Harrington, Board Member, Boston Area VOTF Council;
benhar@earthlink.net
Jim Jenkins, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 11 (CA, HI, NV);
jjenkinsphd@earthlink.net
Austin A. Jensen, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; jensenap@aol.com
Patricia J. Jensen, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; jensenap@aol.com
Paul Kellen, VOTF Boston Sidewalk Affiliate; paulkellen@aol.com
Joe Maas, Voice of Greater Baltimore; jm73bug@aol.com
Chuck Miller, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 4 (DC, DE, MD,
VA); chuck-judy@starpower.net
Judy Miller, Chair, VOTF Montgomery County Maryland Affiliate;
chuck-judy@starpower.net
Rosa Maria Montenegro, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 14
(FL, GA, NC, SC); rrosemariemontenegro@yahoo.com
Rich Moriarty, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 4 (DC, DE, MD,
VA); moriarty80@cox.net
Elizabeth Sarfaty, Member, Protect Children Through Legislation (PCTL)
Yahoogroup; desarfat@northnet.org
Bob Schwiderski, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 8 (MN, ND,
SD) and, Minnesota SNAP Director; skibrs@mchsi.com
Sandy Stilling Seehausen, VOTF Chicago NW Suburbs; slstillsee@aol.com
Stephen A. Sheehan, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish Affiliate, and Survivor
Support National VOTF Working Group; sheehan1777@aol.com
Peggie Thorp, Editor, In the Vineyard; peggie.thorp@verizon.net
Dom Tomasso, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; tomassotucson@cox.net
Kristine Ward, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 6 (MI, OH);
kristineward@hotmail.com
**************************

VOTF National Representative Council Resolution on
A Paper on the Basics of Church Finances and Financial Accountability
Version 6.6—March 18, 2007

Achieving financial transparency and accountability in the Catholic Church
requires qualified lay persons to work with pastors and bishops to build
financial management systems that provide improved internal financial
controls, full disclosure of financial information, and effective
oversight. Greater participation by lay persons in the management of
Church finances, a necessary structural change, requires increased
awareness and knowledge of current Church financial practices.

Therefore, VOTF will design, develop, and disseminate a paper on the
basics of Church finances and financial accountability.

The paper will be designed to motivate and assist lay Catholics to
participate in the management of Church finances. The paper’s primary
target audience will be VOTF affiliates and members participating in VOTF’s
financial accountability campaign. Secondary target audiences are all VOTF
members and all American Catholics.

The paper will expand on the general and specific recommendations in the
VOTF National Representative Council resolution on “Effective Church
Financial Management Systems,” dated March 18, 2007. The paper will, to
the greatest extent possible, identify and reference existing Church
financial references and best practices (e.g., from the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the National Leadership
Roundtable on Church Management).

The proposed contents of the paper will include but not be limited to:

1.    Parish finances (e.g., parish financial councils, disclosure of parish
financial information, safeguarding parishioners’ contributions)
2.    Diocesan finances (e.g., diocesan financial councils, disclosure of
diocesan financial information)
3.    Other related, key issues (e.g., Catholic Conferences, diocesan
bankruptcies, parish closings, parish ownership, parish and diocesan
financial management best practices)

The proposed implementation approach for the paper is to:

1.    Identify and recruit a lead person to coordinate the paper’s design and
development
2.    Identify and recruit a writing team of volunteers from across VOTF,
plus subject matter experts as needed
3.    Identify and recruit a review team, including members from the VOTF
Board of Directors, Officers, the National Representative Council, and the
Financial Accountability Advisors
4.    Develop an annotated outline, schedule, and writing assignments
5.    Provide for peer reviews for all drafts
6.    Provide for formal reviews by the review team
7.    Publish the paper on the VOTF Web site
8.    Publish updates to the paper as experience on VOTF’s financial
accountability campaign and feedback on the paper is received.
* * *

SPONSORED BY

Frank Douglas, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 13 (AZ, CO,
NM, UT, WY); frankdouglas62@yahoo.com
Robert M. Bell, VOTF, Sedona, AZ; rmsbell@esedona.net
George Bouchey, VOTF Greater Philadelphia, PA; georgebouchey@comcast.net
Don Brophy, VOTF-New York City; d.brophy@rcn.com
Tom Byrne, VOTF Cleveland-Akron, OH; Member, Legislative Accountability
Advisors; byrne351@yahoo.com
Terry Carden, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; tscii@comcast.net
Betty Clermont, VOTF-Atlanta, GA, Vice Chair; bettyclermont@hotmail.com or
bettyclermont@yahoo.com
Daniel E. Dick, VOTF, Worcester, MA, Victim Support Person;
d.dick51@verizon.net
Lynette Frankovich, VOTF-Midland, MI; frankovich4@yahoo.com
Herman Guenther, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; hermanguenther@aol.com
Jim Jenkins, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 11 (CA, HI, NV);
jjenkinsphd@earthlink.net
Chuck Miller, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 4 (DC, DE, MD,
VA); chuck-judy@starpower.net
Judy Miller, Chair, VOTF Montgomery County Maryland Affiliate;
chuck-judy@starpower.net
Rich Moriarty, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 4 (DC, DE, MD,
VA); moriarty80@cox.net
Ken Nielson, VOTF of Palm Beach County (FL); kennielson@aol.com
Hugh O’Regan, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 11 (CA, HI,
NV); hughsf164@comcast.net
Stephen A. Sheehan, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish Affiliate and Boston
Sidewalk Affiliate;
      Co-Founder, Survivor Support National VOTF Working Group;
sheehan1777@aol.com
Patricia Leonard Shumate, Member, Pax Christi Catholic Church, Littleton,
CO; shumatesco@att.net
Dom Tomasso, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; tomassotucson@cox.net
***************************

VOTF National Representative Council Resolution on
Effective Church Financial Management Systems
Version 6.17—March 18, 2007

Recent media disclosures and an important university study provide
compelling evidence that secrecy, ineffective internal financial controls,
inadequate disclosure, and insufficient oversight characterize the
financial activities, records, and reports of too many Catholic parishes,
dioceses, and Catholic Conferences (the public policy and lobbying arms of
the Church).

Establishing effective Church financial management systems will provide
the financial transparency and accountability necessary to solve these
problems. Moreover, 89 percent of American Catholics want a substantial
voice in the financial decisions of their Church (the National Catholic
Reporter, September 30, 2005).

Therefore, VOTF calls on lay Catholics to work in partnership with pastors
and bishops to provide the responsible management of Church financial
resources that justice and good stewardship demand.
Background. The Center for the Study of Church Management at Villanova's
School of Business reported in January 2007 that 85% of U.S. dioceses
responding said that they had uncovered embezzlement schemes over the past
five years. More than 10% reported that the amounts stolen exceeded half a
million dollars. The study reported that the Catholic Church has some of
the most rigorous financial guidelines of any denomination, but found that
the guidelines were often ignored in parishes. Some of the cash that goes
into the collection plate does not always get deposited into the church's
bank account because of high-living clerical life-styles or embezzlement
or both.
In January 2007, the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., removed the pastor of a
Greenwich, Conn., parish over the expenditure of some $500,000 without
proper documentation. That follows the revelations last year that a
prominent Darien, Conn., priest, Michael Jude Fay, had walked off with
$1.4 million to bankroll a luxurious lifestyle of New York trips and
Florida vacations with a male friend. In Virginia, a priest was accused of
stealing $600,000 to help support a woman who may be his wife, while last
September two Palm Beach, Fla., priests were arrested for allegedly
stealing $8.6 million from their parish. In Boston, priests’ trust has
been shaken by pension fund mismanagement.
On January 18, 2007, the Accounting Practices Committee, a group of lay
experts who advise the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
(USCCB), called for tighter internal controls over finances in the nation’s
more than 19,000 parishes.
Many of the recommendations of the Villanova Center for the Study of
Church Management, as documented in Internal Financial Controls in the
U.S. Catholic Church,
(http://www.villanova.edu/business/assets/documents/excellence/church/catholicchurchfinances.pdf
) and of the bishops’ Accounting Practices Committee
(http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-015.shtml ) have been
incorporated in the general and specific recommendations that follow.

General Recommendations.
1.    VOTF strongly advocates establishment of sound financial management
systems of policies, procedures, controls, and practices at all levels of
the Catholic Church, including parishes, dioceses, and Catholic
Conferences, to provide enhanced financial accounting, full disclosure of
financial information, and effective oversight. Policies, procedures,
controls, and practices should be documented, maintained current,
available on the Internet, and provided to Church members on request.
Documentation should include definition of roles and responsibilities and
identification and use of financial controls, tools, standards, and
procedures.
2.    At all levels, processes should be designed and implemented to provide
effective oversight, with significant participation by knowledgeable lay
persons, of the development, monitoring, and improvement of the financial
management systems. Oversight includes monitoring compliance and
publishing report cards of performance.

3.    At all levels, policies should be implemented to guard against fraud
and embezzlement, protect whistle blowers (e.g., by establishing
communication channels for church workers to report suspected
irregularities or fraudulent activities while protecting their anonymity),
and report all suspected cases of improper financial activities to law
enforcement authorities.

4.    At all levels, financial statements should be prepared on a consistent
basis from year to year, in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP), published on a timely basis, and periodically audited
by independent CPAs.

5.    Disclosure of financial information should be accurate, detailed,
comprehensive, and user-friendly. These disclosure characteristics are
briefly called full disclosure.

6.    At all levels, high priority should be given to identifying and
correcting deficiencies in current financial systems. Specifically, VOTF
recommends that initial improvements to parish, diocesan, and Catholic
Conference financial systems be completed by December 31, 2008.

7.    Parish policies should include effective parish financial councils, an
open budgeting process, effective controls to secure cash collections,
full disclosure of financial information, and annual audits. Parish
financial councils should exercise effective oversight over parish
financial matters.

8.    Diocesan policies should cover conflicts of interest and require
selection of the diocesan auditor by a person other than the diocesan
chief financial officer.

9.    Financial accounting and reporting systems should comply with the
existing guidelines in the Diocesan Financial Issues document approved by
the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition, we
recommend the use, as appropriate, of the work products of the National
Leadership Roundtable on Church Management and VOTF’s Structural Change
Working Group, and acknowledged Church financial best practices (e.g.,
Business Administration - Best Parish Practices published by the
Archdiocese of Chicago).

10.    Catholic Conference policies should ensure full disclosure of all
expenditures for each legislative initiative.

Specific recommendations for parishes, dioceses, and Catholic Conferences
follow.

Parishes. Parish financial management systems should provide for:
1.    Parish financial councils including members a) with knowledge and
experience in parish finances and/or related experience and skills in
financial management (e.g., financial managers, accountants, or business
managers and owners); and b) representing a cross section of the parish
community. VOTF recommends that parish financial councils include at least
one, and preferably more, members elected by the parish community
2.    Thorough training for parish finance council members relative to their
roles and responsibilities
3.    An open budgeting process that solicits input from all members of the
parish community
4.    Effective security controls over all revenue and disbursements,
especially with respect to cash and cash equivalents. Examples of such
controls include church ushers securing money in tamperproof bags with
numbered seals; rotating (e.g., weekly, monthly) money-counting teams;
separation-of-duties standards, such as ensuring that bookkeepers logging
the funds aren't the ones counting and depositing it; pre-numbered
receipts; and two signatures on checks for large disbursements
5.    A system of internal controls, including those to prevent embezzlement
6.    Procedures for retaining records; recording minutes of all parish
finance council meetings and making them available within 10 days after
each meeting; making written copies of copies of annual parish financial
statements available within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year on
the Internet and at the entrance of each parish church; and providing
financial information when a request is made in writing (parishioner’s
right to know)
7.    Annual audits by an independent CPA. To reduce expenses, smaller
parishes should consider an annual review by a CPA or a parish audit
committee
8.    Full disclosure, including:
a.    Monthly or quarterly reports of receipts and disbursements
b.    Annual budgets approved by the parish financial council
c.    Annual financial statements, in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles (GAAP). These statements should include footnote
disclosures of the fair market value of all parish real estate and other
fixed assets
d.    Annual report to parishioners from the parish financial council
containing: i) the names, brief background, and expertise of parish
finance council members; ii) dates when the council met; iii) date(s) when
the approved (i.e. by the parish finance council) parish financial
statements/budgets were made available to the parishioners during the
preceding fiscal year and since the end of the fiscal year; and iv) the
published financial statements/budgets called for in 8.b and 8.c.
Dioceses. Diocesan financial management systems should provide for:
1.    Diocesan financial councils including members with experience and
expertise in financial management (e.g., financial managers, accountants,
business managers). VOTF recommends that diocesan financial councils
include significant representation by persons elected by parish councils,
parish finance councils, and priests and religious organizations
2.    An open budgeting process that solicits input from parish councils,
parish finance councils, and other members of the diocese
3.    A system of internal controls, including those to prevent embezzlement
4.    Procedures for retaining records; recording minutes of all diocesan
finance council meetings and making them available within 10 days after
each meeting; making written copies of copies of annual diocesan financial
statements available within 90 days after the end of the fiscal year on
the Internet and in the diocesan newspaper; and providing financial
information when a request is made in writing (Catholic’s right to know)
5.    Annual audit by an independent CPA. VOTF recommends that CPA firms be
changed periodically (e.g., every 3-5 years)
6.    Full disclosure, including:
a.    Annual financial statements in accordance GAAP. These statements should
include footnote disclosures of the estimated fair market value of all
diocesan real estate and other fixed assets.
b.    Ownership/affiliation structure of all diocesan and parish entities
c.    Receipts and disbursements of diocesan collections, appeals, and
appeals of all diocesan-related entities, including specific amounts
received, expenses incurred, and disposition of net proceeds. How proceeds
of special collections and appeals will be allocated should be disclosed
in advance.
d.    Pension system for priests and other Church workers including full
financial statements, vesting rules, actuarial assumptions, and portfolio
performance
e.    Financial disbursements to other Church entities, including the Vatican
f.    Amount of financial and in-kind support provided to Catholic
Conferences for their lobbying on legislation designed to extend,
temporarily suspend, or eliminate civil or criminal statutes of
limitations on child sexual abuse suits, reporting child abuse, or other
legislation designed to protect children from sexual abuse
g.    Payments to and contracts with public relations firms, identifying
amounts paid to defeat legislation designed to extend, temporarily
suspend, or eliminate civil or criminal statutes of limitations on child
sexual abuse suits, reporting child abuse, or other legislation designed
to protect children from sexual abuse
h.    Costs and detailed information associated with all liability insurance
policies, and any amounts invested in self-insurance programs
i.    Details on lawsuits and liability claims filed against the diocese, the
costs of defending such claims, including fees paid to lawyers, any
amounts paid to claimants, and receipts from insurance to settle claims
j.    The number, names, and costs associated with proven abusers, admitted
abusers, and those priests and deacons suspended from active ministry
because sufficient evidence of sexual abuse exists who are still receiving
Church monies
Catholic Conferences. Catholic Conference (and other similar Church
lobbying organizations) financial management systems should provide for:
1.    Full annual disclosure, on a line item by line item basis, of all
receipts, sources of receipts, all expenditures, and the recipients of
expenditures. Full disclosure of expenditures for each legislative
initiative should be provided. Recipients should include but are not
limited to legal, lobbying, and public relations firms
2.    Full annual disclosure of the amount of financial or other support each
state (or inter-state) Catholic conference receives from each diocese
* * *

SPONSORED BY

Frank Douglas, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 13 (AZ, CO,
NM, UT, WY); frankdouglas62@yahoo.com
Robert M. Bell, VOTF, Sedona, AZ; rmsbell@esedona.net
George Bouchey, VOTF Greater Philadelphia, PA; georgebouchey@comcast.net
Don Brophy, VOTF-New York City; d.brophy@rcn.com
Tom Byrne, VOTF Cleveland-Akron, OH; Member, Legislative Accountability
Advisors; byrne351@yahoo.com
Terry Carden, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; tscii@comcast.net
Betty Clermont, VOTF-Atlanta, GA, Vice Chair; bettyclermont@hotmail.com or
bettyclermont@yahoo.com
Daniel E. Dick, VOTF, Worcester, MA, Victim Support Person;
d.dick51@verizon.net
Lynette Frankovich, VOTF-Midland, MI; frankovich4@yahoo.com
Herman Guenther, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; hermanguenther@aol.com
Jim Jenkins, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 11 (CA, HI, NV);
jjenkinsphd@earthlink.net
Chuck Miller, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 4 (DC, DE, MD,
VA); chuck-judy@starpower.net
Judy Miller, Chair, VOTF Montgomery County Maryland Affiliate;
chuck-judy@starpower.net
Rich Moriarty, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 4 (DC, DE, MD,
VA); moriarty80@cox.net
Ken Nielson, VOTF of Palm Beach County (FL); kennielson@aol.com
Hugh O’Regan, VOTF National Representative Council, Region 11 (CA, HI,
NV); hughsf164@comcast.net
Stephen A. Sheehan, St. Ignatius of Loyola Parish Affiliate and Boston
Sidewalk Affiliate; Co-Founder, Survivor Support National VOTF Working
Group; sheehan1777@aol.com
Patricia Leonard Shumate, Member, Pax Christi Catholic Church, Littleton,
CO; shumatesco@att.net
Dom Tomasso, VOTF-Tucson, AZ; tomassotucson@cox.net