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Needham Parish Voice
Charter

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Representation in the governance and guidance of the Church.
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Needham Parish Voice

Charter

Approved by the membership on October 2, 2003.

The Needham Parish Voice (NPV) is a parish-level, lay organization committed to the goals, principles, and approach outlined within the Mission Statement and Goals of the VOTF. Specifically, NPV provides a prayerful, active and supportive vehicle for the laity of the greater Needham community to engage meaningfully in the life and growth of our Church and our parishes. Through our efforts and commitment we will demonstrate the value of responsible, and educated laity. We will seek to become a resource in conjunction with clergy, various parish councils and the lay community at large.

The activities of the NPV are divided into six key areas:

Education and Outreach - We will work to enhance education on the rights and responsibilities of the laity and clergy, provide educational support and resources, and solicit active involvement of the laity.

Survivor Support - We will provide support to survivors and their families, and we will be particularly sensitive to parishes where abuse took place. To survivors, we pledge to listen, to seek ways to help, to support recovery services, to advocate for criminal prosecution for the perpetrators of abuse and those who obstruct justice in the pursuit of these crimes, and to work for reform of civil laws and church institutions that have contributed to these offenses.

Clergy Support - We will support and encourage our priests of integrity. We will listen to our clergy�s concerns, needs, hopes, fears, perspectives and their counsel, and seek to ensure our parishes are warm, supportive, caring and appreciative of clergy.

Child Safety � We have a responsibility to protect our children and all the people of God. To that end, we will work to understand the nature of child sexual abuse and recognize its warning signs, identify and promote effective education and prevention programs, and monitor child protection policies within our parishes. We will support the Parish Safety Committee and the formation of a Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) team.

Parish Support and Collaboration � We will pursue regular, open and honest dialogue with parish clergy. We will seek meaningful participation in the governance and guidance of the Church and our parishes. We will form a cooperative relationship with the Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council. WE will seek the effective and active engagement of the laity in matters of particular concern to our parishes, including pastoral selection and finances.

VOTF Representation - We will ably and fairly represent the members of the NPV at the diocesan, regional, and national levels and contribute to the efforts of our parent organization.

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