03/07/08 - Voice of the Faithful to meet tomorrow Group to discuss scandal in the Catholic Church Voice of the Faithful will hold a meeting tomorrow

Voice of the Faithful to meet tomorrow Group to discuss scandal in the Catholic Church
Voice of the Faithful will hold a meeting tomorrow to provide an update on the on-going Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandals and their consequences.

The presentation will be given by Anne Barrett Doyle and Terry McKiernan, founders of Bishop Accountability of Waltham, Mass., and Helen McGonigle, an attorney and abuse survivor from Brookfield. The meeting will be held from 10 to 2 at Christ Church Greenwich.

BishopAccountability.Org was founded in 2004. It archives court records and public documents that track and identify clergy, religious and others in United States Dioceses accused of abusing children or teens or aiding abusers. The organization takes no position on the root causes and does not advocate particular remedies. It contends that when the facts are fully known, both the causes and remedies will become clear.

Voice of the Faithful founded in 2002 is closely aligned with Bishop Accountability in support of victims and survivors of clerical abuse. Other goals include providing support for priests of integrity and working to shape structural change in the Church. The stated mission of Voice of the Faithful is to be “a prayerful voice, attentive to the spirit, through which the faithful can actively participate in the governance and guidance of the Catholic Church.”

This four-hour meeting will include an optional box lunch available for $10. E-mail jbalvord@optonline.net or call 956-7476 if you wish to reserve a lunch. Those interested in attending should provide a name, telephone number and number of those attending who would like a box lunch.

Via Greenwich Post

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"I have always been among those who believed that the greatest freedom of speech was the greatest safety, because if a man is a fool, the best thing to do is to encourage him to advertise the fact by speaking. - Woodrow Wilson, Speach 1919

03/07/08 - Greenwich Newswire For Friday

Greenwich News Reports From
The Greenwich Post

Smith hearing continues in Greenwich Probate Court (Updated)

Judge David W. Hopper will continue to hear arguments in Greenwich Probate Court regarding the $1-million settlement reached between Jennifer Hagel Smith and Royal Caribbean cruise lines.

Ms. Hagel Smith and the cruise line reached the agreement after Ms. Hagel Smith's husband, George A. Smith IV, a 26-year-old Greenwich man, went missing on their honeymoon cruise. Mr. Smith’s parents, George III and Maureen, are challenging the out-of-court settlement so they can file a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean on behalf of their son. George Smith IV disappeared into the Aegean sea after commotion was heard in his cabin. Bloodstains were found in his room and on the metal overhang below his balcony.

The FBI is still actively investigating the highly publicized case.

The hearing is taking place behind closed doors because lawyers on both sides requested confidentiality. Judge Hopper granted the request to protect information in case a lawsuit is eventually filed against Royal Caribbean.

Ms. Hagel Smith is the administrator of the estate, but the Smith family has said her settlement was reached without their knowledge.


Voice of the Faithful to meet tomorrow Group to discuss scandal in the Catholic Church
Voice of the Faithful will hold a meeting tomorrow to provide an update on the on-going Catholic clergy sexual abuse scandals and their consequences.
At Home to hold neighborhood event

In order for the growing number of At Home in Greenwich members in each neighborhood to get better acquainted, and explore their shared interests, a series of “zip code potluck” events have been planned.