St. Mel Church Justice & Peace Committee

Agenda - March 8, 2008

Social Justice
	The Power of Prayer St. Mel Students Support Families CRS Funding Needs in Malawi

Political Issues
	NEW! The Challenge- Faithful Citizenship Parental Notification A Catholic Call- Political Responsibility

Restorative Justice
	California leads in youths life prisoners California Union Outlines Prison Reform Catholic Conference Letter - Prison Overcrowding

Education
	Supreme Court Scholarship Decision

Current Events
	LA Archdiocese "Clergy Misconduct Oversight" CRS: Reaching Out

Archives
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Current Events

The Los Angeles Archdiocese "Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board"

On October 12 th , the Archdiocese released an Addendum to its "Report to the People of God", which, when first published in February 2004, examined the history of clergy abuse in the Archdiocese from 1930-2003. The Addendum, which is 155 pages long, details the very successful policies, education and training programs put into place since then to safeguard our children in the future.

Not mentioned prominently in the Addendum is the important and critical work of the "Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board". Established in February 2004, the Board, headed by retired Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Byrne as Chair, consists of 11 lay people and two priests. Board membership represents a broad community constituency; Catholics and Non-Catholics, men and women, all having different ethnicities, backgrounds and professions.

Ron Plue, a member of St, Cyril's parish, and also active in the St. Mel's Men's Club, is the Board's Administrator. As Administrator, Ron sets the meeting times, agenda, and Board priorities. In the fall of 2004, a working group established the position of an independent investigator to oversee the investigation of new claims of current misconduct by clergy involving minors. Retired FBI agents are assigned to investigate all cases of claims of abuse and make their reports to the Board.

To date, the Board has reviewed 105 cases of reported abuse of minors, which involve allegations before 1987 and arose as part of the current litigation.

Cases heard by the Board are not limited to those involving misconduct with minors; the Board , which meets at least once a month, also investigates all cases of sexual misconduct by clergy. Cardinal Mahony has concurred with all the case recommendations of the Board.

In addition to its extensive review of clergy misconduct under its charter, the Board also conducts an annual review of existing archdiocesan sex abuse policies and makes recommendations for altering those policies to make more effective efforts in dealing with clergy sexual misconduct.

Catholic Relief Services : Reaching Out

The St. Mel Justice and Peace Committee has been active in assisting Catholic Relief Services ( CRS ) in identifying specific humanitarian projects in areas bereft of any resources to meet basic needs. These projects bring hope to the poorest of the poor, often innocent people who suffer for no reason. Many live in villages that lie off the beaten path, so they have few resources to sustain themselves and their families, and they lack access to aid in times of emergency. The amounts of money involved in these projects are relatively small. What you or I might regard as a small gift here in America, has a tremendous impact in countries where the household incomes are often less than a dollar a day. For example, a share in a water and sanitation project in the southern African nation of Malawi is $ 50. For a complete listing of these projects, log on to www.crsgifts.org.

Recently, a St. Mel parishioner provided funding for the excavation of wells in the African Nation of Equatorial Guinea. In a thank you note to the parishioner, Sister Victoria San Juan Barcelona, Director of the Health Center wrote : "we are already finishing the construction of the first well... located in the village of Ayantang... It is a small village with a population of four hundred people, but smaller villages nearby, such as Naube, will also benefit from the well. At this time the population collects their water from a small river found 4 kilometers away from the village and during the dry season the river goes dry." The second well is in Mocomo, "nine hundred people will benefit from this well." The third well is in Akurnam. "The entire community, two hundred and seventy people, and villages close by Akurnam will also benefit from the well."

For further information on these projects , contact us on our interactive web site linked to www.stmelparish.org.