wfn.org | Religious Leaders to Bush: Avoid Quagmire in Iraq

["NCC News" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

RELIGIOUS LEADERS 4TH OF JULY MESSAGE TO BUSH:
DON'T WAIT FOR IRAQ TO BECOME A TRAGIC QUAGMIRE

June 30, 2005, New York -- Three religious leaders representing the Governing
Board of the National Council of Churches USA announced today that about 630
religious leaders and more than 15,000 people of faith have endorsed a Fourth
of July declaration that urges President Bush to develop an "early fixed
timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops," to listen to a wider range of
religious advisers and to re-evaluate his policy on Iraq.

"It's clear that the administration has listened more closely to far-right
religious leaders who agree with them," said the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, NCC
General Secretary, in an audio news conference Thursday. "It's a hard task to
get the administration to listen to a broader evangelical and religious
community."

The statement is an effort to give visibility to a widely held, more moderate
religious point of view, one that the group says has been underreported in
the national media -- and to attract the administration's attention to the
urgency of having an exit strategy for Iraq. America's foreign policy, said
the Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas, General Minister and President of the United
Church of Christ, has made others around the world "view us as a dangerous
nation."

The NCC e-mailed the statement to friends and supporters on June 28, and 48
hours later had received more than 15,000 endorsements. Religious leaders and
persons of faith continue to e-mail their affirmations at a rate of several
hundred a day.

In response to a reporter's question, Edgar noted that the NCC and other
religious groups have vigorously opposed the war since the beginning.

Edgar recalled his years as a young Congressman in April 1975. "We led a
bi-partisan effort to shut down the Vietnam War," he said. "It took 55,000
body bags for that to be taken seriously." He called on Bush to reassess his
war policy before it got to that stage.

"I'm dismayed that the President seems to be unwilling to be open to other
perspectives," said Thomas, who participated in the audio press conference
from Atlanta, where the UCC's General Synod is meeting. "I'm dismayed that
the President is unwilling to acknowledge the very serious, grave
consequences of this initiative."

The Rev. Dr. Larry Pickens, General Secretary of the United Methodist General
Commission on Christian Unity and Inter-religious Concerns, said Bush's
comments in his June 28 press news conference "articulated what is becoming a
failed policy in Iraq. He hasn't made it clear what he intends to accomplish
in Iraq. I don't get the sense that there is a great deal of vision."

Thomas called upon President Bush to initiate "a major re-evaluation of his
policy, with input from international leaders, including the United Nations."

Pickens added that Iraqi society has been seriously damaged by war and needs
"total restructuring. The training of Iraqi police is not enough to make that
happen. War is just the beginning of the economic commitment that will be
required."

The full text of the statement, which will be sent to President Bush,
follows:

A Call to Speak Out.

July 4, 2005 

This year our nation is at war as we observe the 4th of July, a day that
honors those founders who spoke out for independence from tyranny.  Today in
Iraq a cruel dictator has been deposed, yet the suffering of the Iraqi people
continues.  Mandated elections have been held, yet the future of Iraq remains
as uncertain as ever.  Day by day the cost of this war for the United States,
for Iraq, for peace grows clearer.  No weapons of mass destruction have been
found; no link to the attacks on September 11, 2001 has been shown.  It has
become clear that the rationale for invasion was at best a tragic mistake, at
worst a clever deception.
  
As people of faith, we believe in the transcendent sovereignty and love of
God for creation, and that the responsibility of human beings is thus to
pursue justice and peace for all.  We also believe that, as the biblical
prophets of old, who in faithfulness to God spoke out to a people and a
nation they loved, in humility before God we too are to speak to a land and
people we love.  As religious leaders we invite others who share our
affections and dismay to recognize the time has come to speak out. 

The time has come to say: 

- NO to leaders who have sent many honorable sons and daughters to fight a
dishonorable war;

- NO to the violence that has cost over seventeen hundred American lives,
left thousands grievously injured, and killed untold numbers of Iraqis whose
deaths we are unwilling to acknowledge or count; 

- NO to the abuse of prisoners that has shamed our nation and damaged our
reputation throughout the world;

- NO to the price tag for this war that has rendered our federal budget
incapable of adequately caring for the poorest of our own citizens; and,
 
- NO to theologies that demonize other nations and religions while arrogantly
claiming righteousness for ourselves as if we share no complicity in human
evil.
 
The time has come to say: 

- YES to foreign policies that seek justice rather than domination,
compassion rather than control;

- YES to an early fixed timetable for the withdrawal of United States troops
and the establishment of a credible multinational peacekeeping force;

- YES to the honoring of human rights even for our enemies and for a
restoration of our reputation as a people committed to the rule of law;

- YES to spending and taxing priorities that put the poor first, providing
health care, housing, employment, and quality education for all, not just the
few; and, 

- YES to a restoration of truth telling in the public square and to "last
resort" rather than "first strike" as the criterion for the use of force to
restrain evil.
 
On the day we celebrate our freedom, we acknowledge that the freedom promised
in the toppling of a dictator has been replaced by the humiliation of
occupation and the violence of a civil war. The sacrifice of brave men and
women has been used to serve policies that have diminished our nation's
prestige and our capacity to be agents of justice in the world.
   
It is time to speak out that this 4th of July will celebrate the best ideals
of our nation for our sake and for the sake of the world.

The e-mail message to NCC friends and supporters June 28 offered an Internet
link to endorse the statement: http://ga3.org/campaign/endorsement

The following is a summary of the national, regional and local religious
leaders who endorsed the statement:

HEADS OF NCCCUSA MEMBER COMMUNIONS 

Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr.	
President, National Council of Churches USA

Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar			
General Secretary, National Council of Churches USA

Rev. John H. Thomas			
General Minister and President, United Church of Christ 

Rev. Dr. Chris Hobgood			
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Friend Thomas H. Jeavons	
General Secretary, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of
Friends

Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick			
Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church USA

Rev. Dr. Michael Livingston	
Executive Director, International Council of Community Churches

Rev. Stanley J. Noffsinger			
General Secretary, Church of the Brethren General Board 

Metropolitan Philip	
Primate, The Self-Ruled Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North
America

									     
			  

NATIONAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Bishop Dimitrios			
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Rev. O.C. Edwards				
Episcopal Church
Chair, Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches USA
 
Bishop Chris Epting			
Episcopal Church

Rev. Herman Harmelink III	
Ecumenical Officer, International Council of Community Churches
 
Dr. Joseph C. Hough, Jr.		
President; Union Theological Seminary

Professor George Hunsinger
Princeton Theological Seminary 

Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon			
Professor, Eden Theological Seminary
Chair, Justice and Advocacy Commission of the National Council of Churches
USA

Dr. Jan Love				
Chief Executive, Women's Division, United Methodist Church

Rev. Larry Pickens
General Secretary of Christian Unity and Interfaith Concerns, United
Methodist Church

Mr. Dave Robinson				
Executive Director, Pax Christi USA 

Dr. Tarunjit Singh			
Secretary General, World Sikh Council - America Region 

Bishop Melvin G. Talbert		
Retired, The United Methodist Church

Rev. Lydia Veliko
Ecumenical Officer, United Church of Christ
 
Rabbi Arthur Waskow			
The Shalom Center

Rev. Robert Welsh				
Ecumenical Officer, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Mr. Jim Winkler 			
General Secretary of Church and Society, United Methodist Church

Rev. Bruce Wollenberg		
St. Mark Church, ELCA - Charlottesville, VA 

Dr. Aidsand F. Wright-Riggins III	
Executive Director, National Ministries, Transforming Leadership, American
Baptist Churches USA 
_____

REGIONAL AND LOCAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Rev. Joe Agne			
Memorial United Methodist Church - White Plains, NY

Rev. Catherine L. Alder 
United Church of Christ 

Mr. Leonard B. Bjorkman 	
Co-Moderator, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship - Oswego, NY 

Rev. C. Richard Blount	
Retired Elder, United Methodist Church - The Missouri Conference 

Ms. Mary Lu Bowen			
Executive Director, New York State Council of Churches

Rev. Cathie Fisher Braman		
Fredericksburg Congregational Church, UCC - Fredericksburg, VA 

Rev. Dr. Sandy Brown			
Executive Director of Church Council of Greater Seattle

Rev. Allen Broyles, Ph.D.		
First Presbyterian Church - Santa Fe, NM 

Dr. Steve Camp			
Conference Minister, Southern Conference UCC - Elon, NC 

Ms. Kathy Campbell-Barton	
Peace with Justice Coordinator, Oregon-Idaho United Methodist Conference 

Bishop Phillip R. Cousin	
Presiding Bishop, 4th Episcopal District, African Methodist Episcopal Church 

Rev. Susannah M. Davis		
Senior Pastor, St. Paul United Methodist Church - Atlanta, GA

Rev. Kent Dorsey			
Senior Minister, Harvard Avenue Christian Church - Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Jennier E. Dyer			
Upstate New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 

Rev. Blair Frank				
United Methodist Church - Cedar Rapids, Iowa 

Rev. Mary D. Gaut			
Pastor, Maryland Presbyterian Church 

Rev. Susan Gilpin			
United Church of Christ - Falmouth, ME 

Rev. Stephen Goldstein		
United Methodist Church - Hawthorne, NY 

Rev. Robert E. Grimm			
United Church of Christ - Buffalo, NY 

Rev. Richard Hemann			
Retired, UCC- Cleveland Heights Christian Church - Cheektowaga, OH 

Rev. Pat Hendrickson		
Episcopal Church, Diocese of Los Angeles 

Ms. Lisa Jean Hoefner	
Executive Director, Camp/Retreat Ministries, Oregon-Idaho Conference United
Methodist Church 

Rev. Michael Hollingshead		
Pastor, Island United Church of Foster City - Foster City, CA

Archdeacon Michael S. Kendall	
Episcopal Diocese of New York
Chair of the Public Policy Commission of the New York State Council of
Churches

Rev. Kurt A. Kuhwald			
Faithful Fools Street Ministry - San Francisco, California 

Rev. Lee Lever				
Pastor, Eden Mennonite Church - Moundridge, Kansas 

Rev. N. J. L'Heureux, Jr.		
Executive Director, Queens Federation of Churches

Rev. Robert L. Livingston	
Interim Ministry Specialist, United Church of Christ - Belchertown, MA

Rev. John S. Macholz			
Pastor, Atonement Lutheran Church - Rochester, NY 

Rev. John McAuliff				
Fund for Reconciliation and Development (FFRD)

Rev. Dr. John W. McNeill
Co-Pastor, Fairport United Methodist Church

Rev. Dr. Dan Meyer			
San Diego, CA 

Rev. Dr. Ilse Meyer			
San Diego, CA 

Bishop Robert M. Moody	
Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Rev. Robert Moore	
Executive Director, Coalition for Peace Action & Peace Action Education Fund

Rev. Kenneth Neal			
Retired, Riverside Salem United Church of Christ - Buffalo, NY

Rev. Marjorie Neal			
Pastor, First United Church of Christ - Buffalo, NY

Rev. Dr. Jim Nelson			
Cokesbury United Methodist Church 

Rev. Dr. John Edward Nuessle	
Executive Secretary for Missionary Support and Itineration, United Methodist
Church 

Rev. Dr. David W. Randle		
President and CEO, WHALE Center 

Rev. Sue Roberts			
Wolf Run Presbyterian Church - Cameron, WV

Ms. Emily A. Shurley			
Chair, Peace and Justice Commission, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma

Rev. E. Gwyn Stetler			
Deacon, Trinity United Methodist, Marble Cliff 

Rev. Charles H. Straut, Jr., D. Min.	
Consultant in Ministry - Brooklyn, NY

Friend Claire Twose
Homewood Friends Meeting

Right Reverend Orris G. Walker, Jr.
VII Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Long Island

Rev. Peggy Wallace	
Interim Minister, United Church of Christ - Central Association Massachusetts
Area Conference 

Rev. Raphael G. Warnock 	
Douglas Memorial Community Church - Baltimore, Maryland

Rev. David Waugh	
Pastor and Director, Metro Baptist Church & Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries -
New York, NY

Rev. Joachim Wilck			
Upstate New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Rev. Lee E. Williamson			
United Methodist Church - Hayward, CA

Mother Mercedes Adams - San Jose, CA

Mother Yolanda Aguilar - El Paso, TX

Rev. Blair A'Hearn - Normal, IL

Rev. Deacon Judith P. Ain - Watsonville, CA

Rev. Catherine Alder - Clinton, CT

Rev. Roula Alkhouri - Bend, OR

Rev. Phillip Allen - Hendersonville, NC

Rev. Dr. Nancy Allison - Charlotte, NC

Rev. Dr. Richard E. Arnold - Federal Way, WA

Rev. John Austin - New York, NY

Rev. Jerry Avise-Rouse - Tama, IA

Rev. Jane Ayers - Damascus, VA

Rabbi Bachofen - Colorado Springs, CO

Rev. Dr. Douglas Bailey - Grove City, OH

Rev. Tina Barbaro-Polis - Seattle, WA

Sister Frances Barber - Bland, VA

Rev. Dr. Donald J. Barnes - Rancho Palos Verdes, CA

Sister Mary Ann Barrett OP - Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Suzanne Barrow - Glasgow, KY

Rev. Jonathan Barton - Richmond, VA

Rev. Daniel Barwinski - Bridgeton, MO

Sister Elaine Basinger - Brooklyn, NY

Rev. Dave Bean - West Linn, OR

Rev. William (Bill) Beardslee - Jaffrey, NH

Rev. Paul, Sr Beavers - Woodbury, CT

Rev. Velda Bell - Springdale, AR

Sister Noreen Bentfield - Richfield, MN

Rev. Kathryn Benton - Alameda, CA

Mother Yerda Berger - Desert Hot Springs, CA

Rev. Dennis Bergsbaken - Green Bay, WI

Mother Carol Berkeley - Boxford, MA

Rev. Gretchen Bingea - Ann Arbor, MI

Sister Lenora Black - Tucson, AZ

Rev. Bruce Blacknight - Marshall, NC

Rev. Glynden Bode - Houston, TX

Rev. Peter Boeve - Elgin, IL

Sister Patty Bonney - Portland, OR

Sister Laetitia Bordes - San Bruno, CA

Mother Gail Boshell - Maylene, AL

Rev. Dr. Bruce Bouchard - Hanover, PA

Sister Barbara Bowe - Chicago, IL

Rev. Emily Bowen-Graham - Seattle, WA

Rev. Kevin Bowman - Mariposa, CA

Rev. Dale Bracey - Sunnyvale, CA

Rev. Dean Brackley - New York, NY

Rev. Elizabeth Braddon - Brewster, NY

Rev. Deacon Kathleen Bradford - Antioch, CA

Rev. and Mrs. S.R. Brady - Brandon, FL

Rev. Betty Brenneman - Racine, WI

Rev. and Mrs. Jeannine Brewer - New Port Richey, FL

Rev. Jennifer Brooks - Nantucket, MA

Rev. Frank Brooks - Carrollton, TX

Sister Anne Brotherton - Augusta, GA

Rev. and Mrs. George C. Brown - Everett,, WA

Rev. Jamie Brown - Berkeley, CA

Rev. Allan Bruck - Providence, RI

Rev. Cort Brumfield - Portland, OR

Rev. Dr. Buchanan - Santa Rosa, CA

Rev. John Buehrens - Needham, MA

Rev. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas - Northampton, MA

Rev. James Bullock - Ocala, FL

Rev. Cynthia Bumb - Saint Louis, MO

Rev. T. Paul Burdick - Beaverton, OR

Sister Mary Burke - Bronx, NY

Rev. Frank Burton - San Rafael, CA

Sister Teresa Byrne - Malone, NY

Rev. Patricia Callaghan - Sunburst, MT

Mother Kass Callaghan - Fairfax, CA

Mother Elizabeth Campbell - Portland, OR

Rev. Jeffrey Campbell - Dayton, OH

Rev. Virginia Carlisle - Springfield, OH

Rev. and Mrs. Bob Carlsten - Denver, CO

Rev. Stephen Carnahan - Portland, ME

Rev. Larry Carney - Detroit, MI

Sister Bernice Carroll, CSJ - Latham, NY

Rev. Thomas Carsner - Iowa City, IA

Rev. Mary Carson - Vermilion, OH

Rev. John Carson - Hillsboro, OH

Rev. Paul Chaffee - San Francisco, CA

Rev. Susan Chamberlin-Smith - Deerfield, IL

Rev. Dr. Floyd Chambers - Hampton, VA

Rev. Doris Chandler 

Sister Patricia Chaney - Jacksonville, FL

Rev. Sura Charlier - Lake Forest Park, WA

Sister Barbara Chenicek - Adrian, MI

Rev. Paul Christ - Kure Beach, NC

Rev. Tom Clark - Port Clinton, OH

Rev. Wallace Clevenger - Columbus, OH

Rev. Richard and Betty Cockrell - Anderson, SC

Sister Coff - Sand Springs, OK

Sister Benita Coffey O.S.B. - Chicago, IL

Rev. Richard Comegys - Rochester, NY

Father David Connelly - Auburn, NY

Sister Mary Ann Connolly - Columbus, OH

Rev. Bill Cooper - Onchiota, NY

Sister Marie Corr - Missoula, MT

Sister Mary Coyne - Chatawa, MS

Rev. and Mrs. Herbert Crede - Quincy, IL

Rev. Dr. John Crist - Pittsburgh, PA

Rev. Ann Crites - Lyme, CT

Rev. Melora Lynn Crooker - Sacramento, CA

Sister Gabriella Crowley - Sioux Falls, SD

Sister Denise Curry - Washington, DC

Rev. and Mrs. Barbara and Jim Dale - Decorah, IA

Rev. Thomas Danney - Nyack, NY

Rev. Jo Davis - Farmington, NM

Rev. Steve Davis - Antigo, WI

Rev. James DeLapp - Chicago, IL

Rev. Dr. Don Dempsey - Westchester, IL

The Rev. Gretchen Denton - Rochester Hills, MI

Sister Catherine Deponty - St Louis Park, MN

Rev. Nancy DeStefano - Plano, TX

Sister Celia Deutsch - Brooklyn, NY

Rev. Roxanne DeWinter - Phoenix, AZ

Rev. James Dickens - Randleman, NC

Father George Digsby - Deer Park, NY

Sister Judith Diltz - Plymouth, IN

Rev. Ronald Dodson - San Antonio, TX

Sister Jacquelyn Doepker - Bath, OH

Sister Renee Domeier - Saint Joseph, MN

Rev. Daniel Donmoyer - Felton, PA

Rev. Mary Donnellan - Plympton, MA

Sister Marie-Gerard Donovan - Tulsa, OK

Rev. and Mrs. JoAnne Doyle - Houston, TX

Sister Margaret Doyle - New York, NY

Rev. Judith Doyle - Palm Springs, CA

Rev. James Dumire - South Charleston, WV

Rev. Douglas Duncan - Raleigh, NC

Rev. Katherine Dutton - Saint Paul, MN

Sister Bea Eichten - Little Falls, MN

Rev. Leland Eilert - Saint Clairsville, OH

Rev. Ronald Elly - Lafayette, IN

Rev. Dr. Joe Elmore - LaMesa, CA

Rev. Embley - Leola, PA

Mother Lynda Enright - Saint Louis Park, MN

Rev. Deacon Frederick Erickson - Pacific Palisades, CA

Rev. Mary-Lu Esposito - Rindge, NH

Rev. Lawrence Estey - Stonington, ME

Sister Therese Marie Everts - Milwaukee, WI

Rev. and Mrs. Donald Fado - Sacramento, CA

Rev. Angelo Feldkamp - DePere, WI

Rev. Scott Figgins - Oakland, CA

Rev. Linda Finley - Petaluma, CA

Rev. Janice FitzGibbon - Webster, SD

Sister Evelyn Flowers - Broadview Hts., OH

Rev. James Flynn - Park City, UT

Sister Catherine Foos - East Rochester, NY

Rev. Francesca Fortunato - New York, NY

Rev. Paul Fraser - Johnston, IA

Rev. John Freesemann - San Jose, CA

Rev. Paul Fromberg - San Francisco, CA

Rev. Sarah Gaede - Florence, AL

Sister Dorothy Gaffney - Chicago, IL

Rev. Jeffrey Gallagher - Kittery Point, ME

Rev. Peggy Garrigues-Cortelyou - Manchester, MI

Mother Joyce Gentry - Charlottesville, VA

Rev. Robert George - Kansas City, MO

Mother Trudy Gibbs - Wilmette, IL

Rev. and Mrs. R John Gibson - Indianapolis, IN

Rev. Deborah Gideon - Raymond, ME

Rev. Allen Gildard - Apple Valley, CA

Rev. Robert Goings - Springville, CA

Rev. Clare Goldt - Overland Park, KS

Rev. Wendi Gordon - Kihei, HI

Rev. Pat Grady - Grants Pass, OR

Sister Dolores Grasse - Sinsinawa, WI

Rev. Gray - Adrian, MI

Rev. Ron Gray - Rock Hill, SC

Rabbi Caryn Greenberg - Chicago, IL

Rev. Dr. Ronald Greene - Westmont, IL

Rev. Joseph Gregersen - Newport Center, VT

Rev. Clyde Griffith - Broomall, PA

Rev. Carolynn Griffith - Honolulu, HI

Rev. Benjamin Grimm - Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Lance Grunge - Black Mountain, NC

Sister Cecile Guenther - Hollywood, CA

Rev. Lena Guyot - Fly Creek, NY

Rev. Lisa Hadler - Ottawa, IL

Rev. David Hagemann - Duluth, MN

Mother Roberta Hagerty - Watertown, NY

Rev. Michael Hahn - Saginaw, MI

Rev. Virginia Hall - Shelbyville, IN

Sister Marcia Hall - Baltimore, MD

Rev. Dr. Elaine Hanson-Hysell - Toledo, OH

Rev. Alexander Harper - Norwalk, CT

Rabbi Linda Harrison - Philadelphia, PA

Sister Donna Hart - Grosse Ile, MI

Sister Francine Hasenbein - Cullman, AL

Father Charles M. Hawes - Greensboro, NC

Rev. Kenneth Hawes - Hagerstown, MD

Sister Mary Lou Henderson - Villa Park, IL

Sister Gwen Hennessey - Dubuque, IA

Father Ron Henry - Parker, CO

Rev. Dr. Eva Hershey - Mount Laurel, NJ

Mother Marta Hewitt - Marcellus, NY

Rev. Swari Hhan - Corrales, NM

Rev. W. Shannon Hickey - Durham, NC

Rev. Elice Higginbotham - Chappaqua, NY

Rev. Beth Hilgartner - Orford, NH

Rev. Mary Hitchcock - Toledo, OH

Rev. and Mrs. Norman Hjelm - Wynnewood, PA

Rev. and Mrs. Barry Hoerz - Weyauwega, WI

Rev. David Hoffmann - Medinah, IL

Sister Mary Ellen Holohan - Albany, NY

Mother Janet Hoover - Garden Grove, CA

Mother Kathleen House - Austin, TX

Rev. Margaret E. Howland - Yonkers, NY

Sister Corona Humpal - Omaha, NE

Mother Nancy Hunt - Clifton Park, NY

Rev. Hunwick - Palo Alto, CA

Rev. Gwen Hurst-Anderson - Lincoln, NE

Rev. Suzanne Isaacs - Boulder, CO

Rev. Kimal James - Pueblo, CO

Rev. Katherine James - Arnold, MD

Sister Jeanne Janssen - Bellevue, NE

Sister Susan Javorek - Chagrin Falls, OH

Rev. Laura Jernigan - Decatur, GA

Mother Erica John - Milwaukee, WI

Rev. Nancy Johnson - Cumming, GA

Mother Karol Johnson - Beaverton, OR

Mother Troy Jones - Bowling Green, KY

Rev. Irene M Jones - Richmond, MA

Rev. Allan Jones - Santa Rosa, CA

Rev. Grace Jones Moore - Claremont, CA

Father Timothy Joyce - Hingham, MA

Rev. Gregory Kapphahn - Glenwood, MN

Father Joseph Keenan,S.T. - Philadelphia, PA

Rev. Dr. Keeney-Mulligan - New Milford, CT

Rev. Dr. Fred Keip - Grants Pass, OR

Rev. Mary Nelson Keithahn - Belle Fourche, SD

Rev. Mark Keller - Harrisonburg, VA

Rev. Marky Kelly - Portland, OR

Mother Betty Kemper - Crete, NE

Mother Barbara Kendall - Sarasota, FL

Sister Mary Claire Kennedy - Erie, PA

Rev. and Mrs. Joseph Kennedy - Waynesville, NC

Rev. Simon J. Kenny Kenny - Venice, FL

Father Ra'id Khalil - Seattle, WA

Rev. InHo Kim - San Francisco, CA

Rev. Dr. Horace Brown King - Binghamton, NY

Sister Patricia Kirk - Lutherville Timonium, MD

Sister Corinne Kirsch CSJ - Lilly, PA

Rev. Deborah Klein - Lexington, VA

Rev. Erwin Koch - Brunswick, OH

Rev. Jennifer Kottler - Chicago, IL

Rev. Alfred Krass - Levittown, PA

Sister Marie Kraus - Marlborough, MA

Sister Christine Kresho - Silver Spring, MD

Sister Paulette Krick - Leavenworth, KS

Rev. Allen Kroehler - Blacksburg, VA

Rev. and Mrs. Harold Kurtz - Portland, OR

Rev. Peter Laarman - Pomona, CA

Sister Joanne LaFreniere - Burlington, VT

Rev. Joachim Lally - New York, NY

Rev. Alice Lane - New Bern, NC

Rev. Dr. Werner Lange - Newton Falls, OH

Rev. Ana Langerak - Arnold, MD

Rev. Jeanne Larson - Cable, WI

Sister Laurian Lasha - Crookston, MN

Rev. Barbara Lee - Deatsville, AL

Rev. Margaret Leinbach - Winston Salem, NC

Mother Clarice Leite - Oakland, CA

Sister Margaret Lester - Dubuque, IA

Rev. Beverly Lewis Lewis - Dubuque, IA

Rev. D. Lichty - McPherson, KS

Mother Margret Linich - Coon Rapids, MN

Rev. Rebecca Littlejohn - Anniston, AL

Rev. Bill Livingstone - Rochester, NY

Rev. A. A. Lloyd - Asheville, NC

Rev. Gary Lockwood - Kent, OH

Rev. David Long - Livingston, NJ

Sister Deborah Lorentz - Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Lucas - Alameda, CA

Rev. Luckett Currie - Deering, NH

Rev. Carol Luther - San Anselmo, CA

Rev. and Mrs. Gene Luttmann - Burns, OR

Rev. Kelsey Maddox - Petaluma, CA

Sister Char Madigan - Minneapolis, MN

Rev. John Magisano - Brooklyn, NY

Rev. Kathi Mahle - Minneapolis, MN

Rev. Jenell Mahoney - Bakersfield, CA

Rev. Dr. Linda Maloney - Enosburg Falls, VT

Rev. Beth Mandelbaum - New York, NY

Mother Elaine Marco - Los Angeles, CA

Mother Marie - Chino Hills, CA

Sister Sheral Marshall - Belmont, CA

Rev. Rick Marshall - Brea, CA

Sister Rufus Marthaler - Muscle Shoals, AL

Rabbi Robert Marx - Saugatuck, MI

Sister Madeleine Mary, CHS - New York, NY

Rev. LeRoy Mast - Hammondsport, NY

Rev. Dr. Glenn Masters III - Live Oak, TX

Rev. Wendy Mathewson - Evanston, IL

Rev. Derek Mathias - Sunnyvale, CA

Rev. and Mr. Gene Matthews - Iowa City, IA

Rev. and Mr. Terry and Taryn Mattice - Ithaca, NY

Rev. Gregory McAllister - Putney, VT

Sister Thea McCabe - Weston, MA

Sister Mary McCauley - Monona, IA

Sister Rita McCloskey - Redwood City, CA

Rev. Dr. Robert McCreight - Mercer, PA

Rev. and Mrs. Barry McCullough - Jacksonville, FL

Sister Mary Ellen McDonald - Coleman, MI

Mother Sheila McEntee - Birmingham, MI

Rev. Lisa McMillan - Rhinebeck, NY

Rev. Sarah McTyre - Syracuse, NY

Sister Verna Meckes - Allentown, PA

Rev. Dr. Wayne Meeks - Hamden, CT

Rev. Susan Meeter - Richmond, CA

Mother Mary C. Mendick - Omaha, NE

Sister Patricia Mensing - Plymouth Meeting, PA

Sister Jeannine Mercure - Burlington, VT

Rev. Dr. Evelyn Meredith - Star Lake, NY

Sister Christina Meyer - Sutherland, NE

Rev. and Mrs. Walt Miller - Pullman, WA

Sister Mary Miller - Nazareth, KY

Rev. Robert Miller - Edinboro, PA

Sister Constance L. Miller - Santa Fe, NM

Rev. Robert Miller - Duarte, CA

Rev. Dr. Rev. Dr. Miller - Hilton, NY

Rev. Dr. Don Miller - Topeka, KS

Rev. Jeanne Mills - Wardsboro, VT

Rev. Gary Mitchener - Cleveland Heights, OH

Rev. Dr. James Moiso - Portland, OR

Sister Kathy Monteiro - Tempe, AZ

Sister Patricia Mood - Schenectady, NY

Rev. Kathryn Moody-Arndt - Barberton, OH

Rev. Kirk Moore - Warrenville, IL

Rev. Robert Moore - Princeton, NJ

Rev. James Moore - Jamestown, NY

Rev. Geri Morgan - Louisville, KY

Sister Jeanne Morgan - Raeford, NC

Rev. Johanna Morrigan - Little Falls, MN

Rev. and Mrs. Fred Morris - Altamonte Springs, FL

Rev. David. L Morton - Battle Creek,, MI

Sister Muhammad - Springfield, IL

Rev. Sarah Mulcahy - Dickinson, TX

Rev. Bruce Mulder - Grand Rapids, MI

Rev. David Mundy - Oakland, CA

Father Ken Murphy - Hastings on Hudson, NY

Sister Dorothy Murray - New York, NY

Sister Maureen Murray - Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Cheryl Murray - Dallas, TX

Rev. Dr. Richard Myers - Scottsville, NY

Rev. Johnny Naber - Healdsburg, CA

Sister Patricia Nagle - Portland, OR

Rev. Nancy Nagy - Borrego Springs, CA

Rev. Nano Nathan - Snowflake, AZ

Rev. C. Bruce Naylor - Fishers, IN

Rev. Dr. John Neff - Albany, CA

Rev. Roger Nelson - Flossmoor, IL

Rev. Dr. Larry Nelson - Pleasant Hill, CA

Rev. Carole Nelson-Ingram - Federal Way, WA

Rev. Jane Nelson-Low - Wallace, ID

Rev. Kristine Nesbitt - Aliso Viejo, CA

Rev. Scott Nesbitt - Ainsworth, IA

Rev. Dr. Hugh Nevin - Schenectady, NY

Rev. Robert New - Rutland, VT

Sister Pat Nicholson - Pittsburg, KS

Rev. Margaret Nicholson - Honolulu, HI

Rev. Irvin L. Nussdorfer - Brighton, MI

Rev. Michael Obinger - Whitewater, WI

Rev. Elmer O'Brien - Boulder, CO

Rev. Mary Alice O'Connor - Walnut Creek, CA

Sister Ann Oestreich - South Bend, IN

Rev. Neal Olson - Carlos, MN

Rev. Dr. Richard Olson - Gold Beach, OR

Rev. Philip Olson - Mount Holly, NJ

Sister Rebecca O'Reilly - Irvine, CA

Sister Maria Orlandini - Hyattsville, MD

Sister Noelle O'Shea - Tucson, AZ

Rev. Thomas Osif - Millheim, PA

Rev. Tim Overlund - Seattle, WA

Rev. Jim Oxyer - Louisville, KY

Rev. Gina Pace - Scranton, PA

Rev. Dr. Charlie Palmgren - Stone Mountain, GA

Sister Jane Pank - Sheffield Lake, OH

Rev. and Mrs. Rebecca Parkhill - Winnetka, IL

Rev. Mary Parmenter - Brooklyn Ctr, MN

Father Jeff Paul - Carson City, NV

Rev. Larry Peacock - Malibu, CA

Rev. Dr. Everett Perry - Orange City, FL

Sister Ann-Joyce Peters - New York, NY

Rev. Karen Peters - Roslindale, MA

Rev. Morgan Peterson - Hazard, KY

Rev. Ann Petker - Berkeley, CA

Sister Alice Pfeifer - Hays, KS

Rev. Dr. Roger Pickering - Philadelphia, PA

Rev. Brian Pierce, O.P. - Raleigh, NC

Rev. Robert Pindell - Highland Heights, OH

Rev. and Mrs. Soni Pitts - Poplar Bluff, MO

Sister Susan Plews - Silver Spring, MD

Sister Marguerite Polcyn - Sylvania, OH

Rev. Pamela Griffith Pond - Novato, CA

Father Chris Ponnet - Los Angeles, CA

Rev. Shanta Premawardhana - New York, NY

Sister Sister Carol Proietti - Marlborough, MA

Rev. Kay Rader - Lancaster, PA

Rev. and Mrs. Ronald M Redder - Cincinnati, OH

Rev. Reed - Philomath, OR

Sister Patrice Reed - Saint Joseph, MN

Rev. and Mrs. Donald Reisig - Sabin, MN

Sister Agnes Renner - Lynnwood, WA

Mother CondaLee Rese - Danville, KY

Rev. Maurice Restivo - Houston, TX

Rev. Kenneth Rhoe - poulsbo, WA

Rev. and Mrs. Marshall Rice - Charlestown, RI

Rev. and Mrs. Earl Rice - Bremerton, WA

Rev. James Richardson - New Haven, CT

Sister Marlou Ricke - Colorado Springs, CO

Rev. Virginia Rickeman - Bethel, ME

Rev. Lynne Rigg - Red Wing, MN

Rev. Elizabeth Ritzman - OakPark, IL

Rev. Mary Rivetti - Pullman, WA

Sister Norma Rocklage, OSF - Indianapolis, IN

Rev. R. Richard Roe - Palo Alto, CA

Rev. Susan Ross - Pawnee, OK

Mother Diane Rossi - Chicago, IL

Sister Carole Rossi - Plainville, MA

Rev. and Mr. Nancy and Robert Roth - Oberlin, OH

Sister Ancilla Roussel - Crowley, LA

Father Jay Rozendaal - New York, NY

Rev. Donna Russo - Hastings On Hudson, NY

Rev. Dr. Mark Rutledge - Durham, NC

Sister Maryanne Ruzzo - Wollaston, MA

Mother Pilar Saad - Tampa, FL

Rev. Katherine Salinaro - Hercules, CA

Rev. Richard Salmonson - Plankinton, SD

Mother Celia Santowski - Carson City, NV

Sister Linda Scheckelhoff - Tiffin, OH

Rev. Schell - Chelsea, MI

Rev. Margery Schleicher - Saint Johns, MI

Sister Sandra Schneiders - Berkeley, CA

Rev. Dr. Schnell - Westerly, RI

Sister Ann Schoch - Roma, 

Rev. Myron Schrag - Goshen, IN

Sister Johanna Schumacher - Watertown, SD

Rev. Ariel Sebastian - New York, NY

Rev. Rebecca Segers - Melville, NY

Rev. Karen Senecal - New York, NY

Rev. Martha Sexton - La Jolla, CA

Mother Jane-Ellen Seymour - North Bend, WA

Rev. Sharon Shaffer - Eugene, OR

Sister Moina Shaiq - Fremont, CA

Rev. Everett Shattuck - Mill Creek`, IN

Rev. and Mrs. Elizabeth Shearer - Chestnut Hill, MA

Rev. Angie Sherer - Newark, OH

Rev. Wendy Sherer - Toledo, OH

Sister Terry Shields - bryn mawr, PA

Rev. and Mrs. Philip Shively - Blue River, WI

Sister Jozef Siekiel-Zdzienicki - Eugene, OR

Sister Patricia Sigler - Akron, OH

Sister Eva Silva - Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Maura Singer - Oakland, CA

Rev. Kathleen Skerl - Las Cruces, NM

Rev. Skillman - Lexington, KY

Rev. JT Smiedendorf - Forest Grove, OR

Rev. Stephen Smith - Greensboro, AL

Rev. and Mr. Rolland Smith - wellman, IA

Sister Pat Soltesz - allen park, MI

Rev. Robert Spach - Davidson, NC

Rev. Althea Spencer Miller - Claremont, CA

Rev. Molly Stegall - Southlake, TX

Sister Florence Steichen - Saint Paul, MN

Rev. Connie Sternberg - Vernon, CT

Rev. Stephen Stine - Tyler, TX

Sister Stoffregen - Oldenburg, IN

Rev. Donald Stoner - Vero Beach, FL

Rev. Paul Strege - Saint Louis, MO

Rev. Tom Struck - Newberg, OR

Sister Joan Supel - Greensburg, PA

Rev. Lauren Swanson - Marcy, NY

Rev. Susana Sweeters - Albuquerque, NM

Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Sykes - Pittsburgh, PA

Sister Carol Symons - Strasburg, VA

Rev. Douglas Szper - Grafton, WI

Sister Bernice thomas - Charlotte, NC

Rev. Jann Thomas - Newburgh, IN

Rev. Thomas - Ogden, UT

Rev. Dr. Mark Thompson - Kalamazoo, MI

Rev. Richard Thompson - Arvada, CO

Rev. and Mrs. Steven B. Thompson - Benzonia, MI

Father Nils Thompson, O.F.M. - Phoenix, AZ

Mother Marie Tillman - Reno, NV

Rev. Kathryn Timpany - Sioux Falls, SD

Rev. James Tippens - Chapel Hill, NC

Rev. Debra Tipton - Shepherdstown, WV

Rev. Bruce Tischler - New Rochelle, NY

Rev. and Mrs. Mary Todd - Lawrence, MA

Rev. Joanne Tomasch - Srping Mills, PA

Sister Linda Tonellato - Springfield, IL

Rev. Michael Torphy - Grand Junction, CO

Rev. Bob Trowbridge - Mountain View, CA

Rev. David Turner - Belleville, NJ

Rev. Dr. Carrol Turner - Old Forge, NY

Mother Erika Vagt - Rancho Cordova, CA

Sister Barbara Valuckas - Watertown, CT

Rev. Corinne Van Buren - Mount Juliet, TN

Rev. Donna VandeKieft - Everett, WA

Rev. Lynne Vandercook - Paradise, CA

Rev. and Mrs. Ernest VanderKruik - Warwick, NY

Sister Patricia Vereb, OSB - Tucson, AZ

Rev. Dr. James Vigen - Raleigh, NC

Rev. Dr. Tim Vivian - Bakersfield, CA

Mother Mary Jo Voges - Tell City, IN

Sister Miriam Volkmer - South Bend, IN

Mother Michele Vosseller - San Diego, CA

Sister Joy Wagner - Monticello, KY

Rev. Lynn Walker - Brooklyn, NY

Mother Jane Walker - Atherton, CA

Rev. Peggy Wallace - Worcester, MA

Rev. Susan Wallace Moriarty - La Canada, CA

Sister Catherine Walsh - Akron, OH

Sister Margarita Walters - Chicago, IL

Rev. Lisa Ward - Havre De Grace, MD

Sister Ward - Kingston, MA

Rev. Dr. Ed Ward - West Des Moines, IA

Rev. and Mrs. J Christy Wareham - Martinsville, IN

Rabbi Sage Waters - Everson, WA

Sister Susan Weber - Reno, NV

Rev. Celene Welch - Fort Worth, TX

Rev. Lloyd Wells - Winder, GA

Sister Marylynj Welter, SSSF - Elmwood Park, IL

Rev. Marcel Welty - Fort Lee, NJ

Rev. Dr. Charles White - Wofford Heights, CA

Rev. Lynne White - Concord, CA

Rev. Bill Whittier - New Hope, MN

Rev. Jackson Wilhelm - Somerset, KY

Rev. Tara Wilkins - Portland, OR

Rev. Laurie Williams - West Wareham, MA

Rev. Georgiana Williams - Huntington, WV

Rev. Don Williamson - Palm Desert, CA

Rev. Leland Wilson - Gold Canyon, AZ

Rev. George Wilson - East Hampton, NY

Rev. Robina Winbush - Louisville, KY

Sister Betty Wolcott - Osseo, WI

Rev. Joseph Wolf - Coudersport, PA

Rev. Sara Wolfe - Boulder, CO

Rev. Jefrey Womble - Lodi, CA

Rev. Sally Woodard - Lewisburg, WV

Rev. Bob Wright - Coshocton, OH

Rev. and Mrs. Robert Wulff - Barrington, IL

Rev. Nina Wynn - Charlotte, NC

Rev. Joshua Yoder - Elkhart, IN

Rev. Anna York - Chicago, IL

Sister KC Young - Spokane,, WA

Rev. Judith Youngman - Gresham, OR

Rev. Caroline Zaworski - Corvallis, OR

Rev. and Mrs. Joel Zeiders - Grassflat, PA

Rev. Sandra Zellers-Billings - Wimberley, TX

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Ziebell - Woburn, MA

Rev. Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund - Rockville, MD

Sister Helene L. Zimmerman - Sleepy Hollow, NY

Rev. Terry Zimmerman - Boulder, CO

Contact:  NCC News, Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2252; Leslie Tune, 202-544-2350