Skip to main contentGayle Bache was just back from her morning workout on July 6 when she got a call from a fellow member of the grassroots Catholic group Voice of the Faithful.
"He said, 'Gayle, are you ready?'" Bache recalls. "And I said, 'Ready for what?'"
What was a bombshell: the first-ever declaration of bankruptcy by a Roman Catholic archdiocese. With two civil trials in sexual-abuse lawsuits imminent, the Archdiocese of Portland--already out more than $50 million in abuse settlements--was seeking the sanctuary of Chapter 11.
The move pushed the Archbishop John Vlazny into unknown territory, where he and other higher-ups may have to surrender once-unquestioned financial control to a bankruptcy judge. And it meant sudden prominence for Bache and Portland's small, previously low-key branch of a controversial activist outfit.
Within days, Bache, a 56-year-old lifelong Catholic originally from Detroit, fielded questions from the San Francisco Chronicle, Seattle Times and public radio in Portland and Los Angeles.
The deluge came because Voice of the Faithful, founded in a Boston church basement two years ago, has forged dissident Catholics into a national force. Some conservative Catholics accuse the group--which counsels abuse survivors and pushes for more rank-and-file power within the church--of assaulting Catholic orthodoxy. Some of VOTF's 200-plus chapters have been banned from church property.
According to Bache, the Portland chapter gets on OK with the local archdiocese. The eight-month-old branch has a 60-strong email list, and its monthly meetings at Northeast Portland's St. Andrews Church attract a mix of reform-minded Catholics and abuse survivors. In a national organization claiming 30,000 members, it's something of a small fish, but the bankruptcy could change that quickly.
"They're in the first archdiocese in the country to declare bankruptcy," says Suzanne Morse, VOTF's Boston-based national spokeswoman. "Financial transparency has been at the forefront of the issues we've dealt with. They can't help but be in a unique position."
With only one regular meeting since the bankruptcy, it's not certain how the group might influence a complex, potentially precedent-setting case. But the bankruptcy proceedings may pry the tightly fastened lid off what the archdiocese does with money on Sunday collection plates, and shake the organizational pillars of the state's largest denomination.
"We've come to the point where we're ready to take an action," Bache says. "I don't think anyone knows what they think yet. We've got a kazillion questions. It's a unique position for us, and if we had questions before--well, now we really have questions."
Render Unto Caesar
While the future of the Portland Catholic diocese's bankruptcy remains uncertain, one option is for the court to assign a trustee who could liquidate the diocese's assets. Most of the action will focus on the Church's extensive property holdings, but let's not forget that behind those stained-glass windows lies a veritable hoard of holy goodies that the Church could convert to hard, cold cash. Here are some comparable items we ran across on eBay.
Rosaries These bright, colorful, not-to-be-used-as-necklaces beauties can be yours for as little as 99 cents apiece. Stock up!
Bronze Crucifix Every altar needs one. Crucifix: $199. Christ dying for our sins and saving the world from eternal damnation: Priceless.
Stole Always envied priests' stylish threads but been too attached to mortal pleasures to hop on that bandwagon? Now you can at least look like God's representative on earth with an authentic red-and-gold vintage stole for just $129.99.
Chasuble Usually worn by priests, this plain white, V-necked garment would make a great toga costume come Halloween. $16.50.
Goblet This beautifully patterned glass is perfect for getting your friends drunk at dinner parties and then pretending you, too, can change water into wine. $15.99.
Miter Act quickly, because this gold-trimmed cap is only on sale for three days. The luscious red satin lining adds an extra heavenly touch. $79.99.
Pews Searching for a creative alternative to sofas? Look no farther than this oak bench. With a church pew in your home, every day is Sunday. $115 each.
Church Furnishings You can start your own church with these fixins. Twenty-two pews, a pulpit, three pulpit chairs, two plant holders and a Communion table, all for $1,000.
Candelabras These two come as a set and are signed by the Beniger brothers themselves. The bidding will begin at $1,950.--Mary Ann Albright
WWeek 2015