After Cancelling LGBTQ+ Mass, Pittsburgh Diocese Holds Inclusion Liturgy; And More News

This fall, the Synod on Synodality’s October assembly dominated news coverage as perhaps the most significant Catholic event since Vatican II. As a result, some Catholic LGBTQ+ news did not make it onto Bondings 2.0—yet. Yesterday and today’s posts feature stories and commentaries not yet covered, with links provided if you would like to learn more.

Pittsburgh Hosts Inclusion Mass After Cancelling LGBTQ+ Liturgy

In June, Pittsburgh’s Bishop David Zubik cancelled a Mass for Pride Month hosted by Catholics for Change in Our Church (CCOC), a group of local Catholic LGBTQ+ advocates. As a result of the meeting, the Pittsburgh Diocese itself held a Mass in October with the theme of “The Church Welcoming – No Exceptions.” According to Crux:

“The organization that planned the Mass is ‘Catholics for Change in Our Church.’ Its president, Kevin Hayes, said the goal of the Mass is to make all Catholics feel welcome. . .

“The guest scripture commentator will be Consuelo ‘Chelo’ Cruz, a former nun and immigrant from Mexico who has lived in Pittsburgh for 25 years, and is a counselor helping indigenous populations and those who identify as LGBTQ+. She is also a catechist with her local parish.

“‘As a lifelong Catholic, who works with marginalized Catholics and the mother of two members of the LGBTQ+ community, I know we as a Church can be and need to be more welcoming,’ Cruz said in a statement. ‘I look forward to participating in the October . . . CCOC Mass that seeks to welcome everyone to the altar of Jesus Christ in a gesture of love and fellowship.'”

Portland Archdiocese Opens New Education Office

This past summer, Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland abruptly closed the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools and fired key administrators for reasons that were not made clear. However, many considered the action LGBTQ-focused as Sample had received strong pushback after issuing a transgender-negative policy in early 2023. No clear link between the pro-LGBTQ+ protests and the archbishop’s decision was confirmed, and the archdiocese later denied such a link though this convinced few critics.

Now, Sample has launched a new Office for the Mission of Catholic Education headed by Elias Moo, former superintendent of the Denver archdiocese’s schools, who, according to the National Catholic Reporter, has a focused “interest in classical education, commitment to evangelization and concerns over ‘gender identity theory.'” NCR added that Moo “has endorsed the Person and Identity Project,” which focuses on stopping transgender equality, and he was supportive of Donald Trump’s education policies.

Sr. Jeannine Gramick Offers Reflection on Simon of Cyrene

Sr. Jeannine Gramick, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, wrote a reflection in the National Catholic Reporter earlier this year about finding one’s path even when it is difficult to know. She cites former bishop of Saginaw, Kenneth Untener, who once wrote of Simon of Cyrene, “He carried the cross, not knowing why. Or where he was going. But he wasn’t lost. He was following the Lord.” To this, Gramick adds:

“My faith is weak. I see so much pain and suffering in the world. I look at refugees fleeing the violence of a war-torn country. I see the economically poor lost in a society where the wealth gap between rich and poor increases each year, worsened by climate change. I watch as people of color are harassed and beaten by those charged to protect them. Like Simon, they are all carrying a cross, not knowing why.

“It takes sincere reliance on God to experience pain or suffering “in the dark,” without understanding why or how this pain can be redemptive, how this pain will somehow be transformed into good. Isn’t that part of the meaning of faith? . . .

“Deep down, I believe that in the fullness of time, all will be well. It may take centuries or even millennia, but this ‘fullness of time’ will come. . .But until then, we as individuals and as a society are all Simons. We’re asked to carry a huge, splinter-filled cross and we don’t know why. We don’t know where we’re going. But when we trust, we’re not lost. We’re just following the Lord.”

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, November 25, 2023