Our Mission

New Ways Ministry is a Catholic outreach that educates and advocates for equity, inclusion, and justice for LGBTQ+ persons, equipping leaders to build bridges of dialogue within the Church and civil society.

New Ways Ministry’s core commitments include:

  • Promoting dialogue and reconciliation grounded in the unity and diversity of the Body of Christ (I Cor 12:12)
  • Becoming anti-racist in our programming, publications, and internal operations
  • Supporting research and resources that empower pastoral ministers and educators to advance an intersectional understanding of gender identity and sexuality
  • Fostering holiness and wholeness within the Catholic LGBTQ+ community and allies through spiritual programs and resources
Francis DeBernardo

Francis DeBernardo

Executive Director

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Jeannine Gramick

Jeannine Gramick

Co-Founder

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Robert Shine

Robert Shine

Associate Director

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Matthew Myers

Matthew Myers

Staff Associate

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Board of Directors

Jeannine Gramick, SL, Chair

Jeannine Gramick, SL, Chair

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Fr. Peter Daly

Fr. Peter Daly

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Brian Flanagan

Brian Flanagan

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Elizabeth Linehan

Elizabeth Linehan

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Anne Marie Miller, RSM

Anne Marie Miller, RSM

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A Brief History of New Ways Ministry

In 1976, Bishop Francis J. Mugavero of Brooklyn, New York, wrote a pastoral letter, “Sexuality: God’s Gift,” which was one of the first Roman Catholic statements to contain a compassionate and encouraging message to gay and lesbian people. Gay and lesbian people deserved to be treated equally in society and the Christian community, he noted, and then he addressed them directly, stating, “. . . we pledge our willingness. . . to try to find new ways to communicate the truth of Christ because we believe it will make you free.”

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