Why I Returned and Why I Stayed: Jesus Serves Pasta at the Heavenly Banquet
“The image of a servant Lord bringing my mother plates of steaming pasta and filling glasses of red wine made me smile.”
Entries by Guest Contributor
Home for the Holidays?
Though we are surrounded by images of perfect family celebrations for Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is impossible to ignore the pain so many of us hold inside, as we go about our business, doing our best to maintain the positive outward appearance that the season seems to demand. My heart goes out to those families who struggle through the holidays.
The Courage to Be Me
I first attended a Courage meeting when I was 24 years old and a student in the Master of Theological Studies program at the University of Notre Dame.I was told I could find like-minded Catholics to support me in the struggle against my sexuality.
On Fathers’ Day, A Grandfather’s Struggle with Church and State for Transgender Grandchild
My daughter, Marsha, is the mother of identical twins. Both were born with the bodies of girls. Marsha always wanted to name a daughter after my mother, Mary, so she named the twins Joanne and Mary. Joanne always loved to wear tutus and Mary wanted to wear camouflage type outfits.
Melbourne Archdiocese Releases Guidelines for Schools to Support LGBT Kids
Australia’s Melbourne Archdiocese has released a document which encourages its 330 schools to approach LGBT students with support and tolerance. The resource is an alternative to a government program, Safe Schools, with which church officials disagreed. However, the new document is not without its own controversies.
Seattle U Community Roiled by Student Newspaper Disappearance and Administration’s Response
Seattle University’s LGBTQ+ community and allies are left outraged and concerned about what kind of school environment the administration is fostering after a Jesuit faculty member admitted removing student newspapers which contained a cover photo from the campus drag show. The remarks of the school’s president have added to the controversy.
Cultivating Sexual Desire: Theological and Pastoral Reflections
On April 22, 2018, Professor Patricia Beattie Jung delivered the Father Robert Nugent Memorial Lecture,…
In Jamaica, Catholic Deacon’s Anti-Gay Arguments Are Built on Sand, Not Rock
As a Christian I always cringe when I read articles concerning LGBT people by Peter Espeut, a Jamaican Roman Catholic deacon and sociologist. As an office-holder in a church ostensibly built on the “rock” (or “Peter” in Latin) of Christ’s example and command to reach those on the margins of society, this modern Peter’s writings display a dangerous hostility towards vulnerable LGBT people.
Philadelphia Officially Severs Ties With Catholic Foster Care Agency Over LGBTQ Parents
Following a report that Philadelphia’s Catholic Social Services agency (CSS) does not place foster children in the care of same-sex couples, that city’s Department of Human Services (DHS) decided that it will not sponsor future placements of children through CSS, which receives funds from the city.
Baltimore Archdiocese Transgender Workshop Is a Lesson in What NOT to Do
On March 8, 2018, I attended a workshop sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore at Saint Michael’s Catholic Church, Mount Airy, Maryland, entitled “The Catholic Church and Gender Identity.” . . . . I left demoralized.