Micheal trails gay

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Quite the contrary, reading diverse viewpoints will make you a better priest and a better pastoral minister. I belong to a very traditional, mainly Hispanic parish. But we also have to be rooted in the pastoral life of the church to be able to walk with this community.

Some books I’ve read that have been helpful include:

Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear by Michael J.

O’Loughlin (Broadleaf Books, 2021)

Black, Gay, British, Christian, Queer: TheChurch and the Famine of Graceby Jarel Robinson-Brown (SCM Press, 2021)

Stumbling in Holiness: Sin and Sanctity in the Church by Brian Flanagan (Liturgical Press, 2018)

Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion and Sensitivity by James Martin, S.J.

(HarperOne, 2017)

Radical Love: Introduction to Queer Theology by Patrick S. Cheng (Seabury Books, 2011)

10). It makes us better theologians and priests. Some notable weather on the East Coast includes major hurricanes, severe weather including multiple tornadoes (including a major outbreak), and a few large snow storms.

You already have a strong faith foundation because you know what it means to be a priest and a pastoral minister. Everybody has a desire to be seen and to be loved.

There’s a real grace and obligation to minister well to the people in your pews.

micheal trails gay

At each of my priestly assignments, there have been LGBTQ people. Instead, try saying, “Let’s explore this together.”

7). Most of all, remember that everyone has a deep desire to be seen and loved.

It is part of our ontology and anthropology to love and be loved. There’s no indifference to people like “christian love” which is from a comfortable distance.

It’s our job to take what we believe and walk with all people, to journey alongside them and help them integrate church teaching into their lives as well. They are faithful volunteers and participants in various ministries who take their faith seriously. Just weeks before the end of my last semester in the seminary, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

Amen.

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Frank Dagostino
Most people in my parish don’t know I am gay. It’s not our job to be political, but it is our job to defend the dignity of the human person.

I’ll give you an example. These are ten points I shared.

1). But when confronted with difficult questions, the less often you invoke, “Here’s what the church teaches” or “Here’s what the catechism says,” the more opportunity there is for genuine encounter. “Is my kid going to hell?” a parent asked me because of church teaching around sex and sexuality. Always be pastorally sensitive in your preaching and presence—and remember who might be listening to your words.

4).

Trust a person when they tell you who they are.

After you preach, the majority of congregants will never come to you and say, “Hey Father, your homily affected me in this way or that.” However,  you’re still ministering to the LGBTQ community and their families by the words you choose.

In my own ministry, I’ve seen the presence of God most remarkably in the moments when I simply sit with people.

And it’s also going to make you a better person, someone who tries to listen.