Thursday, November 24, 2005
NACDLGM CONFERENCE REPORT
The following is a lengthy but eye-opening article from the Nov. 17, 2005 issue of The Wanderer (not available on the publication’s website), which I am reprinting with the permission of Al Matt, Jr., publisher and editor of The Wanderer. I did not write the article, but I am an occasional contributor to the publication.
(The following “special to The Wanderer” report was filed by a veteran reporter who attended all sessions of the NACDLGM meeting described below. Since The Wanderer first began reporting on these NACDLGM conferences, the NACDLGM organizers have become increasingly hostile, threatening libel lawsuits, to Catholic reporters attending, thus the reporter who offered this account to The Wanderer went “undercover” and has requested anonymity -- Al Matt. Jr., publisher.)
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SAN JOSE -- While the issue of homosexuality within the Catholic Church roils the Catholic community in the United States, about 150 Catholics -- many, if not most, employed by the Church in one capacity or another -- openly discussed strategies to increase the visibility and number of homosexual men and women in Catholic parishes and social outreach agencies.
Members of the National Association of Catholic Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries (NACDLGM) met here, September 22-25, at the San Jose Hilton, to discuss the conference’s theme, “At Work in the Vineyard -- Planting, Nurturing, Harvesting.” For the most part, participants who were unashamedly “out and proud,” with some priests freely admitting their homosexuality and attendees railing against upcoming seminary visits and the impending approval by Pope Benedict XVI of a document banning homosexuals from the priesthood.
One participant was overheard by this reporter calling the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, “a big queen.”
San Jose Bishop Patrick McGrath gave the welcoming speech on the opening night of the conference.
According to a promotional brochure for the conference, NACDLGM “leads the way in this ministry within the Catholic Church, acting as a network and resource for individuals, parishes, schools, religious orders, hospitals, retreat centers, social justice ministries, family life ministries, and dioceses.
“We help to make people feel welcome in the Church and assisting families to understand that their lesbian and gay members are, as the U.S. bishops have stated, ‘always our children.’ Our Association members are active in creating welcoming communities for gay and lesbian Catholics and their families. We support people in ministry with resources, ideas, and fellowship. We stay in communication with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and with local diocesan bishops.
“Founded in 1994, NACDLGM now counts members in 126 parishes and 52 dioceses in the USA and Canada. NACDLGM membership is not only for those doing ministry, but also for those who support the ministry with public awareness, prayer, volunteer efforts, and financial contributions.”
NACDLGM gave this warning to journalists who would not identify themselves while attending the conference:
“Persons attending this conference as reporter (either staff or freelance) are required to identify themselves and the media outlet(s) they are representing at the time of registration. NACDLGM reserves the right to control access to the conference or portions of the proceedings to media representatives. Failure to disclose media affiliation may result in violation of libel laws.”
Although the Hilton ballroom was set up to accommodate 200 people, most tables were only about half full during the Friday and Saturday morning plenary sessions, and seminar attendance in second-floor conference rooms was sparse.
Display tables were similarly meager. In addition to NACDLGM, organizations that had displays and/or offered literature included the National Catholic AIDS Network (NCAN); the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley; the “Emmaus Community for Gay and Lesbian Catholics, their families and friends” at St. Martin of Tours Parish in San Jose, and a flier advertising “Days of Dialogue” for homosexuals at the San Damiano retreat center in Danville, Calif.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles Ministry with Lesbian and Gay Catholics had a display that included a large cross draped with a rainbow stole; fliers advertising the “Comunidad” homosexual ministry group at St. Matthew’s Parish in Long Beach and the “Gay and Lesbian Outreach Catholic Ministry” at St. Jane Frances de Chantal in North Hollywood; and a pamphlet titled, “How to Start a Ministry of Gay and Lesbian Outreach in Your Parish.”
Continue reading...
If you have children in the primary grades, I would strongly advice you to read the entire report. It contains a lot of detail and closes with these paragraphs:
In each group, the person with the “special youth” role was required to answer the questions according to the scenario given them by Fr. Pedigo; however, the other participants were not told the role details at the time. At the conclusion of the exercise, Fr. Pedigo asked if other members of each group were able to tell anything about gay issues from the answers given by the special youths. In both cases, no one was able to discern the “gay connection” was with their roles. Father then revealed the details of the special roles.
The reason for the exercise, he explained, was to demonstrate that it is necessary to create opportunities for “encounter” in order to “surface” gay and lesbian issues that may be lurking beneath the surface and to provide a venue where trust is created and hospitality is present so that “stories can be honored and surfaced.”
Fr. Pedigo also talked about what kind of church we want to be. “Do we want to be a welcoming church or a church of purification?” Mimicking Pope Benedict XVI, he quipped, “I get nervous when I hear that German accent talk about purification issues.”
Pedigo then asked attendees for ideas on how to create “opportunities for encounter” within youth groups. Among the suggestions offered were to do a community service project or conduct a retreat. Pedigo advised having kids interact together in smaller “pods.”
Kathy Michals, a teacher from the Diocese of Sacramento, talked about how conservative her diocese is and wondered how to introduce homosexual subjects to her classes. One participant recalled that at Sacred Heart in Pittsburgh, he used “national holidays like Harvey Milk Day” to watch a video and incorporate such topics into parish life.
Next year’s NACDLGM meeting will be hosted by the Diocese of Brooklyn.
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Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!
