Parishes with Gay/Lesbian Support?

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One of my old parishes which is actually a Co-Cathedral Basillica has this Gay/Lesbian and Transgendered group called “Boulevards” … It claims it has support within the traiditonal faith, but is this considered pushing the line within Church law and the Bibles teachings?..
 
Nothing wrong with it per se - after all, many parishes probably have support groups to help drug addicts or alcoholics and so on. The existence of such groups is far from automatically meaning that they endorse behaviour which is contrary to Church teaching.

People struggling with SSA need support and help as much as anyone else if not more so - and our job as Christians is to offer such support! As long, as I said, as it stays true to Church teachings.

You may want to get a bit more information about this group to help make up your mind about it.
 
Renton405 said:
One of my old parishes which is actually a Co-Cathedral Basillica has this Gay/Lesbian and Transgendered group called “Boulevards” … It claims it has support within the traiditonal faith, but is this considered pushing the line within Church law and the Bibles teachings?..
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Any parish in fact every parish should have a Homosexual support group. They should be there to help the homosexuals live a life in accord with the teachings of the Church. They are not there to promote or in any way encourage the homosexual lifestyle. That is the line that cannot be crossed.
 
It’s bad, see here: Boulevards

I will say, their choice of name is appropriate:

Dictionary:
**Boulevard: **a broad avenue in a city, usually having areas at the sides or center for trees, grass, or flowers.

Matt. 7:13 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.

St. Faustina’s Diary:

One day, I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People walked along it, dancing and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realizing it. And at the end of the road there was a horrible precipice; that is the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great that it was impossible to count them. And I saw the other road, or rather a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness, and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings.

:eek:
 
Genesis315 said:
It’s bad, see here: Boulevards

I will say, their choice of name is appropriate:

Dictionary:
**Boulevard: **a broad avenue in a city, usually having areas at the sides or center for trees, grass, or flowers.

Matt. 7:13 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.

St. Faustina’s Diary:

One day, I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People walked along it, dancing and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realizing it. And at the end of the road there was a horrible precipice; that is the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great that it was impossible to count them. And I saw the other road, or rather a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness, and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings.

:eek:
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“It’s bad, see here: Boulevards”

I looked at the web site, and It looks very generic to me if guided properly could well be a great help to this specific segment of the Catholic population. Judgment cannot be made from the webpage only seeing a meeting or event will tell you if they are misguided and diverging from the teachings of the Catholic Church.
 
Br.Rich_SFO said:
“It’s bad, see here: Boulevards”

I looked at the web site, and It looks very generic to me if guided properly could well be a great help to this specific segment of the Catholic population. Judgment cannot be made from the webpage only seeing a meeting or event will tell you if they are misguided and diverging from the teachings of the Catholic Church.
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It’s bad. Scroll down to the artilce about pro-gay Bishop Gumbleton’s visit in this parish magazine:

mary.org/_pdf/magazine-200610.pdf
 
I support them. I have not been a formal member of one who has them. Another that comes to my mind is St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis. That is the golden standard for outreach as far as I have seen. It is a very vibrant, and large inner-city parish.

Besides, the latest statement (which is on a sticky somewhere) says we should not stigmatize them or turn them away.

stjoan.com/sccfr.htm
 
Genesis315 said:
It’s bad. Scroll down to the artilce about pro-gay Bishop Gumbleton’s visit in this parish magazine:

mary.org/_pdf/magazine-200610.pdf
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hmmm… yes this is the church that I was a parishner at… There were alot of Gay parishners I noticed…I had this feeling that they supported the lifestyle too much because I saw gay couples sitting with each other in the pews… which is why I went to other parish with a stricter setting…
 
It is important to pay attention to the language a Parish uses when attempting to minister to the homosexual community. There are certain terms that are synonymous with an active homosexual lifestyle and using these terms to address a community you hope to guide into chastity is misleading at best, devious at worst. For example:
Boulevards is a welcoming, accepting and mutually supportive group of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who gather together to share in social, service, educational and spiritual activities and to work for justice.
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If we put ourselves in the shoes of our SSA brother’s and sister’s, what can we possible learn from this mission statement that isn’t exactly the same as any other secular institution or liberal Protestant Church? How would an SSA individual struggling to discern what the Church teaches ever be able to interpret this politically correct mumbo-jumbo? In addition, parish ministries should not use the same language used by gay activists to advance their various causes. I mean, transgender?

Or this:
In an interview with Tony Baisely, Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, retired Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan, shares some of his feelings on individuals with alternative lifestyles and views and their sense of belonging to the Church.
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First, who cares what his “feelings” are? Is he not a Shephard charged with imparting the truth of his Church to those who are seeking? And since when does the Church even recognize “alternative lifestyles” as an acceptable excuse for sinful behavior?

Here is what Courgae states on their website:
Fr. John Harvey decided to form a spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love.
From our website you will learn about homosexuality and chastity. By developing an interior life of chastity, which is the universal call to all Christians, one can move beyond the confines of the homosexual identity to a more complete one in Christ.
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No buzzwords, no use of confusing language, no question about this ministry.

Parishes that use language like the one linked to in the above post are doing a disservice to the many homosexual Catholics who desperately seek the truth our Church teaches. The mixed messages are confusing to many Catholics who don’t want to be “judgemental” of the way these ministries present themselves and is, I believe, an attempt to convey one thing while appearing to say another.
 
blessedtoo said:
In addition, parish ministries should not use the same language used by gay activists to advance their various causes. I mean, transgender?
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Gender issues are a valid concern, and quite distinct from sexual orientation.
First, who cares what his “feelings” are? Is he not a Shephard charged with imparting the truth of his Church to those who are seeking? And since when does the Church even recognize “alternative lifestyles” as an acceptable excuse for sinful behavior?
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Everybody should care. The miter does not turn its wearer into an emotionless robot. He has feelings, and especially because he is/was in a position of authority over others, we should care what they are.

His excellency may not be in line with the Church on this, but that does not make him subhuman or less deserving of consideration. You don’t have to agree with him (and as a Catholic you probably shouldn’t) but give the man some respect.
 
His excellency may not be in line with the Church on this, but that does not make him subhuman or less deserving of consideration. You don’t have to agree with him (and as a Catholic you probably shouldn’t) but give the man some respect.
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Mirdath,
Don’t try to spin my statements. I didn’t imply the Bishop was “subhuman” or not deserving of respect. As I stated, he is the Shepherd of his flock and should not be confusing them by injecting personal “feeling” into Church teaching. Thankfully, the wisdom of the Church is not driven by personal feeling but by truth. That is what the clergy is called to impart to the faithful.
 
blessedtoo said:
Mirdath,
Don’t try to spin my statements. I didn’t imply the Bishop was “subhuman” or not deserving of respect. As I stated, he is the Shepherd of his flock and should not be confusing them by injecting personal “feeling” into Church teaching. Thankfully, the wisdom of the Church is not driven by personal feeling but by truth. That is what the clergy is called to impart to the faithful.
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Apologies, but you may wish to be more careful with your wording than to dismiss him with something like ‘Who cares what his feelings are?’.
 
blessedtoo said:
It is important to pay attention to the language a Parish uses when attempting to minister to the homosexual community.
Or this:

*****LEFT]First, who cares what his “feelings” are? Is he not a Shephard charged with imparting the truth of his Church to those who are seeking? And since when does the Church even recognize “alternative lifestyles” as an acceptable excuse for sinful behavior?
*****Here is what Courgae states on their website:

No buzzwords, no use of confusing language, no question about this ministry.

Parishes that use language like the one linked to in the above post are doing a disservice to the many homosexual Catholics who desperately seek the truth our Church teaches. The mixed messages are confusing to many Catholics who don’t want to be “judgemental” of the way these ministries present themselves and is, I believe, an attempt to convey one thing while appearing to say another.
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Now this is the same language mentioned above that Jesus used, thank you “blessed to”.
Many are they who say “Lord Lord” but they wear the wrong clothing. the most important tone Jesus told us is that we are of the spirit NOT of the flesh. Jesus told us to be WITH them but NOT as them. to be in the world NOT of the world. What else do we need to know.

I have two associates who are gay. They tell me different things and I tell them not to put other people down by creating jokes about them. At times I also tell them that I am not interested in their jokes when it gets a little much. I also accept them as they are.
I will listen to them after all they are human beings. Jesus told us that God made us ALL to His likeness. So to love God I have to love all people, but as Jesus told us to LOVE the sinner (which is all of us, but in this case of who we are relating) but hate the sin.
Jesus askes up why we love those who will love us back, we have allready been paid. We should love those who will not love us and so we will be paid in heaven, is that not the golden rule?
I believe that the bible tells us that Jeus came to heal the sick not to be with those who are well, so the church building is predominently for those who are sick, we should call them all in lead them to a God who loves them, and then maybe when they are accepted regardless then they might turn to Jesus for forgiveness and healing.

Well what else can be said. Maybe let go and let God do the judging. After all are we not given the gift of “discernment”. Therefore we have the upper hand in the deal, do we not?

Love covers many a sin.
God bless
littleone
 
I think you should also have a pedophilia, bestiality and rapist support group. What about them they are people too, maybe we could accept them and then they would turn from thier evil ways.
 
My parish has a large, powerful gay support group. The trouble is our parish is known as being gay friendly so the priests don’t dare say anything against homosexuality.
 
dympnha said:
My parish has a large, powerful gay support group. The trouble is our parish is known as being gay friendly so the priests don’t dare say anything against homosexuality.
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What is the mission of your parish’s gay support group?
Have you written to your bishop? Just wondering.
 
The retired auxilary of Detroit, Bishop Gumbleton is a well-known dissenter from Church teaching on sexual morality, including homosexuality. He is a member of Call to Action, a dissenting group which advocates for disobedience to Church moral teaching and discipline. He is not known for his support of chastity. It is not hearsay. Just check out his public statements and activities. I have been reading his dissenting comments in major Catholic magazines and newspapers for the last 20 years!

Courage is the only upright Catholic support group.
 
If they are not trying to live Christian lives of chastity, then they are exerting a bad influence on you and you must limit your contact with them, unless you are receiving spiritual guidance and support from a group of committed Catholics and above all regular guidance from a wise priest who does not dissent from Church teaching in this area. Otherwise you are putting your own spiritual and moral life in danger. We are a union of body and soul, not just spirits. We have to realize that our bodies will also be redeemed and what we do with our bodies will also be judged when we die.
 
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