“To be sure that we do not leave anyone behind, to be sure that all are welcome in their own home, and to be sure that we promote genuine gratitude and reverence for the gift that each one of us is to the Church." Bishop Terry Steib, SVD
Catholic LGBTQ Ministry affirms that all the baptized, in the diversity of our sexual orientation and gender identities, are called to full participation in the life, worship, and mission of the church. The ministry fosters inclusivity, mutual understanding, and appreciation of all persons by promoting hospitality, education, and support to our LGBTQ+ members and their family, friends, and allies.
We share this statement crafted by our friends at St. Patrick's, Memphis.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory
"You belong to the heart of this Church. And there is nothing that you may do, may say, that will ever rip you from the heart of this Church. There is a lot that has been said to you, about you, behind your back, that is painful and sinful. We have to find a way to talk to one another. I think that's the way Jesus ministered. He engaged people, he took them where they were at, and he invited them to go deeper, closer to God."
Theology on Tap, August 2019
Pope Francis at Angelus: Christian communion built by welcoming, not dividing
“The Holy Spirit does not want closedness,” said the Pope. “He wants openness, and welcoming communities where there is a place for everyone.”
God Loves Your Children as They Are
Pope Francis told a group of parents of L.G.B.T. children yesterday that “God loves your children as they are” and “the church loves your children as they are because they are children of God.” He did so in a brief encounter with some 40 Italian parents (both mothers and fathers) of L.G.B.T. children after the public audience in the Renaissance courtyard of San Damaso in the Vatican.
A group of U.S. Catholic bishops, including a cardinal and an archbishop, have signed a statement of support for LGBT youth, telling them, “God created you, God loves you and God is on your side.”
Mission
We offer news, resources, and community for LGBTQ Catholics, their families, and those who minister to them in the Catholic Church worldwide. Through our website and conferences, we also aim to raise up people, parishes, schools and other Catholic ministries that are offering inspiring stories and providing a welcoming home for LGBTQ people.
Outreach, under the auspices of America Media, a Jesuit ministry, is rooted in the love of Jesus, who reached out to those who were excluded; inspired by the saints who cared for those who were neglected; and grounded in the church’s call to treat LGBTQ people with “respect, compassion and sensitivity” (Catechism #2358). We also hope to offer a place where church leaders, both clergy and lay, can encounter the LGBTQ faithful as well as engage in respectful dialogue. Pope Francis’s model of “closeness, compassion and tenderness” towards the LGBTQ community inspires us in our ministry of outreach.
We hope to help LGBTQ Catholics know that God loves them, that they are at the heart of their church, and that they have many gifts to offer the People of God.
The Outreach website is updated regularly. We will post some Articles and News items on our Resouces page, but not all. We invite you to visit Outreach often and consider signing up to receive updates. Click on a News article and there will be a signup link.