DignityUSA
MARCH 3, 2013: THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT
Carroll Stuhlmueller had an interesting twist on today's well-known Exodus reading.
Most of us presume Yahweh had stationed an angel along the path on which Moses was leading his flock, commissioned to give the "high sign" when the great liberator approached. At the proper moment this special messenger would text one of his cohorts, "Cue the bush!" And the famous bush burst into flame.
FEBRUARY 24, 2013: SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT
Jesus' earliest followers saw no reason they couldn't be good Jews and also his disciples. In the beginning of our faith, all of them were good Jews. It seems to have taken years before anyone thought it possible for a non-Jew to convert to Christianity without first converting to Judaism.
Jamie Manson: “The Church at a Crossroads”
By Leo N. Egashira, from notes taken at a presentation in Seattle, October 14, 2012.
(This article was edited for the QV from the original, which appeared in Dignity/Seattle’s November 2012 Newsletter)
Theologian and National Catholic Reporter (NCR) weekly columnist (“Grace on the Margins”), Jamie Manson, and her partner Gretchen, stopped in Seattle on October 14, 2012 during a nationwide speaking tour. An engaged audience of 85 progressive Catholics and allies greeted her enthusiastically at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. Jamie first acknowledged and thanked the Protestant space in which Catholics are welcome to discuss issues. Left unsaid was the obvious: Progressive Catholics would not have been allowed to discuss or question views of the hierarchical church.
Frank DeBernardo and Sister Jeannine Gramick of New Ways Ministry present forums on Marriage Equality throughout the Country
By Leo N. Egashira, from notes taken at a forum in Seattle, August 22, 2012.
(This article was edited for the QV from the original, which appeared in Dignity/Seattle’s September 2012 Newsletter)
New Ways Ministry (NWM), a gay-supportive, Catholic ministry based in Baltimore, Maryland sent out its two most high-profile leaders, Frank DeBernardo and Sister Jeannine Gramick, on a speaking tour throughout the U.S., especially in states that had Marriage Equality on the November 6, 2012 ballot: Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State.
FEBRUARY 17, 2013: FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT
Serious readers of the Bible should always remember the late Dennis McCarthy's classic definition of biblical "canonicity." "These particular books are in our Bible," the Jesuit scripture scholar said, "because they've helped the most people over the longest period of time to understand their faith." Though it might surprise some, faith doesn't come from reading the Bible. Scripture kicks in only after we already believe. Our sacred authors presumed their readers shared the same faith they professed.
Gay Catholics Respond to Pope’s Impending Resignation
Boston, MA, February 11, 2013. DignityUSA, the nation’s largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Catholics, responded to the news that Pope Benedict XVI will resign at the end of February with the following statement:
Like all Catholics, we appreciate that Pope Benedict put the needs of the Church first in determining he is no longer able to meet the demands of his position. We wish him a peaceful retirement.
DignityUSA and Dignity/Philadelphia Mourn Past President Mary Louise Cervone
DignityUSA and Dignity/Philadelphia are mourning the death of DignityUSA Past President Mary Louise Cervone. Mary Louise, 54, passed away on Tuesday, February 05, 2013 after a brief but courageous struggle with cancer.
FEBRUARY 10, 2013: FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
It's impossible to overemphasize the importance of biblical "call narratives." They're at the heart of what it means to be a follower of God. The original Scripture readers would have gone beyond the actual narrative and applied the individual aspects of each call to themselves, helping them understand their own personal calls.
Whether the call, like Isaiah's, is to a specific ministry, or, like Simon's, a generic call to be another Christ, all calls contain the same basic elements.
February 2013 Dateline
"I would simply like to thank DignityUSA for standing up for the right of homosexuals. This sets a huge example for other Catholic churches to take up a similar belief. Welcoming homosexuality into the church paves the way for welcoming more gay unions within churches. It is groups like Dignity that make a difference."
A high-school student in Iowa
writing to DignityUSA
- A Message from the Vice President
- Nominations for DignityUSA Director Positions Now Open
- Dignity’s Convention: Embracing the Dignity of All People
- Chapter/Caucus News
Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia
