One of the goals of the GLBT Initiative Issue Team is to help the Marianist family to be more inclusive and welcoming of glbt people. Do you have any suggestions?

 

One thing I wish for institutions is that leaders and members wouldn't be afraid to mention the words gay and lesbian. Simple inclusion in prayers (particularly for outcasts), mention in homilies, mentioned in discussions goes a long way for creating an environment where a gay and lesbian person might find support.

 

Additonally, I think insitutions should offer pastoral training for personnel...

From a community perspective one of the saddest things I heard was when a community member said they didn't know any glbt people and there was a glbt person in that community.

 

A challenge and a gift for any community is to discuss difficult subject matter. I encourage communities to be open to discussing human sexuality - or even more simply - having someone who is mindful of mentioning glbt...

I'll post further thoughts from my own experience but I wanted to get the conversation going by posting the question! Hopefully this will be a place where glbt people and their loved ones can express themselves while others learn from our stories!

It saddens me that many people think being gay and Catholic are mutually exclusive. At the same time I often find myself wondering why I stay involved in a Church that overtly oppresses me. What infuriates me is when church officials and Christians in general use religion and the bible to justify aggression, hostility, oppression, and fear. Even though church teaching makes a distinction between orientation...

In a rather heated conversation that I had a few years ago over illegal immigration with a Mexican friend, he exclaimed, “What is illegal about working?” I could not come up with a good response. He was right; there is nothing illegal about working to earn a living. He emphasized for me that Mexican immigrants are coming to the United States to find work, earn a living and in many cases support a family....

As we celebrated the feast of Blessed Fr. Chaminade in Guatemala, I had mixed reactions and feelings about our celebration and about this country.  I feel great pride that the Marianist Family is taking root here and feel we are making significant progress our efforts.  At the same time, I know that something terribly evil is strangling the very life and future of this beautiful land. ...

Recently Justice Jottings sent reference to an Article by David Hilfiker, The Limits of Charity.  I received this article from several other sources as well, and I found myself getting more and more disturbed.

 

Hilfiker’s premise is that Charity somehow impedes Justice, that its virtue is less than that of Justice.  I have also been hearing this discussion among Marianist circles...

On November 19th, 75 members of the U. of Dayton community boarded vans and buses to head down to Columbus, Georgia for the annual protest demanding the closure of the School of the Americas (recently renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation – WHINSEC).  This number included students (both undergrad and graduate), Marianists, and faculty/staff.  The trip was organized...

I have seen Robert Kennedy several times on cable shows this week promoting his new book, Crimes Against Nature. Does anyone know whether he may be coming to Dayton on a book tour? Is there any way we may be able to promote the book? I didn't just want to relegate this to the EE Issue Team.