Our parish commitment in pastoral care with LGBTQ+ people

Document of the Pastoral Council of the Catholic Parish of the Holy Trinity of Washington (United States) of February 20, 2022. Freely translated by the volunteers of the Gionata project.

The mission of the Catholic parish of the Holy Trinity, which calls us to accompany us mutually in Christ, pushes us to be more aware of the diversity of our community and more welcoming towards those who are marginalized by society or by the Catholic Church.

Our pastoral care, led by lay people, is aimed at LGBTQ+ people and their families and friends, offering support and welcome.

Our support for LGBTQ+ people

As shepherds, managers and members of the Catholic Parish of the Holy Trinity, we listened to pain and frustration - and we also lived them - following the Vatican declaration on the blessing of the unions between people of the same sex. This pronouncement has opened a further wound, leaving our parishioners LGBTQ+ and their families wondering: what is my place in the Catholic Church?

In a clear and unequivocal way, the Catholic parish of the Holy Trinity states that LGBTQ+ people have and will always have a value of value in our community. We have learned that as a parish we must actively commit ourselves to ensure that everyone is included, listened to and valued, especially those that the society and the Catholic Church often relegate to the margins. In Christ there are no margins. In Christ, we are only one body, in which each person is precious and belongs fully.

To our friends LGBTQ+, we want to say forcefully that the Catholic parish of the Holy Trinity is enriched by your presence, your commitment and your guide.

Our community is honored to welcome you, to baptize your children, to accompany you in difficulties, to celebrate your love and to walk with you in the path of faith. Know that you are seen, enhanced and welcomed here as a gift from God, created in a beautiful and wonderful way.

The pastoral council of the Catholic Parish of the Holy Trinity

Original text: Lgbtqia+ ministry