A Message from the Pastor
Rev. George Williams, S.j.
March 19, 2021
Dear St. Agnes Community,
I’m sure you were as disappointed and saddened as I was when I read on Monday that the Vatican’s doctrinal office had released a statement prohibiting priests from blessing same-sex unions. While the document did reiterate Church teaching that says LGBTQ individuals should be welcome in the Church, the tone of the message was hurtful and discriminatory.
At St. Agnes Parish, we are Catholic Christians who love and welcome LGBTQ people (and anyone else) to our community. We remember that we are the Church - the Church founded by Jesus who reached out to all those who were marginalized in his society. We the Church at St. Agnes Parish continue to reach out to LGBTQ people with ‘respect, compassion and sensitivity,’ as it specifically says in the Catechism.
This statement, while upsetting, is an invitation and a challenge to us to work together to address and courageously change systemic forms of oppression, including racism, homophobia and transphobia. As your pastor, I affirm and support all of our LGBTQ parishioners. I am open to your suggestions for ways we can take concrete steps as a parish to advocate for LGBTQ inclusion and rights within our Church.
Our St. Agnes LGBTQ group had a retreat last weekend with Sr. Jeannine Gramick from New Ways Ministry. One of her colleagues was quoted in America Magazine this week regarding the Vatican statement saying, “This decision is an impotent one because it won’t stop the movement to bless such couples, and, in fact, it will actually encourage Catholics in the pews and the many Catholic leaders who are eager for such blessings to happen to work harder in their support and blessing of same-sex couples,” You can sign on to this statement with New Ways Ministry by going to this link: https://www.newwaysministry.org/permission-to-be-public-about-same-gender-blessings/
The words that came from the Vatican this week were simply a reiteration of the stance of the Church all along. Nothing has changed, unfortunately. But, as I mentioned in my homily last week, we cannot sit around and wait for the Church to change. We are the Church and we need to be compassion and live in the light of Christ’s love for all people.
Peace,
Fr. George
Pastor
Dear St. Agnes Community,
I’m sure you were as disappointed and saddened as I was when I read on Monday that the Vatican’s doctrinal office had released a statement prohibiting priests from blessing same-sex unions. While the document did reiterate Church teaching that says LGBTQ individuals should be welcome in the Church, the tone of the message was hurtful and discriminatory.
At St. Agnes Parish, we are Catholic Christians who love and welcome LGBTQ people (and anyone else) to our community. We remember that we are the Church - the Church founded by Jesus who reached out to all those who were marginalized in his society. We the Church at St. Agnes Parish continue to reach out to LGBTQ people with ‘respect, compassion and sensitivity,’ as it specifically says in the Catechism.
This statement, while upsetting, is an invitation and a challenge to us to work together to address and courageously change systemic forms of oppression, including racism, homophobia and transphobia. As your pastor, I affirm and support all of our LGBTQ parishioners. I am open to your suggestions for ways we can take concrete steps as a parish to advocate for LGBTQ inclusion and rights within our Church.
Our St. Agnes LGBTQ group had a retreat last weekend with Sr. Jeannine Gramick from New Ways Ministry. One of her colleagues was quoted in America Magazine this week regarding the Vatican statement saying, “This decision is an impotent one because it won’t stop the movement to bless such couples, and, in fact, it will actually encourage Catholics in the pews and the many Catholic leaders who are eager for such blessings to happen to work harder in their support and blessing of same-sex couples,” You can sign on to this statement with New Ways Ministry by going to this link: https://www.newwaysministry.org/permission-to-be-public-about-same-gender-blessings/
The words that came from the Vatican this week were simply a reiteration of the stance of the Church all along. Nothing has changed, unfortunately. But, as I mentioned in my homily last week, we cannot sit around and wait for the Church to change. We are the Church and we need to be compassion and live in the light of Christ’s love for all people.
Peace,
Fr. George
Pastor