LGBTQ+ Catholic Support
One In Love Council provides a path to help create a Church that celebrates the dignity of every person and protects the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to live in safety, to be treated as equals, and to have a full sense of belonging within the Catholic Church.
One In Love COUNCIL
Tribute: How Pope Francis encouraged
LGBTQ Catholics to share our stories
Michael O’Loughlin: Outreach.faith 4/21/25
"I loved the church too much to leave, but as I slowly grew more comfortable with my own sexual orientation, I didn’t feel I had a spiritual home within it. That started to change when Francis was elected pope.
Beginning perhaps with his now famous response to a question from a journalist about gay men in the priesthood (“Who am I to judge?”) I sensed that Francis was opening the door for me and others like me to imagine life in the church without compromising key parts of our lives. More examples followed.
Francis urged parents of LGBTQ children not to abandon their children. He criticized Catholics who were too focused on sexual morality. He embraced transgender people. Later, Francis said that LGBTQ people have a right to pastoral care and he even opened up the possibility of priests blessing same-sex couples. He sent several notes of encouragement to us at Outreach.
For me, Pope Francis created room to share my story honestly with my fellow believers and the wider world, a papal permission I did not imagine before his election.
… Francis ensured that many more chapters will be written, the only limit is our own commitment to radically live out the Gospel".
Welcome to Holy Week
From: The Rev. Michael Trail
priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, pastor of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church
in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago. Excerpted from https://outreach.faith/
For LGBTQ Catholics who feel that they are only part of the church “on the margins,” the Easter Vigil is a powerful reminder that
you are woven into the very heart of salvation history. The same waters that parted for the Israelites, the same tomb that was found empty—that is your inheritance.
You were created in love. You were claimed in baptism. You are risen with Christ.
And what does that resurrection mean? It means death is not the end. Shame is not the final word. Fear does not define you.
The resurrection does not erase the wounds. It transforms them. The Risen Christ still bears the scars. But they shine now. They sing of love that could not be defeated. Ultimately, like we pray in the Exsultet, your life is called to be like “glowing fire ignites for God’s honor, a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light.”
Stepping into the drama
Holy Week is not a play we watch from the pews. It is a mystery we live. If you’ve ever felt like this story wasn’t meant for you, please hear this: You are not only welcome here; you are needed.
The church is not whole without your voice. Your experience, your faith, your questions and your love—they enrich the Body of Christ.
As a priest, I have been privileged to walk with many LGBTQ Catholics. It has enhanced my own ministry walk in holiness. I have seen your faith, often forged in fire. I have witnessed your forgiveness, your generosity and your desire to serve. And I want to say, with all my heart: I’m sorry for the times the church has failed to reflect the love of Christ. And I’m so glad you’re still here.
I pray that this Holy Week will be a time of healing. Let it be a time of remembering who you are in God’s eyes: beloved, chosen, redeemed. Let it be a time of reconnection, with your faith, with your community and with Christ who walks beside you.
Come to the table on Holy Thursday. Come to the foot of the Cross on Good Friday. Come to the silence of Holy Saturday.
Come to the fire of Easter Vigil. Don’t stand back. Enter in.
The drama of Holy Week is not complete without you. -Father Michael Trail from outreach.faith
UPCOMING EVENTS
4/22:Postponed
"Evening Reflection: What Does
Scripture Say About the LQBTQ+
Community?"
Speaker: Anne Madsen
Holy Family Parish, 7 pm
2515 W. Palatine Road, Inverness, IL
Register at: https//bit.ly/ScrRefapr25
May 13
June (Pride month)
"Evening Reflection: What Does
Scripture Say About the LQBTQ+
Community?"
Speaker: Anne Madsen
Holy Family Parish, 7 pm
2515 W. Palatine Road, Inverness, IL
Register at: https//bit.ly/ScrRefapr25
Our Members:
Holy Family Parish, Inverness
St Giles/Catholic Community of Oak Park
St Julie Billiart, Tinley Park
& Your Parish can be Next
EMBRACING ALL of GOD'S PEOPLE
At One in Love, we strive to create a safe and welcoming space for everyone. Our community celebrates the diverse identities and experiences within the LGBTQ+ Catholic community.
