Lord God, our Maker,
The work of your hands displays your goodness and glory;
It is marvelous to behold.
From the most intricate snowflake to the grandest of mountain peaks,
With each inbreaking of the sun's rays that paint the sky until day's end,
Your limitless love creates it all.
As we gaze, then, upon your children,
The special co-creators you have made
To experience you and your beauty,
May we always appreciate the dignity of each person:
Straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender.
May we witness your extravagant artistry of each beloved,
Celebrate your Divine imprint upon each heart,
And recognize how You fashion each human being with purpose and wonder.
Your limitless love creates us all.
Forgive us, Lord,
For the constraint of our eyes that fails to take in another's beauty,
For choosing the comfort of our own apathy instead of bearing one another's burdens,
For not remaining silent to listen and silent when we should have cried out,
Your limitless love forgives us all.
We pray, O God,
For the wounds the world inflicts,
In thought, word, and deed,
Against what your hands have made and ultimately, against you.
Soothe and comfort, renew and redeem.
Your limitless love restores us all.
We pray for unity,
For tenderness,
For belonging and justice and freedom,
For solidarity and bountiful compassion
That the world may know who you are
By the way we love one another
And how willing we are to enter the splendor of co-creating
With one another
And with you.
Your limitless love heals us all.
The work of your hands displays your goodness and glory;
It is marvelous to behold.
From the most intricate snowflake to the grandest of mountain peaks,
With each inbreaking of the sun's rays that paint the sky until day's end,
Your limitless love creates it all.
As we gaze, then, upon your children,
The special co-creators you have made
To experience you and your beauty,
May we always appreciate the dignity of each person:
Straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender.
May we witness your extravagant artistry of each beloved,
Celebrate your Divine imprint upon each heart,
And recognize how You fashion each human being with purpose and wonder.
Your limitless love creates us all.
Forgive us, Lord,
For the constraint of our eyes that fails to take in another's beauty,
For choosing the comfort of our own apathy instead of bearing one another's burdens,
For not remaining silent to listen and silent when we should have cried out,
Your limitless love forgives us all.
We pray, O God,
For the wounds the world inflicts,
In thought, word, and deed,
Against what your hands have made and ultimately, against you.
Soothe and comfort, renew and redeem.
Your limitless love restores us all.
We pray for unity,
For tenderness,
For belonging and justice and freedom,
For solidarity and bountiful compassion
That the world may know who you are
By the way we love one another
And how willing we are to enter the splendor of co-creating
With one another
And with you.
Your limitless love heals us all.
The above prayers were copied from the website of Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA). https://www.chausa.org
Catholic health care is a ministry of the Catholic Church continuing Jesus' mission of love and healing in the world today. Comprised of more than 600 hospitals and 1,600 long-term care and other health facilities in all 50 states, the Catholic health ministry is the largest group of nonprofit health care providers in the nation. At the national level, these organizations join together in the Catholic Health Association of the United States. In CHA, the ministry raises a collective passionate voice for compassionate care.
Catholic health care is a ministry of the Catholic Church continuing Jesus' mission of love and healing in the world today. Comprised of more than 600 hospitals and 1,600 long-term care and other health facilities in all 50 states, the Catholic health ministry is the largest group of nonprofit health care providers in the nation. At the national level, these organizations join together in the Catholic Health Association of the United States. In CHA, the ministry raises a collective passionate voice for compassionate care.
In keeping with our parish mission statement to “be a grateful and giving parish, making a difference in the lives of others by “living the love of God”, our ministry will foster a welcoming environment for the LGBTQ Community and their loved ones to grow in faith and live the love of God.
Monthly meetings, the third Saturday of the month from 10:30 am to -12:30 pm. Currently the meetings will take place on Zoom.
This ministry provides opportunities for fellowship, support, and discussion of issues regarding sexuality, gender, and spirituality in a loving, non-judgmental faith community. All are welcome to respectfully attend these meetings, this includes LGBTQ persons, families, friends and all who want to learn more about being a supportive Catholic to our LGBTQ parishioners.
If you would like to attend a meeting or have questions please contact: [email protected]
Franciscan statement on Florida's Parental Rights in Education and the Concerns for Life and Wellbeing of the Vulnerable LGBTQ Youth:
The JPIC (Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation) Directorate of the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Name Province is occasionally asked to issue statements regarding significant events and trends, as well as specific policies or legislation. The enactment of Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill is the most recent instance of such a request.
In issuing such statements we rely on Catholic church teaching, elements of our Franciscan tradition, our lived experience, and our consciences. We also take into consideration the effects felt by the communities we live in and the people we serve, especially the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable. We are concerned by several aspects of the Parental Rights in Education bill. We support the role of parents in the education of their children, and their rights to help craft local educational policies and standards. Our difficulty with the Parental Rights in Education bill lies in the impact that the bill could have on LGBTQ youth. This past January Pope Francis advised parents of LGBTQ youth to “accompany their children and not hide in an attitude of condemnation.” He also shared, “God loves your children as they are…the church loves your children as they are because they are children of God.” Our laws and policies must express this same love and concern for the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth.
The fundamental problem with this law is its vagueness regarding what the statue prohibits or allows regarding discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation. Florida’s law encourages teachers and students to avoid any discussion of topics related to gender identity and sexual orientation entirely. This threatens to create a culture of silence that will be detrimental to the health and well-being of LGBTQ students. LGBTQ youth are already at higher risk for suicide and self-harm, eliminating one avenue, schools, where they can receive support on their own terms will make this problem worse, not better. Parental rights, while important, are not absolute, and must not be allowed to endanger the health and well-being of students. It is for this reason that we advocate repealing the law. If that is not possible, at the least, strict monitoring of the legislation’s impact must be undertaken and if any negative impact on LGBTQ youth arises, then the law must be repealed immediately. We are further concerned because Florida’s legislation is similar to hundreds of bills being debated in many states. Often, these bills encourage political rhetoric that, whether intended or not, sows division among the population for the purpose of gaining or maintaining political power. This divisive approach is not new; it has been the plague of our political system and culture for the past several decades, although with increased intensity in recent years. An intentionally divisive political approach stands in opposition to the Gospel story of Jesus who in his ministry sought to include all persons, especially those on society’s margins. These are difficult times. Understandably, we all are worried for the future of our nation and world. May we be strengthened by the leadership of those inviting us to aspire to a greater good, especially Pope Francis when he reminds us: “God asks us to dare to create something new. We cannot return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before the [pandemic]...We need to slow down, take stock, and design better ways of living together on this earth.” (Let Us Dream, p. 6)
https://hnp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Directorate-Statement-on-Florida-Bill.pdf
Monthly meetings, the third Saturday of the month from 10:30 am to -12:30 pm. Currently the meetings will take place on Zoom.
This ministry provides opportunities for fellowship, support, and discussion of issues regarding sexuality, gender, and spirituality in a loving, non-judgmental faith community. All are welcome to respectfully attend these meetings, this includes LGBTQ persons, families, friends and all who want to learn more about being a supportive Catholic to our LGBTQ parishioners.
If you would like to attend a meeting or have questions please contact: [email protected]
Franciscan statement on Florida's Parental Rights in Education and the Concerns for Life and Wellbeing of the Vulnerable LGBTQ Youth:
The JPIC (Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation) Directorate of the Franciscan Friars of the Holy Name Province is occasionally asked to issue statements regarding significant events and trends, as well as specific policies or legislation. The enactment of Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” bill is the most recent instance of such a request.
In issuing such statements we rely on Catholic church teaching, elements of our Franciscan tradition, our lived experience, and our consciences. We also take into consideration the effects felt by the communities we live in and the people we serve, especially the poor, the marginalized, and the vulnerable. We are concerned by several aspects of the Parental Rights in Education bill. We support the role of parents in the education of their children, and their rights to help craft local educational policies and standards. Our difficulty with the Parental Rights in Education bill lies in the impact that the bill could have on LGBTQ youth. This past January Pope Francis advised parents of LGBTQ youth to “accompany their children and not hide in an attitude of condemnation.” He also shared, “God loves your children as they are…the church loves your children as they are because they are children of God.” Our laws and policies must express this same love and concern for the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth.
The fundamental problem with this law is its vagueness regarding what the statue prohibits or allows regarding discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation. Florida’s law encourages teachers and students to avoid any discussion of topics related to gender identity and sexual orientation entirely. This threatens to create a culture of silence that will be detrimental to the health and well-being of LGBTQ students. LGBTQ youth are already at higher risk for suicide and self-harm, eliminating one avenue, schools, where they can receive support on their own terms will make this problem worse, not better. Parental rights, while important, are not absolute, and must not be allowed to endanger the health and well-being of students. It is for this reason that we advocate repealing the law. If that is not possible, at the least, strict monitoring of the legislation’s impact must be undertaken and if any negative impact on LGBTQ youth arises, then the law must be repealed immediately. We are further concerned because Florida’s legislation is similar to hundreds of bills being debated in many states. Often, these bills encourage political rhetoric that, whether intended or not, sows division among the population for the purpose of gaining or maintaining political power. This divisive approach is not new; it has been the plague of our political system and culture for the past several decades, although with increased intensity in recent years. An intentionally divisive political approach stands in opposition to the Gospel story of Jesus who in his ministry sought to include all persons, especially those on society’s margins. These are difficult times. Understandably, we all are worried for the future of our nation and world. May we be strengthened by the leadership of those inviting us to aspire to a greater good, especially Pope Francis when he reminds us: “God asks us to dare to create something new. We cannot return to the false securities of the political and economic systems we had before the [pandemic]...We need to slow down, take stock, and design better ways of living together on this earth.” (Let Us Dream, p. 6)
https://hnp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Directorate-Statement-on-Florida-Bill.pdf