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LGBTQ+ Ministry

St. Francis of Assisi Parish has been at the forefront of the expectation that we are all God’s children. As Tim Hackett, coordinator of the LGBTQ+ ministry here, says, “The most important inclusive Catholic teaching is that we are all to love Jesus and to love one another.” Tim spoke to several members of the ministry as to how to explain their ministry’s efforts. They shared their common perspective on their ministry: “Our ministry’s efforts can generally be broken down into spiritual (Lent/Advent SCC, days of reflection, retreats), social (Memorial Day picnic, Christmas party) and outreach (Durham Pride, OutRaleigh, Expo) programming and the monthly ‘Always God’s Children’ support group.” 

They summarize it as a ministry of ‘presence,’ an LGBTQ+ face to the Catholic community, and a Catholic face to the LGBTQ+ community. As they say, “The ministry strives to welcome everyone. God created everyone out of love, and all gays, lesbians, and trans individuals need to know that they are all loved by Jesus.” “The themes of Catholic social teaching run through the ministry,” they emphasize, “but probably clearest are the life and dignity of all human beings; the call to family, community, and participation among us all; our rights and responsibilities within society; and the option for the poor and most vulnerable among us. The most important inclusive Catholic teaching is that we all love Jesus and one another.” Their ministry members serve throughout the other ministries in the parish, including CPO food drives, participation in racial justice work, collaboration with other faith communities, and Habitat for Humanity. “In many, if not all, of these activities, you can find members of our ministry participating, even if they are not doing so as LGBTQ+ ministry representatives,” says Tim and his fellow LGBTQ+ ministry leaders.  

They also lead as advocates to support others with similar challenges in the larger community. Tim says, “Our ministry sponsored a multi-ministry gathering last Saturday at St. Francis. We had about 45 folks attend from SFA, St. Andrew’s in Apex, Immaculate Conception in Durham, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral in Raleigh, and St. Thomas More and The Newman Center in Chapel Hill. All the attendees are either members of an LGBTQ+ Ministry, members of a support group, or interested in starting one. We met for two hours and shared ideas on strengthening our ministry groups and encouraging others to start their own.” Their leadership in the community reflects the traditions and history of our parish to reach out to all who need help and support, as expressed in the teachings of Jesus and the heritage of the Catholic Church. 

To discover more about the ministry and how to get involved, please see their page on the St. Francis website here. “We welcome anyone who wants to become part of a vibrant faith community and recognize that each of us has a baptismal calling and right within the People of God to serve and extend God’s hope and hospitality to all,” Tim points out. “Our ministry asks that all parishioners be open to God’s love and to recognize that you are not alone in your journey.”