Community
Parish groups are formed by parishioners gathering around common interests and affinities in order to help each other to live their faith in the family, neighborhood, marketplace, and public arena. They get involved in reaching out to the hurting, the poor, and the vulnerable in our midst in concrete acts of charity.
CATHOLIC LESBIANS
In 1993, gay parishioners met and prayed together. There were more men than women, who desired that their needs be addressed by women, for women, with women. So in 1995, Catholic Lesbians was born.
We have 300+ members and meet on the second Friday of every month in the West Room. We are a beacon to those who discover that there is no dichotomy, no conflict, in being Catholic and queer.
We pray. We celebrate. We challenge the use of male-centric language and images of God. We advocate for female diaconates and priests. We yearn to one day be allowed to openly marry our beloved in our church. We speak truth to power.
We are grateful for this faith community, the Church of St. Francis Xavier. Contact CatholicLesbians@sfxavier.org.
GAY CATHOLICS
Is primarily a gay men’s group but all are welcome to attend our meetings and events. Since the Covid pandemic we have been meeting virtually. Going forward, we will still be meeting on the first and third Fridays of the month with a hybrid meeting schedule both virtually and in-person. Please contact us for more information. We provide a safe place for gay men to come together to discuss and reflect on what it means to be LGBT in the Catholic Church today and how better to serve the church we love. Our mission is to embrace all, as Jesus does; to provide a compassionate environment to explore God’s presence in our lives; and to live out the Gospel of love and social justice. We work with our parish and the larger community toward the goals of full inclusion and a deepened spiritual life for LGBT people and their families and loved ones. Contact GayCatholics@sfxavier.org.
THE WOMEN WHO STAYED
As midwives to the spiritual life of our parish, we honor the mutuality of feminine and masculine in God and in humanity. We nurture emotional, intellectual, and spiritual growth. We empower the voices, vocations, and visibility of all Catholic women. We call forth the courage and creativity of our sisters and brothers in faith. We celebrate all service and leadership arising from the fertile soil of the Church of St. Francis Xavier, our beloved community. we NURTURE. we EMPOWER. we CALL FORTH. we CELEBRATE. TheWomenWhoStayed@sfxavier.org