A History of Serving all of God's People with "Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity"

Beginning in the early 1990’s parishioners at St. Bernadette’s began an outreach to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as they recognized a ministerial need for helping G&L persons feel welcome in the Catholic Church. In 2001, then Pastoral Associate, Ann McDonald, with the help of parishioners, began a faith formation series called “RECLAIM.”

RECLAIM helped provide a welcoming, accepting place, where Gay and Lesbian Catholics could re-examine their relationship with the Catholic Church. The ministry became so successful that members of the G&L community made St. Bernadette’s their home parish and began serving in parish ministries.

In the Spring of 2018, the ministry expanded its outreach to include members of the LGBTQ+ community and those who love and support members of the community.

With this new scope of outreach, the ministry was renamed “ALLIES.”

Allies are…

•Members of the LGBTQ+ community.

•Family members of LGBTQ+ persons.

•Friends of LGBTQ+ persons.

•All those who feel called to treat LGBT persons with “respect, compassion, and sensitivity” (CCC. 2358).

What Does This Ministry Offer?

Communal Support — The ALLIES Ministry recognizes the need for any person to have the loving support of a community. Allies offers LGBTQ+ persons, as well as their friends and family members, a welcoming and safe place, where they can discuss their relationship with Christ and the Church.

Spiritual Growth— As Christians, we realize the priceless value of having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Our ALLIES Ministry will host spiritual and faith formation sessions that will offer LGBT persons, as well as their friends and family, an opportunity to foster this personal relationship with Our Lord.

Social Outreach—As a St. Bernadette’s ministry, ALLIES will continue our long-standing tradition of ministering to all of God’s children by serving those in need. Like all ministries at St. Bernadette’s, ALLIES will sponsor and host various outreach events and promote opportunities to address social justice. This outreach includes welcoming and ministering to LGBT persons, as well as their allies, from surrounding parishes and  Christian churches.

If you are interested in receiving more information about our ALLIES ministry, please email us at [email protected]