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DignityUSA DATELINE
January 1996
Dignity Members Share Gifts at CTA & WOC Gatherings
Dignity members played important roles at two major progressive Catholic conferences held during November, Call to Action (CTA) and Women's Ordination Conference (WOC).
More than 50 Dignity members attended the CTA Conference held in Chicago from November 3 to November 5. A highlight of the weekend was a reception hosted by DignityUSA and Dignity/Chicago where National President Marianne Duddy presented Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton of Detroit, a major speaker at the conference, with a President's Award. Gumbleton was honored for his honesty and courage in speaking out repeatedly on behalf of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people, and for telling his own personal story of coming to term with his brother’s homosexuality. Dignity also recognized the testimony Gumbleton has given to the power of an informed conscience over official Church teaching.
Once again, lesbian and gay concerns were high profile issues on the CTA agenda. In opening remarks before some 4,000 conference participants, CTA President Linda Pieczynski spoke of bringing her daughters to liturgy at Dignity/Chicago on Solidarity Sunday. She related her daughters' excitement about the liturgy: "It took bringing my daughters to Mass in a gay and lesbian community for them to realize what Church really is."
At a booth staffed by Dignity/Chicago members, over 1,000 copies of the 25th anniversary issue of the Journal were distributed. In addition, Marianne facilitated a caucus with 250 diverse participants on issues facing the gay and lesbian community.
The next weekend, a large number of Dignity women and men attended the twentieth anniversary gathering of the Women's Ordination Conference in Arlington, Virginia, from November 10 to 12. The meeting's theme was Discipleship of Equals: Breaking Bread, Doing Justice.
Dignity members Becky Burke, Christine Coughlan, Marianne Duddy and Marta Vides led workshops. Marta, a member of the San Francisco chapter, was also part of the weekend's long-term planning process. National Treasurer Mary Louise Cervone and her partner, Kathleen McDade, participated in the opening ceremonies.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator Mary Coleman Spring and Mid-Atlantic CWC Chair Kathryn Kelley staffed a DignityUSA information table that distributed Dignity publications, including the CWC's Voices & Visions and several hundred copies of the Journal. DignityUSA also hosted a lunchtime gathering attended by more than 40 lesbian women from various organizations and small faith communities.
AGLO Honors Dignity With Govea Award
AGLO-Chicago, the Arch-diocesan Gay and Lesbian Outreach, has presented its 1995 Govea Award to DignityUSA. This annual award recognizes individuals or organizations rendering outstanding service through "… sponsorship of a specific project which has been judged to have a significant benefit to the lesbian and gay community."
In the letter of commendation, AGLO's Secretary, Daniel Weitendorf, cited DignityUSA’s ministry to lesbian and gay Catholics "at a time when there were no officially sanctioned ministries coming from local dioceses or the Church at large. Today, when there are many officially sanctioned diocesan ministries throughout the country, we all have our common roots in the original organization, Dignity. You, as an organization, have stood as the bridge for homosexual Catholics between their life-style and their spirituality… We look upon you, our sisters and brothers of Dignity, with respect and gratitude for your long-standing commitment to ministering to our community"
Refusing Politics of Hate
The Christian Coalition's effort to recruit Catholics to support the agenda of the Radical Right with the formation of the Catholic Alliance has been opposed by DignityUSA. According to President Marianne Duddy, the group's kickoff in Boston used deceptive and misleading tactics to mobilize conservative Catholics in support of right-wing Republicans presidential candidates.
"The materials being sent to Catholics make it sound like this group will fight for causes such as public support for parochial schools," noted Marianne. "In reality, however, they want money and votes to support an agenda focused on dividing Americans from one another. Two issues --homosexuality and abortion -- are again used as a litmus test for backing candidates." We in Dignity call on Catholics of all political perspectives to look carefully at the material the Christian Coalition sends out and to refuse to become pawns in their politics of hate."
"In the Life" Interviews Jeff Stone
The February edition of In the Life, the national PBS program devoted to lesbian and gay issues, will include an interview with Dignity’s National Director from the Northeast Region, Jeff Stone. Jeff was interviewed for a segment on gays and religion that will be shown during February. MCC founder Rev. Troy Perry and Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of New York City’s lesbian and gay synagogue were also interviewed. Consult local PBS listings for the show's dates and time in your area.
The show's December edition explored the issue of homosexuality within Roman Catholic institutions. Highlights included Notre Dame's decision to deny recognition to a gay and lesbian student group and discussions with medieval historian Dr. Mark Jordan of Notre Dame and Fr. Robert Nugent of New Ways Ministry about the strong influence homosexuality has play within the Church throughout its history. If your PBS station does not show In the Life, write or call asking them to do so.
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