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DignityUSA
PO Box 376
Medford, MA
02155
tel: 800.877.8797
202.861.0017
fax: 781.397.0584
email:
info@dignityusa.org
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RETURN TO > DATELINE HOMEPAGE > HOME
DignityUSA DATELINE
March 2000
Volume
9, No. 3
DIGNITY ON THE FRONT LINE IN VERMONT
The small but committed Dignity Chapter in Vermont is getting a great deal of visibility in the wake of recent events there. After the State Supreme Court ruled that same sex couples are entitled to all benefits of marriage, and directed the legislature to determine whether this should be accomplished by opening marriage to same sex partners or establishing a system of domestic partnership, the Catholic Bishop called for a rally by Catholics opposed to same-sex marriage. Members of Dignity/Vermont were called on to respond in an interview with the local ABC affiliate, and provided information for a Burlington Free Press story that highlighted the diversity of Catholic opinion on this issue. They did a terrific job in both instances. More is sure to come!
Please keep our Dignity/Vermont sisters and brothers in your prayers in the coming months.
People of Dignity, Speak Up… & Take Personal Responsibility!
MMOW NEWS
The Millennium March on Washington for Equality will be the fourth national march for GLBT civil rights, and promises to be one of the largest and most powerful civil rights demonstrations in recent history.
DignityUSA, a sponsor of the event, will be participating as a group. We will issue President's emails as Dignity events are planned in the next few weeks.
Line-up for the March will begin at 8:00 AM at the Ellipse, behind the White House. The March will begin at 10:00 AM and the Rally will take place on the National Mall from noon to 6:00 PM. A gathering place for those who wish to march and attend the rally as part of the Dignity contingent will be announced later via email.
Dignity/Washington and Dignity/Northern Virginia invite all to join their Mass celebrations on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The MMOW organization has set up a housing arrangement. Call DC Accommodations at (800) 554-2220 to reserve a hotel room for the weekend of the March, or book directly off of the MMOW website, http://www.mmow.org. People are urged to book rooms soon! DignityUSA will NOT have hotel rooms blocked out for this event.
Our Dignity community in the Washington area will offer housing hospitality, to the extent possible. If you are interested in this alternative, contact
Laura Newport
c/o Dignity/Washington
PO Box 53001
Washington, DC 20009
or at (703)464-8030 or
Lauranew@pressroom.com
We hope to see many, many of our Dignity family on April 30. Be sure to bring your banners. It would also help our planning if you could let us know by e-mail at info@dignityusa.org or call 800-877-8797, how big your contingent will be.
Watch for further details on the weekend's activities in the coming weeks.
Dignity/Washington women in conjunction with CWC will be hosting a gathering for women of Faith on Saturday afternoon of the MMOW. Please look in Voices and Visions for more details. In addition, as more info becomes available, the details will be printed in the Dateline.
Camp Jaroco 2000
Camp Jaroco will be held in Maine on the weekend of August 4-6. This fun-filled week-end is a fund-raiser for Dignity/New England. Pencil it into your summer calendar. More details will be coming.
JUBILEE 2000 NATIONAL DAY OF RECONCILIATION AND PARDON
The biblical dimensions of Jubilee, the Church's tradition of the Holy Year, and the season of Lent call us to repentance and conversion. Faith Communities and dioceses throughout the United States are invited to participate in a special day of reconciliation and healing to be celebrated on Saturday, April 8, 2000. Faith Communities are invited to hold special celebrations of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to precede this day with a catechesis on the sacrament. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (cf. 1422-1498) and Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation, Reconciliatio et Paenitentia (On Reconciliation and Penance) and Incarnationis Mysterium (Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000), are three helpful catechetical guides. This special occasion can provide the opportunity for a renewed appreciation and practice of the sacrament. If an appropriate number of confessors are unable to assist with the celebration of the sacrament on April 8, the faith community may wish to hold a reconciliation prayer service without confession. A number of dioceses are suggesting regional reconciliation celebrations. This focus on conversion can provide an opportunity for reflection on the need for reconciliation on both the personal and on the communal level. Pope John Paul II has identified two distinct times during Lent to celebrate pardon and reconciliation. He invites us to make Ash Wednesday a time for the Church community to ask pardon for offenses committed by its members; and to make the conclusion of Lent a time for personal reconciliation with God and each other as well.
MEMBERSHIP 2000 CAMPAIGN DISCOUNTED DUES
As part of our ongoing Membership 2000 Campaign, April through June 2000 have been designated for a national dues discount. New members and renewing members will receive a $5.00 discount when joining DignityUSA.
This is a perfect opportunity to reach out to folks to become part of the nation's first and foremost organization of GLBT Catholics. A single membership during April, May and June will cost $40 and a couples membership will cost $74.00.
Chapters are invited to piggyback on to the national discount with a Discount of your own. Why not match the $5.00 national discount with a discount of your own?
MILLENNIAL PILGRIMAGE TO ITALY TO BENEFIT DignityUSA
Save the dates! From November 7 - 16, 2000, DignityUSA will be sponsoring its first ever trip to Italy for members, family and friends. This 9-day tour includes stops in Florence, Assisi and Rome, with plenty of time to enjoy the highlights of each city. It even includes a Papal audience! A portion of the $2,895 fee (which includes round-trip airfare, accommodations in superior tourist class hotels and many meals) is a tax-deductible contribution to DignityUSA, so your foreign vacation will help further Dignity's ministry here at home. Space is limited, so please sign up early.
THANK YOU
Thank you to Dignity/San Francisco who recently contributed $2,000.00 to DignityUSA from their Matching Donation Fund.
Thanks also to those who are still responding to Dignity's recent holiday appeal as well as our regular monthly contributors and tithing chapters & regions. Your continued commitment to the mission and ministry of Dignity is appreciated!
RE-IMAGINING DIGNITY
The first phase of DignityUSA's Re-Imagining process is underway. All chapters have received a questionnaire, to be distributed to individuals who would like to participate in the project. This is your opportunity to reflect on where we've come from and imagine a new future that ensures our prophetic mission for justice and inclusion within the Church and society.
Please take some time to share your experiences of the Dignity you know today, and the Dignity you envision for tomorrow.
If you have not received a questionnaire, and would like one, email info@dignityusa.org or call the national office at 800-877-8797.
NO ON KNIGHT
The vote on California Proposition 22, the Limitation on Marriage Knight initiative, is history as of March 7. DignityUSA and our California chapters have used their voice to urge their members and friends to oppose this initiative and have spoken out against the financial contributions which the Catholic bishops of California have made in support of the proposal. Dignity national, regional and chapter representatives were the anti-22 Catholic presence at the January 31 "Call to Action: People of Faith Say No on 22" public forum in Orange County, CA. The National Religious Leadership Roundtable, of which DignityUSA is a very active member, sponsored the forum attended by about 400 people. The Roundtable also issued a February 12, Freedom to Marry Day press statement of faith-based support for recognition of same-gender marriage.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
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HAPPY ST. PAT’S DAY!
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