<p><span class=Apple-style-span style=font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; ><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; ><strong>September 20 2002&nbsp;</strong>&mdash; DignityUSA the national organization of gay lesbian bisexual and transgender Catholics their families friends and supporters today expressed profound sadness at the closure of the Los Angeles Archdiocese Ministry to Lesbian and Gay Catholics.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >&quot;This is tremendously sad news for us and for all who have been a part of this outreach&quot; said Patrick McArron of San Diego President of DignityUSA. &quot;It&rsquo;s even sadder news for the larger Church. This was truly an attempt to reach out to the marginalized and the outcast as Jesus did in his ministry. To shut down such a ministry is a shame.&quot;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Marianne Duddy DignityUSA Executive Director added &quot;Gay and lesbian Catholics and our families get hurt by the Church over and over. Gay Catholics really do have special spiritual needs. We don&rsquo;t always trust that we are welcome in a local parish. Our parents are often afraid to tell their local priest they have a lesbian daughter or gay son. The Archdiocesan Ministry to Lesbian and Gay Catholics helped people feel welcome. Now those who dared to venture back into the Church will feel cast out again.&quot;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >McArron and Duddy added that Dignity Chapters in the Los Angeles area as well as the national organization reach out to those affected by the closure of the Archdiocesan Ministry. &quot;We welcome all who want the support of fellow Catholics to come and join us&quot; said McArron. &quot;Dignity has been serving the Gay and Lesbian community for 33 years - more than twice as long as the Archdiocesan program. In fact Dignity took root in Los Angeles and from there grew into an international organization with chapters throughout North America; later to become DignityUSA and Dignity/Canada/Dignite. We will be doing this work for as long as people need us.&quot;</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Dignity offers affirming worship for gay lesbian bisexual and transgender Catholics and their supporters in Los Angeles the San Fernando Valley and San Diego as well as many other locations around the country. Information is available at&nbsp;<a href=http://www.DignityUSA.org/ style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; >www.DignityUSA.org</a>.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >DignityUSA is the nation&rsquo;s oldest and foremost organization of gay lesbian bisexual and transgender Catholics their families friends and supporters. Founded in 1969 it is a nonprofit organization with members and Chapters throughout the US.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >DignityUSA 1500 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite 11 Washington DC 20005</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >800-877-8797&nbsp;<a href=http://www.DignityUSA.org/ style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; ><br />www.DignityUSA.org</a>&nbsp;<a href=mailto:info@dignityusa.org style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0 0 102); text-decoration: none; ><br />info@dignityusa.org</a></p></span></p>