The election results are in! We're pleased to announce that the following members have been elected to officer positions and positions on the Board of Directors

• Meli Barber, President
• Martín Witchger, Vice President
• Mary Burns, Board of Directors, at-large seat
• Ellen Euclide, Board of Directors, at-large seat
• Ann Penick, Board of Directors, at large seat

The new term runs October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2023.

Additionally, in June, the Board appointed Kathleen Sauline of Ohio to the Board as an at-large member through September 30, 2021. Kathleen is working alongside Linda Roberts,DignityUSA Treasurer, and will assume the Treasurer position in October.

Many thanks to all of our candidates—we were blessed to have an extraordinary pool this year! Thanks, as well, to our Nominations and Election Committee members for all the hard work put into this effort, and to our Staff for all their support. Thanks also to all those who participated in this year's election by watching the Candidates Forums, reading Candidates statements, and voting.

The DignityUSA Virtual Gathering is coming soon! Register today to secure your spot at the online gathering of LGBTQI Catholic advocates, activists, and allies September 11th - 12th. Learn more.

The Virtual Gathering will feature inspiring messages, thought-provoking workshops, music, community, and more. We're thrilled to share about another workshop offering at the Virtual Gathering that you won't want to miss:

"Parents, Kids, and Grandfolks: The LGBTQI+ Family Challenge" - Family is a key issue for many LGBTQI+ people, and for the straight/cisgender folks in their lives! Whether we’re considering families of origin, the families we create, coming out issues in the family context, or how and when we form families, there are issues LGBTQI+ people and families face that others don’t. What’s the role of our faith in our families? What implications does the recent Supreme Court decision in the Fulton case have for our community? Let’s talk about it all!

Panelists include:

• Mary Kay Dobrovolny, RSM – facilitator
• April and Miles Cummings – foster/pre-adoptive parents
• Kelly Elizondo – mother of a transgender child
• Susan LaVoie – mother and grandmother of lesbian women
  

Register now to hear this panel and more at the Virtual Gathering. Stay tuned for more news and updates on the Virtual Gathering.

Many of our chapters across the nation have begun to consider moving back towards in-person gatherings, while being sensitive to the needs of the community, local health protocols, and social-distancing practices. 

Dignity/Los Angeles has undertaken that process through careful communal consideration and has begun hybrid Zoom and in-person services. You can learn more about their experience here.

There's still time to be featured at the Virtual Gathering! The Liturgy Committee is gathering short videos of Dignity members sharing how Dignity has supported them during the pandemic, to share during the Virtual Gathering.

Submit your short videos online here by August 1st! Here are some tips on making a great video. 

Send questions to communications@dignityusa.org.

Sunday, July 28th marked Vatican World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. We asked our members through the Aging with Dignity and Young Adult Caucuses to help us celebrate the stories of LGBTQI family members. We compiled stories from LGBTQI grandparents and elders sharing about their experiences, faith, and role in their families. We also heard from the younger generation about how relationships with LGBTQI elders have enriched their lives.

The life experiences of LGBTQI grandparents are varied, textured, and worthy of recognition. You can read about them here.

Starting Saturday, July 31st, the Contemplative Spiritual Formation committee of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC) will be hosting a contemplative gathering on every other Saturday. The free sessions will last 75-90 minutes.

Note that we're using the Meditation Chapel platform and newcomers are asked to register ahead of time. We'll be meeting in the Gaia room of the online Meditation Chapel at 11:00am EST. Learn More.

The Dignity Young Adult Caucus will be hosting their next Zoom Game Night for people under 40 on August 31st. Learn more and RSVP today. 

Mark Your Calendar. The Young Adult Caucus will be holding meetings the last Tuesday of each month. Follow DYAC on Facebook to look ahead.

The People of Color Caucus Group has met via telephone in the past months. We've been sharing ideas and practices that POC have used to cultivate a sense of belonging and to help their Dignity communities be more inclusive.

We'd love your input! We are few and we encourage more POC to engage. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, you are the most perfect you there is. The POC Caucus provides a space for safe sharing which is anxiety free and has only promoted a true sense of well-being overall.

"What's in it for me?" -the ultimate question.... I invite you to participate to discover and learn more on August 26, 2021 8:30pm Eastern Time.

Call 1-515-604-9733, Passcode 968465. Questions? Contact Patrick Journet at patrickj@dignityusa.org.

Breath of the Spirit is our weekly reflection newsletter bringing pastoral, liturgical, and social justice moments to your inbox every Wednesday. Each week we hear from different voices from Dignity communities across the country. Subscribe today.

Miss a week? Check out the Breath of the Spirit archive to look back at previous reflections.