May 2023

People from the LGBTQ+ community, their parents, friends and family are invited to a meeting on Sunday 21 May to discuss their experience in the Catholic Church.

The meeting will take place at Christ the King in Coventry at 7pm and is aimed at those aged 18+.

Last year, as part of conversations taking place across the Archdiocese to respond to the Synod called for by Pope Francis, St Patrick’s in Coventry hosted a meeting specifically for the LGBTQ+ community to talk about their participation in the Catholic Church and what they wanted to say to the Synod.

As a result of that meeting a small working group was set up and this Sunday’s meeting, set to be the first of three at various venues across the Archdiocese, is the start of looking at a way forward.

The Diocesan Response to the Synod highlighted a number of themes, including Inclusion, the Church must be there for all.

Following the Synod conversations that took place Archbishop Bernard Longley, together with other key members of the Archdiocese, have been reflecting on the many responses that were submitted and are currently discerning all the needs of the faithful of the Archdiocese.

Archbishop Bernard recognises and is grateful that from within the LGBTQ+ community there has been very insightful feedback and he is happy for there to be a continued conversation to listen further.

The meeting on Sunday will be facilitated by Mgr Mark Crisp and attended by Sister Frances Woolman FMDM, from St Patrick’s in Coventry, and three members of the Kenelm Youth Trust (KYT) – Maria Bracken, Sandra Satchell and Fr Chris Yule.

The meeting is for those aged 18+ and will be at Christ the King Church, Westhill Road, from 7pm. For further details please call Sister Frances on 07706 400871.

In the Diocesan Response to the Document for the Continental Stage (DCS) of the Synod, submitted in January 2023, it stated:

2.2 LGBTQ+ Persons 11. DCS 39 ‘Among those who ask for a more meaningful dialogue and a more welcoming space we also find those who, for various reasons, feel a tension belonging to the Church and their own loving relationships, such as: remarried divorcees, single parents, people living in polygamous marriage, LGBTQ people’. (see also DCS 38 – 40) Within the Birmingham Synthesis (pg 7) the voice and experience of LGBTQ+ groups and individuals is expressed and heard. This has also resulted in further conversations with Archbishop Bernard Longley and LGBTQ+ individuals and groups.